Frequently Asked Questions
At Box Catering, we know good catering, good events and good food – inside and out. Since 2009, we have helped hundreds of customers like you on every conceivable event – birthday catering, wedding catering, party catering, corporate catering and so much more. And, while each event is different and we always make your specific needs our full focus, there are some questions that simply come up again and again. This page addresses most of them. If your query is not answered here, just contact us.
- All
- About Box Catering
- All about ordering
- Delivery queries
- How Box Catering works
- Planning your event
- Short notice orders and changes
We are the only caterer based in Sydney that has 100% 5-star reviews of our service. This reflects our love of food and love of sharing it with customers. In delivering high-quality catering to every single event, we go further and think of things that you may not have considered. It’s one of the main benefits of our vast experience. Even better, all of our staff are committed professionals, dedicated to creating exceptional events and offering the best value and quality of food and service possible.
Box Catering is the easiest and simplest way to organise catering at your next event. Our chefs can assist you in designing your own menu, or you can simply choose from our available options. From scratch, we prepare and cook items from a huge menu – from finger foods to boxed meals. Our key difference is we then deliver this award-winning food to you in temperature-controlled boxes specially engineered by Cambro. These high-tech boxes keep your food at the perfect temperature – hot or cold – until your event and guests are ready.
Cambro’s range of “Insulated Food Carrier” solutions has been engineered to keep your meals, snacks and refreshments at the perfect temperature until you are ready to serve. They are similar in concept to, but far more advanced than, the trolley boxes used by airlines. Our Cambro boxes are sealed, powered and temperature controlled – hot food stays hot, cold food stays cold. There’s no fear of spoiling, flies or sogginess. What it all means is your event schedule is no longer dictated by the kitchen.
Your food will be delivered on presentation platters that fit inside temperature-controlled boxes. These boxes plug in and their heating units keep the food at the correct eating and food-safe temperature. Your waiters can work directly from these boxes to place amazing hot food onto tables or serving areas the instant it is needed. If you have elected for drop-off catering, you will be able to serve the food from these boxes and use them to keep other food hot throughout your event. Once finished, simply return the platters to the boxes, close the door and we will collect them the next business day.
All of our food is delivered ready to serve. When your food has been delivered, our delivery person will have removed the covering from any food items that should be unwrapped in advance. They will show you if any of the food items require you to add a sauce or garnish before serving. Then, you are ready to serve whenever it suits your event.
Yes, we cater for all dietary requirements. We’re more than happy to accommodate any special dietary needs your guests may have. Remember, we cook everything from scratch. For your convenience, we have indicated which menu items cater to or can be altered for special dietary requirements using the following keys:
(v) = vegetarian; (gf) = gluten free; (df) = dairy free; (vegan) = vegan.
Intolerances and allergies will be accommodated as best possible, however please be aware that other orders may contain egg, shellfish, nuts, etc., and these are prepared using the same equipment unless we are otherwise notified. Our chefs are industry professionals trained in cross-contamination procedures. They are painstaking in their controls. Yet, while all care will be taken, no responsibility will be assumed.
We have a large commercial kitchen located only a 10-minute drive from the Sydney CBD. Our kitchen is Gold Licence-approved for preparing our full and extensive catering menu. Our talented team of chefs have all the relevant qualifications and experience necessary to prepare amazing food to delight your guests.
Our Catering Service Team and Events Managers are deeply experienced in assisting you with all manner of event-planning considerations. We just love helping create events and will be delighted to assist you with planning your menu, staffing requirements, equipment hire and even styling and design. Please call our office for assistance and we will put you in touch with the right person.
Box Catering is a Gold Licensed caterer, accredited by the Restaurant and Catering Industry Association of Australia. Fewer caterers hold this official licence than you may expect. The licence affirms that we enforce strict quality controls to ensure that the catering you receive is exactly what you ordered and of the highest quality. The reviews that we get from our clients give us great confidence that we are more than capable of achieving amazing events no matter the circumstances.
We offer a range of staffing solutions including chefs, wait staff, event managers, beverage attendants and cocktail bartenders. All of our staff are professionally trained with the relevant qualifications (e.g. RSA certified) and are impeccably groomed and dressed in full uniform attire. They are friendly, discreet and efficient – true professionals. We are also able to provide certain items of equipment from our own stocks and will arrange any other requirements from our suppliers at very reasonable rates.
After you have enjoyed your meal, please place any items to be picked up back in the box and then place the boxes in a secure place undercover. If you were using powered boxes, they can be switched off at this point.
One of our drivers will collect the equipment the next business day, unless other arrangements are made. Platters are picked up within 3 days of delivery – usually the next business day.
Lost or damaged equipment is charged at the replacement cost. It is your responsibility to ensure the equipment is stored safely until we are able to arrange collection.
We provide complimentary disposable napkins for all catering, and plastic forks are included with all of the noodle box meals. All other disposable items can be arranged by us for an additional fee at the time of ordering.
The quickest and most effective way of placing your order is through our website. Upon receiving it, our staff will contact you and assist you with designing the most appropriate menu for your needs. Our team can even assist you with overall event planning.
Methods of ordering:
- ONLINE: Click here to begin ordering now!
- EMAIL: Email your order
- PHONE: Please call us on 02 9418 3170, Monday to Friday 8.30AM – 5.00PM, Sydney time
When placing your order online, you will be prompted to select a payment method of:
- Credit card
- Electronic funds transfer (EFT).
This will be processed through our payment gateway.
Invoices are sent via email with your booking confirmation. Payment methods available include credit card, cash and direct deposit.
Upon receipt of your order, one of our catering service team will call you to discuss and confirm the details of your requirements. We will then process your order and you will receive confirmation and an invoice via email.
Whenever an order is placed, our catering service team will call you to discuss and confirm all the details. Your order will then be processed and you will receive an order confirmation and invoice via email. If you have not received a call and a booking confirmation it means we have not yet processed your order. If you’re unsure on whether we have received your order, please call us immediately.
We understand that delivery time is a major concern. Box Catering allows a 30-minute delivery window on all orders. We plan to arrive at the start of that delivery window to allow for any delays and to ensure your catering is never late. Remember, all of our food is delivered in temperature-controlled boxes that we leave with you so that it will remain in perfect condition until you are ready to serve.
In many cases, we’re happy to set up corporate catering terms for returning customers. Please contact our customer service team via email or on 02 9418 3170 for further advice on how we can assist you.
There is no minimum number of guests. However, you will need to make a minimum order of $700 and many of our items have minimum amounts that can be prepared. A general guide is that a $1,000 order of finger food is enough to delight a cocktail party of 25 to 35 people.
We understand that event planning is a fast-paced world. We’re here to help you keep up! We understand that you, the event organiser, may not be given much time to pull together an event that needs catering. Where possible, we will attempt meet last-minute orders. Yes, we can create extraordinary events, even at the 11th hour! Simply give our friendly service team a call to discuss your requirements and we’ll do our very best to accommodate your order. Please note that some menu items have a preparation time of at least 48 hours.
To be sure we’re able to meet your catering needs, it is a good idea to give us as much notice as possible. If you’re not completely ready to place the order online straight away, perhaps send us an email letting us know that you will be placing an order in future. We can then ensure that we keep space for you. If your order is last minute, we’ll make every endeavour to cater for your needs.
To make a change to your order, whether it is to accommodate more or fewer guests, or to change food items, please reply to your booking confirmation email or phone our customer service staff on 02 9418 3170 as soon as you can. We need as much notice as possible. Orders that are changed at the last minute will be accommodated to the best of our ability, however some aspects of an order may not be able to be varied if notice is given less than 48 hours prior to expected delivery.
Orders can be cancelled until 5 business days prior to delivery without penalty. Any cancellations after this time are subject to Box Catering’s discretion. It may not be possible to refund all or even part of an order that is cancelled after this time due to ordering and preparation lead times. Please contact us as soon as you suspect you might need to make changes.
To cancel your order, please phone our customer service staff on 1300 123 269 or 0447 680 048. In the event that a confirmed order is cancelled, the following cancellation charges apply:
- Notice of 5 or more working days prior: No charges apply.
- Notice of less than 5 working days but before 3PM two days prior to delivery: A fee of up to 50% of the full invoice price may be charged to compensate for food and labour costs already incurred.
- Notice after 3PM two days prior to your order: A fee of up to 100% of the invoice price will be charged.
To view our full Terms and Conditions of Trade click here.
As standard, we deliver Monday to Saturday, 7.00am to 7.00pm. Any orders requiring delivery outside of these hours may incur additional charges. You are able to order anytime, day or night. If you require next-day delivery, cut-off times for ordering are 12pm the previous day (subject to our availability). Please note that some items require more than 48 hours to prepare. It is much better to give us more notice, if possible. Box Catering also completely books out several times a year, so please try not to leave your orders to the last minute. However, if you do have a last-minute event, call us and we will make every effort to assist you.
Our catering is delivered by staff who work in our business, not by couriers. It might be one of our catering service team, a chef, your waiter, the General Manager or even the owner. The person who delivers your food understands how it should be treated and can answer your questions to ensure that everything is set up perfectly.
Delivery can be made to most of the Sydney metropolitan areas and we may also be available for certain events in the Greater Sydney, Lower Central Coast, Wollongong and Blue Mountains areas. We are also able to deliver into rural settings, such as country wedding chapels, and to the boats and islands of Sydney Harbour.
Most Sydney Metro areas are delivered free of charge. If you require catering to one of Sydney’s outer suburbs, you will be charged a $50 Delivery/Collection fee. Deliveries to areas outside Sydney attract an additional cost calculated on distance.
We highly recommend that you secure your preferred date with us as quickly as possible and then finalise the details soon after. Depending on the size of your event, one month’s notice should provide us with ample time to coordinate things. If less notice is given, we may still be able to accommodate your event, pending our availability. Please be aware that we do have many occasions throughout the year where we find ourselves fully booked and will be unable to assist you for a particular day, however we will make every effort to fit you in.
Simply email or call us with the details of your event and we will work through the details to give you an accurate estimate.
Over the years, our talented catering team has served more than 100,000 happy customers. We are highly experienced in estimating the quantities required for a wide range of events. Please contact us and we can discuss your requirements and recommend the right amount of food.
No problem at all! For most events, our Cambro boxes provide the perfect solution. For larger events, we will provide all of the necessary equipment to cater for your needs.
Of course, simply let our catering team know at the time of quotation and ordering so that we can ensure you are provided with sufficient wait staff.
Of course! Feel free to use the staff of your venue or hire promotional staff or ask friends, family, colleagues or others to assist. Please chat to our catering events team, they are happy to recommend how many wait staff you will need and will ensure that our delivery person briefs them regarding all of the food service requirements.
You are welcome to provide your own beverages. If we are catering the food for your event, we are also happy to also provide beverage service staff as needed. We can also assist you by providing all bar set-up, bar equipment, glassware, ice and tubs at an additional fee as required.
We work in partnership with a reputable beverage outlet with whom we liaise on your behalf to ensure you are provided with a competitive price, the right drinks list and quality service.
Have we answered all of your questions? If you are still unsure or have specific requirements we haven’t mentioned, please do not hesitate to phone or contact us.