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The short answer

At La Casserole, we typically price on site catering for Brainport businesses and other clients in Eindhoven at €35 to €150 per guest. A drinks reception with hot and cold canapés usually sits at the lower end of that range. Wedding catering with table service or a walking dinner tends to fall in the middle, while a multi course seated dinner with a wine pairing sits at the top end. The menu is only one part of the quote. Food and drinks, staffing, equipment, transport and venue requirements all matter. An empty industrial unit in Eindhoven will consistently cost more per guest than a venue with a working kitchen already in place.

Key takeaways

• A typical price range for on site catering is €35 to €150 per guest. The biggest differences usually come from service hours and equipment hire, not the wholesale cost of the food.
• According to CBS, canteens and catering recorded the largest revenue increase of all hospitality sectors in the third quarter of 2025, at 6,4 percent. Cost pressure is real, so last year’s quotes are not a reliable benchmark.
• A small event in Eindhoven with fewer than 250 visitors that lasts no more than one day often only requires notification rather than a full event permit (Ondernemend Eindhoven).
• Every caterer in the Netherlands must work with a food safety plan or hygiene code based on HACCP, which is monitored by the NVWA. For outdoor venues without refrigeration, this is a real cost, not simply a box to tick.
• A useful staffing rule of thumb is one team member per 15 to 20 guests for a seated dinner, and one per 20 to 25 guests for a walking dinner. This often explains most of the gap between two quotes.

Why can one catering quote in Eindhoven be twice the price of another?

You ask three suppliers to quote for the same party: 120 guests, a walking dinner and an industrial venue in Eindhoven. Quote A comes in at €62 per person, quote B at €89 and quote C at €118. Same guest count, same venue, same date, yet three very different totals. (Services)

La Casserole operates in a market where caterers, wedding venues, event agencies and hire companies each cover part of the job. That is exactly where the confusion begins. Quote A may include food and a chef only. Quote B may add staff and tableware. Quote C may also cover refrigeration, cooking equipment, power supply and clearing down afterwards. In that situation, the highest quote is often the only one that reflects the true total cost.

That is the real challenge for anyone accountable for an event budget. You are not comparing prices, you are comparing incomplete lists. For business organisers, there is another consideration: the tax treatment of food served on site varies by situation. We explain this in our complete guide to costs and tax rules for an on site company lunch in Brabant.

The only way to make a fair comparison is to require every quote to use the same four cost categories. Only then can you see where your money is going.

Which four costs determine the price of on site catering?

The price per guest is made up of food and drinks, staffing, equipment and transport, plus the costs imposed by the venue itself. At most events, the food accounts for roughly one third to half of the total. The rest is delivery and execution.

Food, drinks and number of courses

The number of courses has less impact on the price than most people expect. A walking dinner with six small courses can cost roughly the same per guest as a three course seated dinner, because the total amount of food is similar. What does increase the cost is cooking fresh on site rather than serving pre prepared dishes, adding shellfish or game to the menu, and choosing an open bar rather than a drinks package with a fixed end time. Always ask for a drinks price per guest, per hour, rather than per item. It makes quotes much easier to compare.

Staffing is the cost people underestimate most

A chef working on site does far more than cook. They also set up and pack down. For an evening event, allow six to eight hours per team member, including set up and cleaning. For 120 guests at a seated dinner, that can quickly mean six to eight front of house staff, plus kitchen staff. Leaving staffing out of the quote to make the total look lower only shifts the problem to the event itself.

Equipment, transport and an unfurnished venue

This is where the biggest price differences arise between venues in and around Eindhoven. A venue with a kitchen, suitable power supply and tableware in place only needs staff and ingredients. A warehouse, garden or historic building without a kitchen may require mobile refrigeration, cooking equipment, a generator or extra power circuits, as well as tables, linen and glassware. The approach La Casserole uses for catering in Eindhoven, with our own chefs cooking on site and clearing everything away afterwards, makes these costs clear upfront rather than adding them later.

Checklist:

• Ask every supplier to split its quote into four categories: food and drinks, staffing (including hours and headcount), equipment and transport, and venue costs.
• If the quote does not state how many staff are included, it is not directly comparable. Ask before putting quotes side by side.
• Check whether waste removal, cleaning and pack down are included. These are the three items most commonly left out.
• Confirm whether the venue has a kitchen, refrigeration and sufficient power circuits, and get the answer in writing.

Walking dinner, buffet or seated dinner: which costs least per guest?

A buffet is not automatically the cheapest option. Buffets need more food per guest because people serve themselves, but they require fewer service hours. A seated dinner needs less food but more staff. The final result depends on your guest count.

The figures in this table are practical guide ranges, not fixed rates. Your final price depends on the menu, venue and season.

Here is the practical takeaway. For fewer than roughly 40 guests, a buffet becomes relatively expensive per person because you spread the same serving platters, chafing dishes and contingency food across fewer people. Above 150 guests, the balance shifts, as a seated dinner becomes logistically expensive due to the number of service rounds. That is why weddings with 100 guests often work best as a walking dinner or a hybrid format: a short seated opening followed by a more relaxed, informal evening.

Here is an illustrative example. An HR manager at a technology company with around 180 employees is planning an annual party at an industrial event venue. The initial plan is a seated dinner for all 140 attendees. That requires seven to nine service staff, a seating plan and a three hour programme. By switching to a walking dinner with four fixed food stations, the required team can fall to around five or six people, while table and linen hire for 140 guests is no longer needed. The price per guest can drop noticeably, while teams actually get more opportunities to talk to one another. Read more about why an industrial event venue in Eindhoven works well for this format in this analysis of industrial venues for business events.

Where are the costs that do not appear in the menu price?

Three costs are overlooked in almost every first budget: food safety at an unfurnished venue, permits, and the hours after the final course is served.

Food safety is not just paperwork. According to the NVWA, every catering company must work with a food safety plan or hygiene code based on HACCP, and this is checked during inspections. Since 2021, food safety culture has also been a mandatory part of European hygiene legislation, according to the NVWA. At a garden party or in a warehouse without a cold room, this means refrigerated transport and mobile refrigeration on site. A caterer that does not charge for this is unlikely to be providing it.

Permits are the second consideration. According to the municipality, a small event in Eindhoven with fewer than 250 visitors that lasts no more than one day can often proceed with a notification rather than a full event permit. If your event exceeds those limits or runs over several days, allow more time and expect possible requirements around noise, safety and traffic management.

The hours after dessert

Pack down, washing up, removing glass and waste, and returning the venue to its original condition usually take two to three hours for part of the team. At an unfurnished venue, it can take longer because the equipment must also be removed. If these tasks are not included in your quote, they will still need doing. You may receive an additional charge, or your own staff may be left handling it at one in the morning.

Checklist:

• Ask which hygiene code or HACCP plan the caterer follows, and how refrigeration will be handled at your specific venue.
• More than 250 visitors or an event lasting longer than one day in Eindhoven? Start the permit process at least several months in advance.
• Make sure pack down hours, waste removal and any damage deposit are listed separately in the quote.
• Check whether the venue has a fixed finishing time and whether pack down must be completed by then. If not, ask about late night charges.

How much budget do you need for 100 guests, and when is one supplier cheaper?

For 100 guests and a fully catered evening including food, drinks, staff and equipment, a realistic starting budget is usually €7.000 to €12.000, depending on the menu format and the condition of the venue. A wedding with a longer schedule, including a ceremony, drinks reception, dinner and party, will often cost more because you are paying for three or four food and drink moments rather than one.

Here is a point that goes against the usual procurement logic: comparing separate supplier quotes often does not save money for events with more than roughly 50 guests. The reason is not profit margin, it is duplicated work. Two suppliers mean two deliveries, two set up periods, two points of contact and one grey area where no one is clearly responsible. A single partner that brings catering, technical production, furniture and project management together in one event plan only schedules staff and logistics once. That is where La Casserole’s full service offering, with its own venues in Brabant and more than 40 years of experience, can make a measurable financial difference rather than simply offering convenience.

When separate suppliers can make sense: for smaller groups of up to around 30 guests at a venue that already has everything in place, or for events where you have an experienced project manager in house. Above that size at an unfurnished venue, one team managing the whole event usually wins.

Checklist:

• For fewer than 30 guests at a fully equipped venue, a separate caterer is usually enough.
• For more than 50 guests at an unfurnished venue, request one full service quote and two separate supplier quotes, then compare them including delivery and set up hours.
• Calculate your budget per guest, per event moment, not per day. Four moments mean four rounds of staffing.
• Keep 10 to 15 percent of your budget in reserve for extra guests and weather related contingencies.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a wedding for 100 guests cost?

Total budget. In practice, a full wedding including catering, styling, staff and venue can range from several thousand euros to well above €20.000, depending on the venue and schedule. Catering alone often accounts for €50 to €130 per guest because a wedding usually includes several food and drink moments in one day. Plan the budget by event moment: reception, dinner and evening food.

How much does catering for 100 people at home cost?

Garden or private venue. Hiring a venue is not necessary when you host at home, but you may need to pay for refrigeration, cooking equipment, power and toilets. A staffed bbq or walking dinner at home usually falls between €40 and €85 per guest. The key questions to answer early are: how many power circuits are available, and where will the kitchen be set up? For practical advice, see this guide to garden party catering without the stress of power and weather.

How much does on site catering cost per person for a company party?

Guide range. For a business evening party with canapés and drinks, expect to pay around €35 to €60 per guest. For a walking dinner, expect €55 to €95. How long guests stay has a greater effect on costs than the menu itself, because every extra hour increases drinks consumption and staffing time. Set a clear end time in the quote.

How far in advance should you book on site catering?

Lead time. For groups of up to around 50 guests, a few weeks’ notice is often possible. For 100 guests or more, three to six months is more realistic. During peak season, from May to September, and around the festive period, lead times can be longer because staff and equipment availability becomes tighter. If your event requires a permit, the municipal process will usually determine your timeline.

Why does La Casserole ask about the venue before providing a price?

The venue determines delivery costs. Without knowing whether a venue has a kitchen, refrigeration, power and suitable access for deliveries, any per guest price is little more than a guess. That is why our process starts with a venue check: available facilities, set up time and finishing time. It prevents the additional charges that arise when missing equipment is only discovered on the day.

Conclusion

How much does on site catering in Eindhoven cost? The answer is roughly €35 to €150 per guest, but the useful answer lies in the breakdown: food and drinks, staffing and hours, equipment and transport, and the requirements imposed by the venue. Ask every supplier to quote these four categories separately, and you can finally make a meaningful comparison.

Take three practical steps for your next event. First, record the venue facilities in writing: kitchen, refrigeration, power circuits and finishing time. Second, calculate your budget per guest, per event moment, rather than per day. Third, for more than 50 guests, request both a full service quote and separate supplier quotes, then compare them including set up and pack down hours.

The experience of La Casserole in delivering fully managed events across Brabant shows that most budget overruns do not come from the menu. They come from the hours and equipment no one planned for.

About La Casserole

La Casserole is a full service event partner based in Best, bringing together catering, styling, technical production, hire and project management in one complete solution for business and private events. With more than 40 years of experience, its own event venues in Brabant and an established partner network, the company delivers events from concept to execution for marketing, HR and office managers, as well as couples and private clients.

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