Good Christmas party catering planning separates decisions that define the booking from details that naturally change. Confirm the date, venue, service format and approval route first; then work to the actual supplier deadlines for final numbers, menus, timings and dietary information.
This relative timeline works whether you are organising an office lunch, an evening staff party or a larger company celebration. Replace every suggested milestone with the dates written in your quotation and booking paperwork rather than assuming a universal Christmas cut-off.
Book the shape of the event before chasing every detail
Start with the information that determines whether a caterer can assess the job: event date, venue or postcode, approximate guest range, preferred serving period and the role food plays in the event. Say whether you are planning a seated meal, an informal gathering, a reception or food alongside another activity.
Add the wider scope at the first enquiry. If you may need a marquee, furniture, a photobooth or other event hire, include that now even if the final selection is not ready. The purpose is to show the complete event being considered, not to treat every possible extra as booked.
Name the person who can approve the quotation and the person managing day-to-day details. If finance, HR, a venue contact or a senior manager must sign something off, record that route before requesting a decision date from the caterer.
Separate fixed decisions from adjustable details
Use the comparison below to keep early uncertainty manageable. A detail being adjustable does not mean it can change indefinitely; the supplier's written deadline still controls when it must be confirmed.
If a decision is not yet known, give the best honest estimate and label it clearly. A guest estimate of 'approximately 80, final number to follow by the agreed deadline' is more useful than either a false exact number or no number at all.
| Confirm for the booking | Finalise through the planning period |
|---|---|
| Event date and venue or postcode | Final room, access point and supplier arrival instructions |
| Approximate guest range and event type | Final attendance and any separate guest groups |
| Food's role and broad service format | Agreed menu choices and dietary arrangements |
| Indicative serving period | Final running order and food-service time |
| Required catering and hire scope | Exact agreed equipment, furniture and extras |
| Internal approver and budget route | Named on-site contact and change authority |
| Accepted quotation and booking terms | Updates submitted by the written booking deadlines |
Build your timeline backwards from supplier deadlines
Once you receive a quotation, copy every dated action into one planning sheet: quote expiry, deposit or booking action, menu decision, final guest information, balance payment and any venue-access confirmation. Use the documents for your event; do not substitute a date from a blog, another organiser or a previous Christmas party.
Work backwards from each supplier date and create an earlier internal deadline. Allow time to collect replies, resolve exceptions and obtain approval. If the caterer needs final information on a Friday, a same-day staff survey deadline leaves no time to check missing or contradictory answers.
Mark which changes could alter the quotation or service plan and who is authorised to accept them. Ask the supplier how to submit amendments and which version of the plan they will treat as current.
Use a six-stage Christmas catering plan
Stage one — enquiry: send the date, postcode, guest estimate, event type, broad food idea, proposed serving time and any known access restrictions. Discuss food intolerances before booking; Fables must expressly confirm any arrangement and does not cater for food allergies.
Stage two — comparison: check the complete proposal rather than one headline figure. Compare the menu, guest assumptions, staffing, travel, setup, equipment, clearing responsibilities, payment schedule and any optional hire. The catering quote comparison guide has a worksheet for this step.
Stage three — booking: make sure the accepted proposal identifies the date, venue, service and agreed scope. Save the quotation and applicable terms together. Record the supplier's confirmation and the next required action; an internal intention to book is not a supplier confirmation.
Stage four — planning: agree the room or site layout, supplier route, guest arrival pattern and event running order. Decide who manages invitations, dietary responses, menu approvals, venue contact and hire items.
Stage five — final information: submit final numbers, menu decisions, dietary information, timings and access details by the dates in the booking paperwork. Ask for written acknowledgement if a material detail changes.
Stage six — event week: circulate one final internal brief showing supplier contacts, access time, serving time, on-site decision-maker and the agreed escalation route. Do not rewrite supplier instructions in your own words if that could change their meaning; attach or link to the confirmed version.
For a Fables booking, our policy is: Fables caters for agreed food intolerances only. We do not cater for food allergies.
Please discuss any food intolerance with us before booking so we can confirm whether we can accommodate it. A request is included only once Fables has expressly confirmed the arrangements; entering it on a form does not confirm acceptance.
Our kitchens and mobile catering units handle allergens, and cross-contact can occur. We provide ingredient and allergen information, but do not guarantee allergen-free food. Vegan options are not necessarily suitable for someone with a food allergy.
Coeliac disease requires separate consideration and must not be treated as an ordinary intolerance request. Do not assume our food is suitable.
Confirm the agreed intolerance requirements and portion numbers on your final booking form, and tell us promptly about any changes. Please do not include guests’ names or medical histories.
Read the current Fables service terms alongside your agreed booking.
Collect guest information without creating confusion
Use one response form or list, one owner and one closing date. Ask for attendance, any agreed menu choice and dietary information in the format requested by the caterer. Keep optional social questions separate so they do not obscure the information needed for catering.
When someone changes an answer, update the main list instead of keeping a second note in an email or chat. Add a date or version number so the organiser can tell which list was used for the final submission.
Fables does not cater for food allergies. Discuss any food intolerance before booking and include it only once Fables has expressly confirmed the arrangement. Do not promise suitability on a guest’s behalf or treat a form entry as acceptance.
Keep the party timetable and catering timetable aligned
Put guest arrival, welcome drinks, speeches, food service, entertainment, transport and finish time on one running order. Identify who can authorise a change on the day. If a speech overruns or transport is delayed, the organiser needs a clear route for discussing the effect with the caterer rather than assuming food service can move freely.
For office events, record whether everyone attends together or whether shifts, departments or late arrivals create separate groups. Give the caterer the pattern as well as the total number so the proposed service can be assessed properly.
Share venue restrictions and supplier access separately from guest timings. A party start time does not tell a catering team when they can enter, unload or set up.
Copy this booking and finalisation worksheet
Complete the worksheet after receiving a proposal. If a date or owner is unknown, write 'not yet confirmed' and turn it into an action rather than silently assuming it will be resolved.
Fables' Christmas party catering page presents festive catering alongside event-hire options, while its corporate catering page asks organisers to start with the working-day timetable. Confirm the exact food, staffing and hire items for your event in the quotation.
Planning from Market Deeping or another event location? Request a Fables quote with your date, venue postcode, approximate guest count, food idea and proposed serving time.
| Planning item | Supplier deadline or answer | Internal owner and earlier deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Quotation decision | Supplier date: ______ | Approver/date: ______ |
| Deposit or booking action | Requirement/date: ______ | Owner/date: ______ |
| Guest estimate | Current range: ______ | List owner: ______ |
| Menu decision | Supplier date: ______ | Approver/date: ______ |
| Dietary information | Required format/date: ______ | Collector/date: ______ |
| Final numbers | Supplier date: ______ | Internal close: ______ |
| Venue access and setup | Confirmed detail/date: ______ | Venue contact: ______ |
| Running order | Service time: ______ | Change authority: ______ |
| Final payment | Amount/date from paperwork: ______ | Finance owner: ______ |
| Unresolved question | Question: ______ | Owner/deadline: ______ |
Fables booking arrangements
Our office is open Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm UK time. Email is our customer contact channel and is monitored only during these hours, not at weekends.
We aim to reply within two working days. If your event takes place at the weekend, please raise questions and resolve outstanding arrangements during the preceding working week, allowing time for us to respond. Messages sent late on Friday may not receive a reply before your event.
If you have emailed us previously, please reply within your existing email chain rather than starting a new one. This allows us to quickly see your previous correspondence and agreed arrangements. Include your booking reference and event date.
Your final booking form must provide the name and telephone number of a nominated event-day contact. This person must be reachable during arrival, setup and service and able to assist with directions, access, parking and practical arrangements.
If our team needs assistance or becomes aware of a delay affecting arrival, such as a traffic accident, a team member will contact your nominated person as soon as it is safe to do so and provide an update.
Fables does not provide a separate customer-facing event-day telephone number. Once our team is on site, please raise any immediate service concerns with the event leader.
These are the current Fables service terms. Your issued booking agreement records the terms for your booking.
Tell Fables about your event
Share your date, venue or postcode, guest numbers and the food you have in mind.
Explore Fables Christmas party catering.
Request a catering quote