MINUTE CHEFS CATERING - TERMS & CONDITIONS
These Terms & Conditions are designed to help ensure your catering runs smoothly and that both you and Minute Chefs Catering have a clear understanding of the arrangements.
Payment of your deposit and confirmation of your booking indicates acceptance of these Terms & Conditions.
1. BOOKING & CONFIRMATION
To secure your catering date, the deposit shown on your quote must be paid.
Once the deposit has been paid, please confirm by email that payment has been made and that the details on your quote are correct, including the catering date, location, menu and service details.
Bookings are not considered final until the required deposit and written confirmation have been received.
2. DEPOSITS
Deposits are non-refundable.
Payment of your deposit secures the agreed catering date and indicates acceptance of these Terms & Conditions.
Please see our Cancellation & Postponement Policy below for further information.
3. COMMUNICATION & WRITTEN CONFIRMATION
All important information relating to your catering must be provided in writing by email so that both the client and Minute Chefs Catering have a clear written record of the arrangements.
This includes:
Final guest numbers
Menu and food selections
Dietary requirements
Catering and serving times
Changes to previously agreed arrangements
Special requests or instructions
Property access information and directions
Any other information that may affect our catering service
Important changes or instructions provided verbally, by telephone, text message or social media must also be confirmed by email.
Information that affects our catering must be clearly stated in the body of the email and should not be provided only within an attachment or third-party event run sheet.
4. FINAL NUMBERS, MENU SELECTIONS & CHANGES
Final guest numbers, food selections, dietary requirements, service times and any other changes must be confirmed by email at least 7 business days before the catering date.
Once final numbers have been confirmed, these numbers will be used for ordering, preparation, staffing and invoicing.
The confirmed number will be the minimum number charged, even if guest numbers subsequently decrease or some guests do not attend.
Changes to guest numbers, menu selections, service times or invoices within 7 business days of catering may incur a $50 administration fee.
Late increases or changes are subject to our ability to obtain additional food, adjust preparation and provide appropriate staffing and may not always be possible.
5. FINAL PAYMENT
Final payment must be received in full before catering.
Payment details and the outstanding amount are shown on your invoice.
Your catering account must be paid in full before Minute Chefs Catering provides the catering service unless alternative arrangements have been agreed to by us in writing.
6. CLIENT & THIRD-PARTY RUN SHEETS
Minute Chefs Catering does not coordinate its catering service from extensive client, wedding, venue, event coordinator or third-party run sheets.
Clients are welcome to provide a run sheet for general reference; however, providing a run sheet or attachment does not constitute notification of changes to your catering arrangements.
If information contained within a run sheet affects our catering, the relevant information must also be clearly stated in the body of an email to Minute Chefs Catering.
Clients are responsible for checking that the catering details and service times shown on the most recent Minute Chefs Catering quote, order or invoice are correct.
If any information is incorrect or needs to be changed, the client must notify Minute Chefs Catering by email within the required timeframe.
7. CATERING & SERVICE TIMES
The catering and service times shown on the most recent Minute Chefs Catering quote, order or invoice are the times we will use to plan food preparation, travel, staffing and service.
Minute Chefs Catering will often provide timing advice to help an event run smoothly. This may include recommended times for speeches, cake cutting, buffet service, finger food service or other activities that affect catering.
For example, where Minute Chefs Catering is required to cut and serve a wedding cake, we may require the cake to be cut or made available before or during dinner service so our staff have sufficient time to prepare it.
The timing and length of food service are at Minute Chefs Catering’s discretion and must remain reasonable and workable for the menu, guest numbers, staffing levels and style of catering booked.
Clients, venues, wedding coordinators, entertainers or other suppliers cannot require our staff to substantially delay, extend, shorten or alter the agreed catering service where doing so would be unreasonable, impractical, compromise food quality or safety, or interfere with our ability to provide the agreed service.
Delays to ceremonies, speeches, photography, entertainment or other parts of an event do not automatically extend or change the agreed catering service period.
Minute Chefs Catering may adjust the timing of food service where reasonably necessary to maintain food quality, food safety or the practical operation of the catering service.
8. ADDITIONAL SERVICE & STAFFING COSTS
Our quoted prices and staffing are based on our normal service procedures and the catering times agreed on your quote or invoice.
If a client requests a different service schedule, substantially delayed service, an extended service period or other arrangements that require our staff to remain onsite longer than originally planned, additional staffing charges may apply.
Where reasonably possible, we will advise the client of additional charges before providing the additional service.
Minute Chefs Catering reserves the right to decline timing or service changes that cannot reasonably be accommodated, even where the client offers to pay additional staffing costs.
9. MENU SELECTIONS & DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
Final menu selections and dietary requirements must be provided by email at least 7 business days before catering.
Please provide accurate information regarding allergies and dietary requirements so that we have sufficient time to plan and prepare.
While we take reasonable care when preparing food for guests with dietary requirements, clients should discuss serious food allergies with Minute Chefs Catering before confirming their catering arrangements.
Late dietary requests may not always be able to be accommodated.
10. CATERING LOCATION, ROAD ACCESS & DIRECTIONS
The client is responsible for ensuring that Minute Chefs Catering can safely and reasonably access the catering location using our catering vehicles.
This is particularly important for rural properties, farms, private roads and locations that may be affected by weather, flooding or road conditions.
The client must advise Minute Chefs Catering by email before the catering date of any known:
Road closures
Flooding or flood-damaged roads
Unsealed, unsuitable or restricted roads
Gates or locked access points
Private roads
Low bridges or vehicle restrictions
Roadworks or detours
Difficult property entrances
Incorrect or unreliable Google Maps directions
Other conditions that may delay or prevent access to the catering location
The client must provide the correct catering address and ensure that any Google Maps address, location or link provided directs our staff to the correct property entrance and catering location.
If Google Maps does not reliably locate the property or recommends an unsuitable route, the client must provide clear written directions and, where appropriate, a map or dropped pin showing the correct entrance and route.
For rural or remote locations, we strongly recommend providing directions even when the property appears correctly on Google Maps.
Minute Chefs Catering is not responsible for delays caused by incorrect directions, inaccessible roads, undisclosed access restrictions or road conditions that we could not reasonably have known about before travelling to the event.
If our staff are unable to safely reach the catering location, we will contact the client to determine whether a safe and practical alternative route or arrangement is available.
11. CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES AT THE VENUE
The client is responsible for ensuring that the catering location provides reasonable and safe access for our staff, vehicles and equipment.
Unless otherwise agreed, the client is also responsible for ensuring that the catering and serving areas are available at the agreed time and are reasonably suitable for the catering service booked.
Any unusual access requirements, long distances between vehicle access and the catering area, stairs, difficult terrain or other conditions that may affect setup should be disclosed before the event.
12. LEFTOVER FOOD
Clients are welcome to keep leftover food from their catering.
If you wish to keep leftovers, you must provide your own suitable food containers and arrange for the food to be packed before the buffet or finger food service ends.
Minute Chefs Catering staff do not pack leftover food for clients.
Any food that has not been packed by the client or their nominated person by the end of service will be removed by our staff.
Once leftover food has been retained or taken by the client, responsibility for its storage, temperature control, handling and consumption passes to the client.
13. MINIMUM NUMBERS & MINIMUM SPEND
Minimum guest numbers and minimum spends vary depending on the catering package, location, date and time of year.
Any minimum numbers or minimum spend applicable to your booking will be shown on your quote or the relevant catering menu.
14. CANCELLATION & POSTPONEMENT
All cancellations or requests to postpone catering must be provided by email.
Deposits are non-refundable.
A request to change or postpone a confirmed catering date may be treated as a cancellation unless alternative arrangements are agreed to by Minute Chefs Catering in writing.
Where a cancellation occurs after food, staffing, equipment or other event-specific expenses have been committed, the client may also be responsible for costs already reasonably incurred for their catering.
Minute Chefs Catering will make reasonable efforts to work with clients when genuine unexpected circumstances arise.
15. WEATHER, FLOODING & CIRCUMSTANCES OUTSIDE OUR CONTROL
Minute Chefs Catering will make reasonable efforts to provide catering at the agreed time and location.
However, circumstances outside our reasonable control may cause delays, changes or prevent normal service. These may include severe weather, flooding, bushfire, road closures, accidents, emergency situations, power failures or other unforeseen events.
Where possible, Minute Chefs Catering will contact the client and work with them to find a safe and practical solution.
16. PRICING
We make every effort to maintain the prices shown on an accepted quote.
Where a written quote has been accepted and the required deposit paid, the prices shown on that quote will apply unless the client subsequently requests changes.
Increased guest numbers, menu changes, additional staffing, extended service times, additional travel or other requested changes may result in additional charges.
17. CLIENT RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK DETAILS
Before the catering date, clients must check the most recent Minute Chefs Catering quote, order or invoice and ensure that the following information is correct:
Catering date
Catering address
Guest numbers
Menu selections
Dietary requirements
Arrival and serving times
Catering service details
Any other agreed requirements
If something on our quote, order or invoice is incorrect, please tell us by email. Do not rely on information contained only in your own event run sheet to change our catering arrangements.
QUESTIONS
If you have any questions about these Terms & Conditions or your catering arrangements, please contact Minute Chefs Catering before paying your deposit.
We want your catering to run smoothly and encourage clients to ask questions or clarify arrangements well before the catering date.