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Events & Hospitality

Find a caterer near you

Outside catering, private chefs, event menus, service staff and equipment.

Also called outside catering, event food, private chef or bites.

Catering quotes are built on headcount, menu and what else is included. Two caterers quoting the same price per head can be offering very different things once serving staff, crockery, chafing dishes, tents and a service captain are counted.

Ask for the quote broken down. It is the only way to compare like with like, and a caterer who will not break it down is telling you something.

Say if anybody has dietary requirements, and say it early. It affects the menu design, not just a plate on the day.

What people post

Catering jobs on Help24

Anything in this list can be posted as a single job — you do not need an ongoing arrangement to use Help24.

  • Outside catering for weddings and functions
  • Corporate lunches, conferences and meetings
  • Private chefs for a dinner at home
  • Bites, canapés and cocktail service
  • Nyama choma and grill service
  • Breakfast and tea service
  • Cakes and desserts
  • Service staff, waiters and bar staff
  • Crockery, cutlery and equipment hire

Writing the request

What to include so the offers come back usable

  • Date, time, venue and guest count
  • The kind of menu you want, and any dishes that must be on it
  • Dietary requirements, allergies and any religious requirements
  • Whether serving staff, crockery and equipment are needed
  • Whether there is a kitchen, power and water at the venue

What moves the price

Why two quotes for the same job differ

  • Guest count and the menu itself
  • Serving staff and how many are needed
  • Crockery, cutlery, chafing dishes and hire equipment
  • Whether the venue has a kitchen, or everything must be brought
  • Distance to the venue

Help24 does not publish price ranges for catering. Quotes come from the caterers themselves, and the number you agree is the number the payment is held against.

Before work starts

What to check with a caterer

  • Ask for the quote itemised: food, staff, equipment, transport
  • Ask about food handler certificates and county health requirements for the staff attending
  • Arrange a tasting for anything large enough to justify one
  • Agree the final headcount deadline and what happens if numbers change

How Help24 works

Posting a catering job

1

Describe the job

Say what needs doing and where you are. Posting is free, and you are not committing to anything by posting.

2

Nearby caterers send offers

Providers near you quote their own price. Nobody is assigned to you — you see the offers and you choose.

3

Agree the price first

Nothing starts until you have accepted an offer. The number you agree is the number that gets held.

4

Pay by M-Pesa, released when it's done

Help24 holds the payment while the work happens. The provider can see it is there; neither side can move it until you confirm the job is finished.

More detail on how posting and offers work, and on how payment protection works.

Post your catering job

Free to post. You see the offers, you agree the price, and the payment is held until the work is done.

Offer catering services? Join Help24 as a caterer.