How does pricing work for catering requests?

Catering requests work a bit differently from other requests when it comes to pricing — here's what makes them different, and how to price one confidently.

Your profile pricing doesn't apply automatically

Unlike personal or general requests, a catering proposal doesn't automatically use the price tiers you've set on your profile. It's entirely customizable from scratch — you can start from the client's indicated budget, or build your proposal completely independently starting as ZERO, based on what the client is actually asking for.

The client's budget is still just a reference point

As with any request, the number a client enters is only an indicative budget — not a price you're bound to. It helps us understand the kind of experience the client is looking for, and gives them a first sense of price level. It is not your final price.

What the client is told upfront

When a client submits a request, we already tell them clearly:

• Price includes groceries and service.
• Extras like wine pairings, premium ingredients, travel, or staff will be proposed by the chef as a bespoke quote.

So clients already expect that travel, staffing, and premium ingredients may come as an addition to the base price — you're not springing a surprise on them by including these in your proposal.

A worked example

Say you receive a catering request for 20 guests at €48 per person for a 4-course lunch — but the venue is 1h30 away each way. You're fully entitled to build your real proposal around what the job actually requires:

• Travel time and cost — 1h30 each way is real time and real cost. It's completely normal to add a travel/delivery fee on top of the base price.
• The scope of the menu — a 4-course meal for 20 people is a different job than a simple lunch, and your price should reflect that.

If you don't have the exact event address yet, ask the client for it before finalizing your proposal — that way you can calculate your travel accurately instead of guessing.

The takeaway

Don't treat the client's initial budget as a ceiling. Use it as a starting point to understand what they're looking for, then build your real proposal around the actual menu, guest count, travel, and time required — especially for catering, where you're starting from a blank slate rather than your saved price tiers.

💡 A little context in your proposal goes a long way — briefly explaining what's included in your price (and why, for example, travel is added) helps clients understand your number instead of just seeing it as "more expensive."

Updated on: 20/08/2026