Conference catering has one job: feed several hundred people inside a break that the agenda refuses to extend. Menu quality matters, but throughput is what determines whether the afternoon session starts on time.
Throughput is the real constraint
A single buffet line serves roughly one guest every few seconds once it is flowing, and a 300-delegate lunch break is usually 45 minutes including seating and conversation. That arithmetic means one line will not do it. For 150 delegates or more we plan double-sided service or multiple stations positioned away from the doors, so the queue does not form in the circulation route.
Break structure
- Morning break (15–20 min): light items only. Anything requiring a plate and cutlery will overrun.
- Lunch (45–60 min): the main service. Food must be at temperature from the first delegate to the last, which is what our silver and copper chafing units are for.
- Afternoon break: smaller volume than planners expect — delegates who ate well at lunch graze rather than queue.
Choosing a tier for delegate numbers
Dish count drives satisfaction more than portion size at conferences, because delegates have a fixed window and want to see something they like immediately. Silver £35 (2 starters, 3 mains, 2 sides) is the practical floor for a mixed professional audience; Gold £45 (3/4/3) suits paid-ticket events and client-facing conferences. Bronze £25 (1/2/1) works for internal training days. Platinum £60 (4/5/4) is for flagship events.
Worked example: 250 delegates on Silver is £6,250; on Gold it is £7,500. The per-head rate is flat, so budgeting scales linearly and you can approve the line before menus are chosen.
Venue questions specific to conferences
Ask where catering can be sited relative to the plenary room, when the space is free for set-up (often only during a session), whether there is a service lift, and what the clear-down deadline is. Most conference venues have no kitchen access for external caterers — not a problem for us, since we serve from professional warm holding rather than cooking on site. We do not offer live chef stations.
Dietary requirements at scale
Capture requirements at registration and give us the totals, not a list of names. Label every tray clearly — at 300 delegates, nobody has time to ask. Our plant-based range is set out on the vegetarian and vegan page and gluten-free options here. Allergen information is available on request; our kitchen handles multiple allergens and cannot be guaranteed allergen-free.
Logistics and terms
Delivery is free within 10 miles of our Richmond kitchen and quoted for 10–20 miles. Catering service runs from 11am onwards by prior booking. Payment is 50% deposit and 50% balance, with no credit accounts or PO payment windows — worth raising with procurement early. Public liability paperwork is available on request.
Multi-day conferences
Rotate the menu across days rather than repeating it. Delegates notice the second identical lunch far more than they notice an unfamiliar dish.
Next steps: browse the full catering menu, check package prices per head, build a quote with your date and guest count, or send an enquiry. We cater across Richmond, Twickenham, Kingston upon Thames and every area we serve.
Written by the Jaflong Tandoori catering team, family-run in Richmond since 2008 and led by owner Syed Bashar. Last reviewed September 2026.