BBQ Catering in West Midlands

Clara's Kitchen provides bespoke, niche catering to events throughout the West Midlands and Warwickshire. Though their menus can be altered to be bespoke to any event, their typical staples hold a focus for the creative and imaginative, always finding new takes on well-known hallmarks such as buffets, BBQs and traditional Italian feasts. Catering for events both big and small, Clara's Kitchen can fit their menu to any budget.

What do you need to know from an organiser in order to provide a comprehensive quote?

In order to provide the best and most accurate quote to a potential client, we would ideally need the event date, timings that the client wishes to have food served from/until, venue, approximate number of guests, whether kitchen facilities are available to use at the venue or whether the client needs catering equipment to be factored into the quotation and whether the client is aware of any dietary requirements at the time of searching for a catering supplier.

What advice would you give to a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

I would consider asking what cuisines they specialise in, whether they charge for travel to and from your venue, whether they hire out cutlery and crockery and if is there a surcharge for this. I have a lot of people ask whether the quotation is fully inclusive of absolutely everything - many caterers can catch you out with this so do ask this before you accept a caterer! You don't want to be landed with VAT charges, cutlery surcharge, travel expenses or other hidden costs when you least expect them.

Please tell us a little bit about how and why you started the business.

I started Clara's Kitchen because I am fairly obsessed with food! Cooking it, eating it, talking about it or photographing it! I especially love feeding people. It makes me very happy to make other people happy through food. I have had a long career in the food industry and I am lucky enough to come from a long, illustrious line of chefs and restaurant owners in my family who I have been able to learn from. Not forgetting my wonderful Italian family that are all wonderful cooks! I have spent many days since I was very young watching over the shoulder of my auntie and grandmother whilst they cook away in their kitchens. I wanted to provide something a little different to the normal dinner parties you usually come across and I wanted to make sure that despite serving up unusual foods, I wasn't over pricing my clients and charging the earth.

Please tell us about a booking you've had through Add to Event, how did it go? Would you recommend us to others?

I am so pleased I signed up with Add to Event! I have had a lot of bookings through here and it has really helped my company to grow. I did a BBQ for a client last year. It was a charity event to raise money for Macmillan and it was in memory of her mum who died of cancer 2 years before. We did a fab BBQ with lots of unusual things such as quiches, fab salads and artisan breads! The hour or two leading up to the BBQ was torrential rain in which we were setting up gazebo! Me and my other chef were soaked, but half an hour before everyone was due to arrive, my client had a quick word with her mum to please make the sun shine and as if by magic the sun came out and everyone had a wonderful evening! It was such a pleasure to be part of an event that was making a difference in the world and that was so important to my client because of what the evening meant to her. This is just one example of the lovely events I have been fortunate enough to cater for through Add to Event! I have suggested to friends and clients looking for other services to try Add to Event to find what they are looking for!