Drop-off catering

How drop-off works

Drop-off catering is prepared in our kitchen, packed hot or cold and delivered within an agreed window. When we arrive, we bring the food to your room, set it out in a sensible order, put a label on every dish, leave serving utensils and explain anything that needs attention, such as when to light chafing fuel or which tray is the nut-free one. Then we leave, and your group serves itself.

It is the most cost-effective way to feed a group, because you pay for food and delivery rather than staff hours. Drop-off orders need 48 hours notice and a minimum of 15 guests, and delivery is $45.

When drop-off is enough, and when it is not

Drop-off suits events where people are comfortable serving themselves and someone on your side can keep an eye on the table:

• Office lunches, breakfasts and boxed lunches
• Meetings and workshops with breaks at set times
• Family gatherings, casual birthday parties and holiday dinners at home
• Receptions after a funeral or memorial, where a quiet, simple setup is appropriate

Choose full service instead when food has to be passed or plated, when the event runs longer than about two hours, when there are more than about 80 guests on a single buffet, or when nobody on your side can manage the table and the clean-up. The drop-off vs full service comparison sets out the cost difference.

Hot food without staff

Hot dishes arrive in one of two ways. Chafing dishes use a water bath heated by fuel cans; they keep food hot for about two to four hours once lit. Insulated carriers keep sealed pans hot without a flame, and suit offices where open flame is not allowed or where food will be served within about an hour of delivery.

Tell us about the space when you order. Many office buildings, condo party rooms and some community halls do not permit open flame, and a sprinkler head above a lit chafing dish is not a risk worth taking. If chafing dishes are used, we set them on a stable table away from walkways and show your contact how to extinguish the fuel.

Setting up a self-serve table

A self-serve buffet flows best in one direction along a table at least 2 m long, or on both sides of a longer one for groups over 40. We lay it out in the order people need things: plates first, then salads and cold dishes, then hot mains, then cutlery and napkins at the end so hands are free while serving.

Put drinks on a separate table. When drinks and food share a table, the line stops every time someone pours a coffee. If you have a guest with a severe allergy, serve their plate before the table opens.

Food safety after we leave

Once we hand over, the food is in your care. General food safety guidance is that perishable food should not be at room temperature for more than about two hours in total, including the time it was on the table. Every drop-off order notes the delivery time so you know when that clock started.

• Keep cold platters in a fridge until 10–15 minutes before serving if the event starts later.
• Do not top up a tray that has been out with fresh food from the fridge; replace the tray.
• Refrigerate leftovers promptly in clean containers, or discard them.

Ordering the right amount

Without staff to portion food, self-serve quantities need a small buffer. The first guests in line take more than the last, and the most popular dish goes first. We size drop-off orders so that the last person in line still has a choice, and we split mains so a single favourite does not run out. For home gatherings where guests graze over several hours, a grazing table or platters often work better than hot trays that should be put away after two hours.

Deliveries across Toronto and the GTA

Every delivery address has its own quirks. Downtown towers route caterers through docks and freight elevators; midtown condos need an elevator booking with the concierge; houses in older neighbourhoods may have no parking on the street at lunchtime. When you order, give us the address, the entrance, a parking or unloading suggestion and a mobile number for the person receiving. For area details see midtown Toronto, Etobicoke and Brampton.