occasion
Funeral and wake catering
Funeral and wake catering costs £7 to £15 per head for a delivered cold buffet of sandwiches, savouries and cakes, and £12 to £25 for hot food or a buffet served by staff. Most caterers work to a minimum of 20 to 40 guests and can take a booking at a week or two's notice, which matters when a funeral date is set quickly.
What this covers
What it costs. A delivered cold wake buffet costs £7 to £15 per head, covering sandwiches, savouries such as quiche and sausage rolls, and cakes. Full cost breakdown.
What the job covers
- A cold wake buffet delivered to a family home for 40
- Sandwiches, savouries and tea served at a church hall after a service
- A hot buffet at a pub function room for 80 mourners
- Caribbean food for a nine night gathering
- Afternoon tea with china and staff at a crematorium reception room
What is involved
The wake is usually held straight after the service or the committal, at the family home, a church or village hall, a pub function room or a hotel. The caterer delivers and lays out the food before mourners arrive, and a served option adds staff to pour tea and coffee, replenish plates and clear away. A cold buffet of sandwiches, quiche, sausage rolls, cakes and fruit is the most common choice; some families prefer hot food, afternoon tea, or food from their own tradition, such as a Caribbean nine night, a Jewish shiva or a South Asian meal.
Numbers are hard to predict for a funeral, so caterers are used to planning for a range and taking final numbers a few days before. Some funeral directors will arrange the catering for you and add it to their account; others will give you names. Tell the caterer the service time and the likely travel time from the crematorium or cemetery, so the food is laid out at the right moment and not standing for hours.
The practical check is the venue. Confirm the time the hall or room is available from, whether there is a kitchen, hot water for tea and fridge space, and who is clearing away. caterers.trade lists only caterers rated 3 or above, or Pass in Scotland.
Choosing someone for the job
Ask how soon they can cater, and when final numbers are due. Ask what the buffet includes per head, and whether tea, coffee, plates and napkins are part of it. Ask whether they will lay out, serve and clear, or deliver and collect later. Tell them the service time and the venue, and ask whether they know it. And ask about any food the family needs for religious or cultural reasons.
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Common questions
How much does a funeral buffet cost per head?
£7 to £15 per head for a delivered cold buffet of sandwiches, savouries and cakes. Hot food, or a buffet with staff to serve and clear, runs £12 to £25 per head.
What food is served at a wake?
A cold finger buffet of sandwiches, quiche, sausage rolls, cakes and fruit, with tea and coffee, is the most common. Some families choose afternoon tea, hot food or food from their own tradition.
How many people should I cater for at a wake?
Most families estimate from the likely attendance at the service and assume not everyone will come back. Caterers are used to this and can plan for a range; tell them your estimate and confirm a few days before.
How much notice do funeral caterers need?
Many can cater with a week's notice, and some with less. Book as soon as the date and venue are set, and confirm final numbers a few days before.
Can the funeral director arrange the catering?
Some funeral directors arrange catering and add it to their account; others recommend local caterers. You can also book a caterer yourself, which lets you choose the menu directly.