No, we do not have preset menus or costs. All of our private chef and catering services are unique to that event. Costs are dependent on menu, guests, location, and staffing needs. However, we do have popular dishes and sample menus for you to look at! We offer a wide variety of cuisines and can customize a menu to fit your tastes and preferences. Contact us to discuss your event and receive a personalized quote.

Catering brings the restaurant experience to you—no need to worry about travel or logistics, just relax and enjoy your event. Food costs typically start at $35 per person and up, depending on the menu and service style. Staffing for on-site catering is billed separately and will appear as a distinct line item on your invoice. For weddings, the national average catering cost is approximately $80 per person, according to The Knot, with final pricing varying based on meal type, guest count, and level of service.

No. The food costs never change based on style of service just the staffing.

If your event is not on your own private property, the answer is generally no under Montana state food safety regulations. With the exception of wedding cakes or desserts from a licensed, health-inspected bakery, outside food brought in by the wedding party or guests is not permitted at events we cater.

To comply with health codes and protect all parties involved, only food prepared by a certified and licensed food establishment may be served. We cannot verify the safety or handling of any food not prepared by us, and therefore we cannot assume liability for its integrity or any resulting foodborne illness.

Let us handle the food so you can enjoy your day with peace of mind.

Cocktail Reception This style of reception is different from the rest mainly because your guests will be standing most of the night. Because your guests will be standing, you will need to make sure that food can be easily accessible or the food is passed around. A cocktail style reception means that your guests will have to the option to try a selection of different foods throughout the entire night. This also gives them the option of eating when hungry, instead of having a more formal sit-down dinner. You will need to take into consideration that the portion size of food will generally be smaller, this means you will need to make sure there is enough food for every person. It can also be difficult to accommodate certain guests' dietary requirements and make sure that certain food gets to them.

Because you will need to make sure there is enough food to go around, you should keep these things in mind:

• There should be 1 server for every 20-30 guests

• There should be 1 stationary bartender for every 70-100 guests (this will vary depending on your needs i.e. cocktails require more service than beer and wine menus)

• Try to be cost effective with a central food station

• Make sure you have the right required equipment
  

Sit-Down Dinner A sit-down dinner is the most traditional style of dinner at a wedding reception - it is also the most straightforward. This means dinner generally consists of three courses - salad, entrée and dessert. Guests will be served in a restaurant-style form. You can have your guests pre-select their dinner option by including it in your wedding invitation. Keep in mind that everyone has different opinions so an option for an alternative, for instance dietary restrictions and/or allergies etc. is always a good idea. This is the best option if you don't want to spend a lot of time figuring out portion sizes and logistics. Because each serving size is catered directly to your number of guests, you can expect to have little to no waste. By having a sit-down dinner all your guests will be served at the same time so you can guarantee that everyone will get food. If you're wanting a more relaxed and casual vibe, a formal sit-down dinner might not be the right fit for you.

Having a dinner of this style requires more planning in advance so make sure you keep the following in mind:

• There should be 1 server for every 8 - 10 guests

• There should be 1 bartender for every 30 - 40 guests (this will vary depending on your needs i.e. cocktails require more service than beer and wine menus)

• You will have to have addition wait staff than normal

• You will have to provide catering with a seating a chart

• Make sure to factor in all serving ware into your budget
  

Stationary Food/Buffet Dinner A stationary food/buffet dinner is exactly what it sounds like. There will be a designated location at your reception within walking distance to the tables where all food will be located. Your guests will have the pleasure of serving their own food - which ensures that everyone will be fed. By doing this style of catering you are able to offer more of a variety with food options. Most people include different choices for protein, vegetables, salads, etc., to accommodate all guests. This ensures that nobody will miss out of a particular dish because it's not easily accessible. You will need to keep in mind that you will not have control over serving sizes. Due to this, you will need to make sure that you overcompensate when deciding how much food to order, unless you hire our buffet waitstaff to serve your guests. Chef Barrie does provide 10% over your final guest count to cover any unexpected guests and/or heavy eaters. We will also factor in how many buffet lines are needed to ensure guests eat in a timely manner.

This style of dinner has a more relaxed feel to it so make sure that you don't under plan for it. You should:

• Have 1 server for every 20-30 guests

• Have 1 bartender for every 30-40 guests (this will vary depending on your needs i.e. cocktails require more service than beer and wine menus)

• Make sure you don't need specialty equipment

• Make sure to not undercompensate on food ordering
  

"Family Style" Dinner The "family style" dinner is similar to a meal served during Christmas or Thanksgiving. Everyone will be seated around big tables and will have platters of food placed along the middle of the table for people to serve themselves. Your guests will be passing the platters around, helping themselves to whichever food they would like. Most wedding parties choose this style of dinner because it really showcases the family feel - which is what the entire day is about. It also encourages people to make more conversation with each other so they're able to mingle throughout the night. Similar to the buffet style, there should be an array of different selections for people to choose from. The biggest thing to consider with the "family style" dinner is the serving size per person. There will not be any portion control with this style so you will have to overcompensate when ordering. However, some people might eat less because they feel like they need to leave food for the other guests. Because the food will be centered on the tables you will need to make sure that:

• There is 1 server for every 10-15 guests

• There is 1 bartender for every 30-40 guests (this will vary depending on your needs i.e. cocktails require more service than beer and wine menus)

• Your table width is wide enough to hold platters and people (be aware of keeping table décor to a minimum)

• You have all necessary utensils, platters and bowls for serving

***Please remember to feed your vendors (i.e. DJ's, photographer, bartenders, wedding coordinator etc.)*** Our staff does not need to be included in your vendor count.

Our services book out very quickly, especially during the summer months. We recommend getting on our calendar as soon as possible, as we can book out 2 years in advance. We typically have weekdays and a few weekends available throughout the summer, so please send us a message or give us a call to see what we have available. Planning ahead ensures that we can provide you with the highest level of service and quality cuisine for your event or private catering needs.

No, you do not need to decide on a menu before booking Chef Barrie for private chef or catering services. However, we do require a $500-$1,500 Save the Date deposit to secure the date. Save the Date deposits can be transferred to another date and will be taken off of your final bill, not your 50% deposit. This deposit is non-refundable if you cancel services with us.

We are based out of Red Lodge, MT and our primary service area is Central Montana. However, we do travel all over Montana for events, but we are limited to under 100 guests out of our immediate area. We are always excited to travel all over the USA to our clients and are also willing to travel out of the country. Please note that clients are responsible for all catering, travel, and accommodation costs.

We accept cash, credit card, cashier's or personal check*, and any pay apps. Personal checks are acceptable with prior approval, but final payment must be made 21 days prior to your event as some checks over $5,000 will be held by banks for up to 3 weeks. Please note that personal checks may require additional time to clear before being accepted.

For all catered events, a 50% deposit is required when the menu is selected and confirmed. The remaining balance is due 3 weeks before your event date(s). We are open to discussing payment milestones and other payment options with pre-approval. For smaller events, payment is required immediately. If you have any questions or concerns about payment, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

If the event is cancelled, before 90 days from your event date, a refund to total half of the 50% deposit, and any pre-paid amounts, not to include any non-refundable special orders, will be returned. If the event is cancelled, within 89 days of your event date, all deposits and prepayments are forfeited in full, and will be subject to accrued charges incurred such as food, labor cost, non-returnable items such as rentals and equipment if they so apply, and any special orders. Cancellations made 30 days or less will be charged the full agreed amount to cover our time, resources, and the loss of potential clients and income from the release of your date.