A venue can look ideal in photographs and still be awkward to cater in. A narrow doorway, a long walk from the unloading point or a serving area shared with another supplier can change how you deliver the event. A catering site visit is most useful when it tests the practical journey from arrival to departure, rather than simply confirming that the room looks suitable.
Give the visit one clear purpose: identify the physical constraints that could affect your proposed service. Take the current brief, a simple equipment list, a tape measure and a way to record agreed answers. Ask the organiser to arrange access to the areas you need to inspect, including any spaces that are normally locked.
Start where the vehicle will actually stop
Meet at the intended unloading point, not just the venue entrance. Establish where your vehicle can stop, whether that space can be reserved and who will arrange access. Ask what happens if another supplier is already unloading when you arrive. A parking space shown on a plan is less useful than a clear arrival arrangement.
Walk the whole route carrying an imaginary trolley: gates, steps, gravel, grass, tight turns, lifts and internal doors all matter. Measure the narrowest usable opening and compare it with the actual dimensions of your largest equipment. Include handles, wheels and packaging. If something needs two people to move, plan the people as well as the route.
Inspect the working area as a layout
Mark where preparation, cooking where applicable, plating, service and clearing would take place. Check the space needed to operate equipment and move around it, rather than measuring only its footprint. Look for pinch points where staff would repeatedly cross the same narrow route or queue behind one another.
Then consider the room in its event layout. Tables, chairs, decorations and other suppliers may occupy space that is empty during your visit. Ask for the intended arrangement and record which parts remain provisional. A useful sketch shows your working area, the guest-facing service point and the routes between them.
Turn facilities into specific questions
List the facilities your proposed service needs and ask the venue to confirm what is available. This might include working surfaces, washing facilities, water access, storage or existing kitchen equipment. Distinguish equipment you may use from equipment that merely happens to be in the building. Check any restrictions with the person who can authorise its use.
Record the position of connections and the distance to your working area. For electrical supply, give the venue the requirements of your actual equipment and arrange confirmation by the appropriate person. A visible socket does not establish that your complete setup can run from it. Keep unresolved technical questions open rather than guessing an answer on the day.
Walk the guest journey alongside the staff journey
Stand at the proposed service point and picture where guests will arrive, wait, collect food and move away. Ask how this fits with entrances, seating and other activities. A buffet or food-truck queue needs a different arrangement from a seated meal, so assess the service you are actually proposing.
Check how staff will bring food and equipment through the space while guests are present, and how used items will return. Discuss practical access needs with the organiser and venue rather than assuming every guest can follow the same route. If the plan relies on moving furniture midway through the event, agree who will do that and when.
Test the wet-weather and departure plans
For outdoor service, walk the alternative location too. Record who decides whether to move, when that decision must be made and whether the alternative changes your equipment or staffing needs. Do not describe an indoor backup as workable until the relevant space and access have been checked.
Finally, inspect the departure route. Ask when clearing can begin, where waste and hired items should be left under the agreed arrangements, and whether vehicle access changes after guests arrive. Consider the return journey for heavy or bulky items. A route that works during an empty afternoon visit may be occupied later.
Leave with a short decision record
Write three lists after the visit: confirmed arrangements, changes needed to your proposal and unanswered questions. Give each open question an owner and an agreed response date. Separate observations from promises: “door measured” is different from “venue will remove the door before arrival”. Confirm any action the event depends on in writing.
Use the findings to update one current plan and explain any effect on the service you can offer. Share relevant details with the organiser, venue and your team without circulating unnecessary personal information. The value of the visit is a workable arrangement everyone understands, with remaining uncertainties visible before the event.
Agree the wider division of venue and catering responsibilities
Turn confirmed arrangements into a clear team handover
Prepared with AI assistance. These are general planning ideas; confirm availability, requirements and arrangements with your chosen caterer.
