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La Casserole does not work with one flat per person rate for catering in Brabant. Pricing is always based on the type of event and the venue. For corporate parties, conferences, and other business events, the cost usually falls between 15 and 90 euros per guest. A drinks reception with canapés sits at the lower end of that range, while a fully hosted seated dinner or gala dinner sits at the top. Typical guide prices per person (indicative, excluding VAT):

• Canapés for a drinks reception: usually 12 to 25 euros
• Buffet (hot and cold): usually 25 to 45 euros
• Walking dinner (4 to 6 courses): usually 35 to 60 euros
• Seated dinner with table service (3 courses): usually 45 to 75 euros
• Gala dinner or chef-led dinner show: usually 65 to 95 euros

La Casserole always builds its per person pricing around the event format and the venue, not a one size fits all rate.

Introduction (Services)

La Casserole sees the same confusion time and again, especially with marketing managers and office managers outsourcing a company event for the first time. They ask for a per person price, receive five quotes back, and the numbers range anywhere from 22 to 78 euros per guest. Anyone who picks the cheapest figure without looking deeper often finds out on the night itself that there are too few staff on the floor or the food is no longer at its best.

That gap in pricing is not random. The per person cost is the result of a series of choices: the catering style, the number of courses, whether service is included, how many staff need to be on site, and whether the venue has a kitchen or everything has to run from mobile equipment.

This guide explains how that price is built up, which price ranges are realistic for each catering format, and which hidden cost items can make a quote climb. For the tax and practical side of workplace food service, the detailed guide to corporate lunch catering in Brabant is a useful companion piece. The goal here is simple: a per person price that does not come as a shock afterwards.

What is included in the per person catering price?

The per person catering price is made up of four main parts: ingredients, preparation, staffing, and logistics. If you only look at the food cost, you are missing a large part of the bill.

Ingredients are usually the smallest share. On a 60 euro dinner, only about 20 to 30 percent typically goes toward the actual food purchase. The rest covers preparation, service, and the practical side of running the event on location. That is why a simple buffet does not cost half as much as a plated dinner using similar ingredients. The real difference is staffing.

The impact of service staff

Service is the biggest variable. A standing reception where guests help themselves to bites needs relatively few staff. A seated dinner with plated courses can easily require one team member for every 12 to 15 guests. Whether that staffing cost is included in the per person rate or listed separately, it is part of the total either way.

Venue and logistics often drive the extra cost

A venue without a kitchen changes the numbers quickly. Mobile cooking equipment, extra transport, and sometimes even a generator all need to be added. Temporary and mobile catering setups, such as marquees and food trucks, also have to meet specific legal requirements. According to Ondernemersplein from the Dutch government, these temporary business spaces must meet rules for layout and facilities, including sufficient cold and hot drinking water. Those extra logistics feed directly into a higher per person price.

Why prices keep moving up

The catering sector is growing, and that shows up in pricing. According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), canteens and catering posted the strongest revenue growth of all hospitality segments in the fourth quarter of 2025, at 6,2 percent. So if you are comparing a quote from 2024 with one in 2026, do not assume the rate will still be the same.

How to use this in practice:

• Ask every caterer to break the quote down into food, staff, and logistics, so you can compare like with like
• For a seated dinner, expect roughly one service staff member per 12 to 15 guests. If the number looks lower, ask questions
• Check whether the venue has a working kitchen. If not, ask specifically about extra charges for mobile equipment
• Add a margin of 5 to 10 percent to quotes that are more than a year old, given rising hospitality turnover

How much should you budget per person for a buffet or drinks reception?

In Brabant, a buffet usually costs 25 to 45 euros per person, while a drinks reception with canapés usually costs 12 to 25 euros per person. These are among the most popular options for company parties and receptions because they work well for larger guest numbers while keeping the budget under control.

A buffet scales well. Whether you are catering for 50 or 150 guests, the per person price tends to stay fairly stable because food is prepared centrally and guests serve themselves. That makes it a sensible choice for larger groups where the budget per guest is under pressure.

What a buffet costs for 50 people

Take an office manager at a professional services firm organising a summer drinks event for 50 employees. A hot and cold buffet at around 35 euros per person puts the catering budget at about 1.750 euros excluding VAT, service staff, and any venue hire. If the same company chooses canapés only at 18 euros per person, the budget drops to around 900 euros. That 850 euro gap comes almost entirely from the quantity and type of food, not from staffing.

Canapés: portions and presentation shape the price

For a drinks reception, pricing is mainly driven by portion count and freshness. For an event lasting two to three hours, you would usually budget for 8 to 12 bites per guest. Getting the balance right on portions, fresh preparation, and presentation is exactly where strong canapé catering makes the difference between an event that feels generous and one that feels skimpy.

Food safety is always built into the price

One thing you will find in every quote, even if it is not listed separately, is food safety. Every catering business in the Netherlands is legally required to work with a HACCP plan or an approved hygiene code, and the NVWA enforces that. According to the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), this obligation applies to all caterers, including those operating from home kitchens. So if a per person price looks suspiciously low, treat it as a warning sign. Something is likely being cut, either in quality or in safety.

How to use this in practice:

• For a two to three hour drinks reception, allow 8 to 12 bites per guest. Less than that can feel sparse
• Only compare buffet quotes once you know whether service and clearing are included
• Ask to see the caterer’s HACCP plan or hygiene protocol. If they cannot show it, cross them off the list
• For groups over 100 guests, a buffet often delivers a lower per person price than plated service

Walking dinner or seated dinner: how does it affect the per person price?

A walking dinner usually costs 35 to 60 euros per person, while a seated dinner with service typically costs 45 to 75 euros per person. The difference is not just about the food. It is mostly about space, service flow, and staffing levels.

The format shapes the whole setup. A walking dinner uses smaller dishes served in rounds, which keeps guests moving and talking. A seated dinner needs a fixed table plan, more crockery, more service staff, and significantly more floor space per guest.

The same company event, two very different budgets

Imagine an HR manager at a manufacturing company planning an anniversary event for 120 guests. A walking dinner at around 50 euros per person brings the catering budget to roughly 6.000 euros, and seating needs are relatively light because standing tables and circulation space are enough. If the same HR manager opts for a seated dinner at 65 euros per person, the budget rises to nearly 7.800 euros, plus the need for a table layout that can easily require twice the floor space and extra staff to serve 120 plates at the same time. If you are weighing up these two formats, this comparison of walking dinner versus seated dinner helps match the format to the space and the level of guest interaction you want.

When a dinner show is worth the extra spend

At the premium end, you have the dinner show or chef-led dining experience, usually 65 to 95 euros per person. At that level, you are paying for more than a meal. You are paying for a full experience. It suits a product launch or client event where the evening itself needs to make a statement, not a standard staff social.

Why pricing keeps creeping up

Demand for polished, professionally run events continues to grow. In the third quarter of 2025, the sector again led the market. According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), canteens and catering recorded the highest revenue growth in the entire hospitality industry, at 6,4 percent. That level of demand keeps gentle upward pressure on rates, which makes early quoting more important.

How to use this in practice:

• For a seated dinner, allow roughly twice as much floor space per guest as you would for a walking dinner
• Choose a walking dinner if networking is the main goal. Choose a seated dinner if the evening needs to feel formal
• Only book a dinner show if the experience itself is part of the message
• Request quotes at least three to four months in advance, especially during peak months

Detailed comparison: per person price by catering format

The table below compares the most common catering formats by price, staffing, and space requirements. Prices are indicative and exclude VAT, venue hire, and any additional charges for mobile equipment.

How to read the table

Per person pricing rises with the level of service, not just the amount of food. A canapé and a plated dinner course may use similar ingredients, but the staff needed to serve 120 guests properly is what pushes the price up. So when you compare options, treat the service column as the key cost driver.

What the table does not show

Venue-specific costs are not included here on purpose because they vary so widely. A venue with no kitchen, a garden party needing a generator, or a marquee requiring a water supply can easily add several euros per person. For a garden party where power and weather matter, a larger share of the budget often goes into logistics than into the food itself.

Why an all in event partner can save money overall

The most overlooked cost is coordination. If you source catering, furniture, technical production, and staffing separately, you end up managing three or four suppliers and carrying the risk if anything does not line up. La Casserole’s approach, where catering, styling, technical support, and project management all run through one point of contact, removes that coordination burden and the risk that comes with it. That may not always show up clearly in the per person price, but it often does show up in the final total.

How to use this in practice:

• Compare quotes on both per person price and what is actually included, not on a single number alone
• If you use separate suppliers, count your coordination time as a hidden cost
• For venues without kitchens, always ask for a separate line item for mobile equipment
• Use the table as a starting point, not a final price. Venue and season will always shift the total

Which option fits your event and budget?

The right catering format comes down to three questions: what is the goal, how many guests are coming, and how much space do you have? Only after that does the per person budget really come into focus.

Start with the purpose. An informal summer drinks event calls for a very different setup from a formal anniversary celebration. If networking is the priority, a standing format usually works best. If the aim is to thank the team with a proper night out, a seated dinner makes more sense.

A simple decision guide by scenario

If your budget is under 30 euros per person and you are hosting a larger group, a buffet or an upgraded drinks reception is usually the best fit. Between 35 and 60 euros per person, a walking dinner becomes realistic, which is ideal for groups that need to keep moving and mingling. Once you move above 60 euros per person, you are looking at seated dinners and dinner shows, formats that only really pay off when the experience matters.

The organiser’s legal responsibility

If you are organising the event, you also carry legal responsibility. According to GGD Haaglanden, the organiser is legally required under Dutch food law to take measures that prevent visitors from becoming ill from contaminated or spoiled food. A caterer that takes HACCP seriously helps remove that risk, which is one more reason not to choose based on price alone.

When one partner pays for itself

La Casserole, with more than 40 years of experience and its own event venues in Brabant such as Het Ketelhuis and Kasteel Henkenshage, brings together catering, service staff, furniture, and technical support in one quote built around a clear per person price. For anyone comparing multiple proposals and wanting to hand off the coordination, this approach to event catering in Brabant offers a transparent starting point without last minute surprises.

How to use this in practice:

• Budget under 30 euros p.p. and more than 80 guests: choose a buffet or an upgraded drinks reception
• Budget 35 to 60 euros p.p. with networking as the main goal: choose a walking dinner
• Budget above 60 euros p.p. with experience as the priority: choose a seated dinner or dinner show
• Never choose on lowest price alone. If a HACCP plan is missing, the risk sits with you

Frequently asked questions

What is the average catering price per person in Brabant?

The average per person catering price usually falls between 15 and 90 euros, depending on the format. A drinks reception with canapés is usually around 12 to 25 euros, a buffet around 25 to 45 euros, and a seated dinner around 45 to 75 euros. The exact figure depends on the number of courses, the level of service, and the venue.

How much should you budget per person for a buffet?

For a hot and cold buffet, you would usually budget 25 to 45 euros per person, excluding VAT and service staff. For larger groups from around 100 guests, that per person price tends to remain fairly stable because food is prepared centrally and guests serve themselves. Always check whether clearing and crockery are included.

What does dinner for 50 people cost?

A professionally catered dinner for 50 people usually costs between 1.250 and 3.750 euros excluding VAT, depending on the format. A buffet at 35 euros per person comes to about 1.750 euros, while a seated dinner at 65 euros per person comes to roughly 3.250 euros plus service staff. For a plated dinner, allow around one staff member per 12 to 15 guests.

What does a food truck cost for 50 people?

A food truck for 50 people usually falls between 15 and 30 euros per person, plus travel costs. Keep in mind that a food truck is classed as a mobile business space and must meet specific hygiene rules, including a supply of cold and hot drinking water. Those requirements are usually built into the price.

How does La Casserole help determine the right per person price?

La Casserole builds the per person price around the event format, guest count, and venue, rather than working from a standard fixed rate. Because catering, staffing, furniture, and technical support are handled through one point of contact, you receive one transparent quote instead of a patchwork of separate invoices and coordination risks. That makes it much easier to set a realistic budget.

Conclusion

The per person price for catering in Brabant is not a fixed number. It is the result of the event format, the service level, and the logistics behind it. A drinks reception at 12 to 25 euros, a buffet at 25 to 45 euros, and a dinner at 45 to 75 euros are realistic planning ranges. Most of the cost is not in the food itself, but in the staffing and coordination around it.

If you focus only on the lowest price, you often pay for it elsewhere, through cold food, too few staff, or unnecessary risk around food safety. So compare quotes based on what is included, not just on one headline figure.

If you want the full calculation handled under one roof, La Casserole’s all in approach, with catering, service staff, technical support, and its own event venues in Brabant, gives you a transparent starting point for building a budget you can trust.

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