Using More Than One Food Supplier at an Event

Define what each food supplier is there to provide

List every supplier and describe its role in one sentence: for example, arrival food, main meal, dessert, drinks or late-night food. Record the agreed menu, quantities and service window beside that role. This reveals gaps and overlaps before guests see them.

Check whether two suppliers are offering similar items at the same time. That may be intentional, but it can also split queues unpredictably or leave one service underused. Decide whether guests may choose freely, receive a token, follow an allocated group or visit suppliers in sequence.

Keep dietary information with the supplier responsible for the relevant food. Fables does not cater for food allergies. Any intolerance arrangement must be expressly agreed before booking, and a request entered on a form is not acceptance.

Draw one site plan for every supplier

Mark the entrance, unloading route, turning space, supplier positions, guest areas, queue lines, emergency routes, toilets, waste point and pack-down route. Add measurements and surface details where access is tight. A photograph can help explain the setting, but it does not replace dimensions or venue confirmation.

Allocate arrival slots so vehicles do not compete for the same gate or unloading area. Record who will meet each supplier, where vehicles may wait and when parked vehicles must be moved. Keep guest arrival separate from supplier manoeuvring where the venue requires it.

Fables allocates the catering unit suited to the event, taking account of access, space, guest numbers, staffing and operational requirements. Booking does not reserve a particular horsebox or unit, so plan from the confirmed requirements rather than the proportions of a photograph.

Create a utility schedule, not a shared-power assumption

Ask each supplier for its confirmed electricity, water and other utility requirements. Put the answers in one schedule and send it to the venue or responsible technical supplier. The fact that a socket or connection exists does not establish that it is suitable for several catering operations.

Record which connection is allocated to whom, where it is located, when it is available and who confirms the final arrangement. Keep cables and equipment within the venue-approved plan. If the confirmed supply cannot meet all requests, change the layout, timings or provision with the relevant parties rather than improvising on the day.

For Fables, electricity is required and providing our own power costs extra. Confirm the requirement for the booked setup in the quotation and booking documents; this guide does not promise electrical capacity or a particular power solution.

Sequence service windows around guest movement

Write down when each supplier may begin setup, when food is ready, when guests are released, when service ends and when pack-down can start. Include speeches, room changes, performances and venue restrictions that could interrupt those windows.

If suppliers serve together, decide how guests will understand the choices and where each queue begins. If they serve in sequence, nominate the person who releases guests or announces the next service. Fables staff focus on preparing and serving food; the client or venue is responsible for organising guest queues and managing guest behaviour.

A delayed programme does not automatically extend a booked service. Fables service finishes when the full booked quantity has been served or the agreed service period ends, whichever happens first. Any extra food or extended service must be expressly agreed.

Use a shared responsibility matrix

Give every task one named owner and one confirmation point. Avoid entries such as ‘catering team’ when several independent businesses are present. If a task is shared, divide it into clear parts so that everyone can tell when their responsibility begins and ends.

Separate clearing, waste and supplier pack-down

Treat clearing guest tables, collecting rubbish around the venue, removing waste and packing each supplier's equipment as separate tasks. Assign each one explicitly. Fables includes clearing or waste services only where they are expressly listed in the booking; packing down the Fables catering unit and equipment is not the same as clearing the wider event.

Confirm the venue's waste point, separation rules, access times and any restrictions before the event. Record who removes waste from the site and who checks the final handover. Do not assume that another caterer's bin, staff or vehicle is available to Fables, or vice versa.

Send one coordination pack before the event

Issue one dated pack containing the final site plan, supplier list, access timetable, service schedule, utility allocations, responsibility matrix and nominated event contact. Mark proposed items clearly and replace them with confirmed information as decisions are made. Ask recipients to flag conflicts rather than silently editing their own copy.

For more detail on tables, serving items and clearing, use the catering equipment responsibilities guide. For a venue-access walkthrough, use the outdoor wedding catering checklist.

Explore Fables street-food catering, check the current Fables terms, and request a tailored Fables quote with your date, venue, guest numbers and the role you want Fables to play.