Catering Prices Per Person in the UK: 2026 Guide by Event Type

Catering quotes are hard to compare because every caterer builds the price differently: one quotes food only, another includes staff and plates, a third adds VAT at the end. This guide gives typical UK catering prices per person for each kind of event in 2026, shows what that means for 30 to 150 guests, and explains what a per-head price actually pays for, so you can tell a fair quote from an expensive one.

Catering prices per person by type of event

These are typical prices per guest for the food and its service, taken from published 2025 and 2026 UK price guides. Drinks are not included.

Sources: Bark catering price guide 2026, British Event Catering and Humdingers London corporate costs 2026. Bark puts the average spend at about £55 per head in London and £50 in the South East, against £25 to £40 in most other regions.

Planning a wedding? Wedding catering has its own extras, from the evening food to the cake, so we cover it separately in how much wedding catering costs in the UK.

What catering costs for 30, 50, 100 and 150 guests

Multiplying the typical ranges gives a first budget for the food and its service:

The smallest events rarely land at the bottom of the range. Many caterers have a minimum spend, because the van, the kitchen time and the team on the day cost much the same for 30 guests as for 60. If your numbers are small, expect the price per person to go up, or ask what you can add to reach the minimum rather than paying for nothing.

What a price per person actually pays for

The food on the plate is only part of a per-head price. A typical quote covers:

• Ingredients. Meat and prawns cost far more than vegetables, rice or noodles, which is why a main with prawns usually costs a pound or two more.
• Kitchen time. Prep often starts the day before: marinating, chopping and rolling. Hand-made items such as spring rolls or canapés are labour, not just ingredients.
• Staff on the day. Bark's guide puts event staff at £200 to £500 per person per day, and chefs at £300 to £600. Since April 2026 the National Living Wage is £12.71 an hour for anyone aged 21 or over, and a caterer's staff day also includes travel, setting up and clearing away.
• Equipment and tableware. Hot holding, serving counters, plates and cutlery, either hired or the caterer's own.
• Travel. Fuel, parking and, for long distances, the extra hours on the road.
• Insurance and food safety. Public liability insurance, hygiene training and allergen labelling.
• VAT. Under HMRC's VAT Notice 709/1, food supplied as part of a catering contract is standard-rated, so a VAT-registered caterer adds 20%. Some quotes show prices before VAT, which makes them look cheaper than they are.

Why the price per person falls as numbers grow

Staff, travel and setting up are largely fixed costs, so they weigh much more on a small event. Take one member of staff at £300 for the day: that adds £10 per head for 30 guests, £5 for 60 guests and only £2 for 150. It is the same reason a plated dinner costs several times more than a buffet. With the usual rule of thumb of one waiter for every 8 to 10 guests, 100 guests need 10 to 12 staff, which at £300 each is £30 to £36 per head before anyone has eaten.

How to compare catering quotes like for like

Two quotes that look £8 per head apart can turn out to cost the same, or the cheaper one can end up dearer. Here is an example for 60 guests:

Before you compare, ask every caterer the same questions:

• Is VAT included, or added at the end?
• How many staff are included, and for how many hours?
• Are plates, cutlery and napkins included, and are they disposable, eco-friendly or hired?
• Is travel included, and is there a charge for parking or a congestion zone?
• Is setting up and clearing away included, and who takes the waste?
• Is there a minimum spend, a deposit and a date by which final numbers are fixed?
• What happens if numbers go up or down after booking?

Common mistakes that push the cost up

• Offering too many choices. When guests can pick between several mains, most take a little of two, so a choice of dishes needs about a quarter more food in total. Our guide to how much food to order per person has the quantities.
• Booking staff by the day when you need them for two hours. A lunch served from a counter for an hour does not need a full evening team.
• Hiring crockery you do not need. For a lunch or a garden party, good eco-friendly disposables cost a fraction of hired china, with no washing-up charge.
• Leaving it late. Popular dates book months ahead, and a last-minute booking leaves you with whoever is free rather than the best value.
• Ordering for everyone invited. Order for confirmed guests. A few no-shows are normal and simply mean a little extra for everyone else.

How to bring the price per person down

• Choose served stations or a buffet over a plated meal. This is the biggest saving, because it needs far fewer staff.
• Keep the menu to two or three mains. Fewer dishes means less prep and less waste.
• Go for a lunch rather than a dinner. Guests eat less at lunch, and daytime staff hours are shorter.
• Fix the numbers early. Caterers can plan the shopping and staffing precisely when the headcount is confirmed.
• Look at weekdays. Many caterers have more flexibility from Monday to Thursday than on a Saturday in June.

What our Thai catering costs per person

As a working example, these are our own prices for 2026. They are the final figure: no VAT is added on top, and travel is worked into your quote.

Our minimum spend is £750 per booking. Here is how that works out for real event sizes:

• A team lunch for 50: Thai Me Up at £17 per head comes to £850.
• A party for 100 guests: Nirvana at £24 per head comes to £2,400, including spring rolls, satay and two members of staff.
• A canapé reception for 80: six canapés each at £2 comes to £960.
• A birthday for 40: Easy-Peasy alone would be £560, below the minimum. Adding mango sticky rice (from £6.99 per person) brings it to about £840, or Nirvana comes to £960 with two staff serving.

See the full menu, or the details for office lunch catering, canapé catering, birthday party catering and corporate events.

Catering prices per person: frequently asked questions

How much is catering per person in the UK?

Most UK caterers charge £10 to £25 per person for a buffet, street food or working lunch, and £30 to £75 per person for a sit-down meal. Formal gala dinners can reach £150 per person. Prices in London and the South East are higher than the rest of the country.

What is the average cost of catering for 50 guests in the UK?

For 50 guests, a buffet or street food menu usually costs £600 to £1,250 and a sit-down meal £1,500 to £3,750, before drinks. Check whether staff, tableware and VAT are included before comparing quotes.

How much do canapés cost per head?

Canapés are usually priced per piece; ours start at £2 each. With six to eight canapés per guest before a meal, that is £12 to £16 per head at £2 a piece. A London corporate canapé reception typically costs £20 to £45 per head, more when the canapés replace a meal.

Is VAT added to catering prices?

Catering is standard-rated for VAT, so a VAT-registered caterer must charge 20%. Always check whether a quote is "inc. VAT" or "ex VAT", because that alone can change the total by a fifth.

Do caterers charge separately for staff?

Many do. Staff are often priced per person per day or per hour, on top of the food. Ask how many staff are included and for how long, because service staff can cost more than the food at a plated dinner.

Why do caterers have a minimum spend?

The cost of the kitchen time, the van and the team on the day is much the same for a small event as for a larger one. A minimum spend covers those fixed costs, so for small groups it is often better value to add starters or dessert than to pay for the difference.

Planning an event? Send us your date and guest numbers and we will reply with a menu and a full price per guest, usually within 48 hours.