📝 Contract Template
Catering Contract Template
Event catering agreement with menu, timing, dietary requirements. Example: Wedding reception 120 guests.
What an event catering agreement should fix in advance
- The event date, venue, service start and expected finish time
- The guaranteed minimum headcount, and the date the final number must be confirmed
- The menu, with dietary and allergen variations recorded as agreed items
- Per-head pricing, staffing charges, and what triggers an overtime rate
- Deposit amount, due date, and the balance payment date
- The cancellation scale — what is refundable at 60, 30 and 7 days
- Who provides equipment, power, water and access, and when bump-in may start
- Insurance, food safety certification, and liquor service responsibility if alcohol is involved
Allergens are a contractual matter, not just a kitchen one
A catering agreement is one of the few small-business contracts where a mistake can seriously harm someone. Allergen requirements should be captured in writing, confirmed back to the client, and tied to the final headcount deadline — not taken as a verbal note on the day. Food safety obligations sit under state legislation and your local council, and they apply to the event regardless of what the contract says.
- Record each dietary requirement against a named guest or a confirmed count, in writing
- Say explicitly what you cannot guarantee — most kitchens cannot promise a trace-free environment
- Keep the confirmed final numbers email; it is the document that settles the invoice
Practical clauses worth having
- A wet-weather or venue-change clause for outdoor events
- A force majeure clause that says what happens to the deposit
- A clause covering damage to hired equipment while it is on site
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General information only — not legal, tax or financial advice. For contracts and tax documents, confirm your obligations with a qualified professional or the relevant authority.