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The five lines inside a per-head price
A per-head figure looks like one number, but it is five costs stacked together. Understanding the split tells you which changes save real money and which just make the menu smaller.
| Cost line | Roughly |
|---|---|
| Ingredients and preparation | 40–50% |
| Kitchen labour | 15–20% |
| On-site service staff | 10–20% |
| Equipment, chafing units and consumables | 8–12% |
| Delivery, set-up and clear-down | 5–10% |
What actually reduces the price
- Dropping a lamb or seafood dish for a chicken or vegetarian one — protein is the single biggest ingredient variable.
- Choosing drop-off with disposable service instead of full staffed service.
- Running a buffet instead of a plated meal, which needs roughly one waiter per 25 covers.
- Holding the event inside our free delivery radius rather than 15 miles out.
What barely moves the price
- Cutting the dish count while keeping the same guest number — the food weight is unchanged.
- Swapping one vegetarian curry for another.
- Asking for a shorter service window; the labour is already committed to travel, set-up and clear-down.
Questions to ask before you compare two quotes
- Is VAT included, and is the figure per head or per portion served?
- Does it include staff on site, or only delivery?
- Who supplies chafing units, serving utensils, plates and napkins?
- What is the cancellation and final-numbers deadline?
- Is there a travel charge beyond a set radius?