Choose the service you will offer
Write down whether the menu is for boxed drop-off food, a staffed buffet or another defined service. A package described as “lunch” leaves practical questions unanswered: is it delivered in individual boxes, placed on a buffet, served by staff or collected by the customer?
Choose the format that fits your recipes, equipment, preparation space, staffing and transport arrangements. Describe that format near the package price so customers can judge whether it suits their event. You can expand the menu later when you have reviewed the work involved.
Build a small offer you can repeat
List dishes you can describe, prepare and cost consistently. For each package, explain the selection rule: one main for the whole group, a choice per guest or a fixed selection supplied together. Say which sides, bread, drinks or desserts are included.
A short opening menu makes it easier to keep descriptions, purchasing and kitchen instructions consistent. It does not need to contain every dish you might eventually sell. Use clear dish names and useful descriptions instead of unsupported claims such as “allergen-free”, “award-winning” or “best in town”.
Keep recipe details in your own preparation records. The customer menu needs the information required to understand the offer, while private recipe quantities, supplier costs and margins belong in your working records.
Put a unit beside every price
A customer should not need to guess whether “24” means per guest, per tray or for the entire order. Show the currency and pricing unit beside the amount.
- Per guest: state what each guest receives and how selections work.
- Per tray or box: state what the tray or box contains. Do not assume it serves a universal number of people.
- Per package: state the package contents and any guest-count or order limits.
- Per team-hour: define the team and what time is already included, so it cannot be mistaken for a per-person labour charge.
If you use a minimum guest count or minimum order value, state which one applies. Set your own notice period and explain how the customer checks availability. The example minimums and notice periods are fictional choices, not business recommendations.
Cost the food and the service before publishing a rate
Work out the ingredient cost of each dish with the recipe-costing worksheet and first-menu costing guide, then review the whole job before choosing your prices.
Use your recipes, measured yields and chosen portions to estimate food cost. BCcampus explains how those records relate to consistent portion costs. Then account for the work and job expenses required by the service you described.
Review preparation, packing, delivery, setup, service and clearing time with the people doing the work. BCcampus discusses matching staffing to service demand. A sample menu's staffing or time allowance cannot establish what your job needs.
Use the food-quantity calculator for your chosen portions and allocations, and the pricing calculator and worksheet to review whole-job food, labour and other costs. Changing a menu price or guest count does not automatically update those separate manual resources.
Describe what comes with the package
Check the offer against the actual work. State which food choices, packaging, tableware, delivery arrangements, setup, service time and clearing are included. Identify optional additions and any items that need a separate quotation.
For a staffed package, distinguish service time from access, setup and pack-down arrangements. For a delivery menu, explain how the address and delivery window are confirmed. A clear menu helps the customer ask relevant questions before you prepare a specific quote.
If a charge is already included in the package, do not add it again as an extra. When an addition extends an included service window, explain the extension and its pricing basis.
Use your menu to build your next booking
Add your own menu and prices in CaterScale, then prepare quotes, collect customer approval and organise kitchen prep.
These Word and PDF files are manual resources. They do not import into CaterScale or create a menu, account or booking automatically.
Questions about the menu template
Is this a menu or a customer quote?
The menu describes your standard offer and its pricing basis. A quote records the particular booking's selected items, quantities, venue, date, service and price. Use the catering quote template to set out that booking.
Can I use the Word file in Google Docs?
The Word file contains editable text and tables. Open a copy in your preferred editor, then check line wrapping, tables and page breaks before sharing or printing.
Are the sample prices recommended rates?
No. Every example amount is invented to show price units and addition arithmetic. Build your own price from your food, labour, overhead and service costs.
Should I use per-person or package prices?
Choose the basis that describes what you sell and state it next to every amount. Define the contents and selection rules for a package, and state the quantity in a tray or box. The guide does not choose a profitable rate for you.
Can I copy dietary labels from a sample?
The examples do not establish dietary suitability. Review actual ingredients, substitutions and preparation arrangements before describing your own dishes or agreeing to a request.
Will downloading start a trial?
No. Downloads are free without an account. The separate trial button opens CaterScale's signup flow; normal business and menu setup is required.
Use your menu to build your next booking
Add your own menu and prices in CaterScale, then prepare quotes, collect customer approval and organise kitchen prep.
These Word and PDF files are manual resources. They do not import into CaterScale or create a menu, account or booking automatically.