cuisine
Vegan and vegetarian catering
Vegan catering costs £8 to £15 per head for a buffet or street food, £16 to £35 for bowl food or sharing platters with staff, and £36 to £65 for a plated menu, close to what the same format costs with meat. The price follows the service style more than the ingredients.
What this covers
What it costs. Vegan catering costs £8 to £15 per head for a buffet or street food, £16 to £35 for bowl food or sharing platters with staff, and £36 to £65 for a plated menu. Full cost breakdown.
What the job covers
- A fully vegan wedding breakfast for 80
- A plant-based buffet for an office lunch
- Vegan canapés and bowl food at a charity reception
- A vegetarian Indian buffet for a family celebration
- Vegan street food for a festival-style birthday
What is involved
There are fully vegan caterers, who cook nothing else, and general caterers who offer vegan and vegetarian menus alongside their usual food. Both cover the same formats as any caterer: delivered buffets, street food, grazing tables, canapés and bowl food, and plated wedding meals. Vegetarian catering, which can include milk, eggs and cheese, is also widely offered, including by caterers cooking Indian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food.
Vegan describes the recipe, not an allergen control. There is no legal definition of vegan food in UK law, and a caterer who also cooks with milk and eggs may not be able to rule out traces, so someone with a milk or egg allergy should say so separately and ask how the kitchen avoids cross-contact. Every caterer must be able to tell you which of the 14 allergens each dish contains, and nuts, soya, sesame and gluten are common in vegan cooking.
The practical check for a mixed event is the count. If some guests eat vegan and others do not, give the caterer firm numbers and ask how the vegan dishes are labelled and served, so they are not taken by everyone before the vegan guests reach the table. caterers.trade lists only caterers rated 3 or above, or Pass in Scotland.
Choosing someone for the job
Ask whether they are a fully vegan kitchen or cook vegan menus alongside other food. Ask for sample menus, and how dishes are labelled for allergens. For guests with milk or egg allergies, ask how they avoid cross-contact. For a mixed event, ask how vegan food is kept for the guests who ordered it. And ask for the price per head with staff, crockery and VAT listed.
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Common questions
Is vegan catering more expensive?
Not usually. A vegan buffet, bowl food or plated menu costs about the same as the same format with meat, because staff and service make up most of a catering price.
Is vegan food safe for someone with a milk allergy?
Not necessarily. There is no legal definition of vegan food in the UK, and a kitchen that also uses milk and eggs may not rule out traces. Tell the caterer about the allergy separately and ask how they avoid cross-contact.
What is the difference between vegan and vegetarian catering?
Vegetarian food contains no meat or fish but can include milk, eggs, cheese and honey. Vegan food contains no animal products at all.
Can one caterer do vegan and meat menus at the same event?
Yes, most caterers can. Give firm numbers for each, and ask how the vegan dishes are labelled and served so they reach the guests who ordered them.