Start with enquiries you can win
Free catering leads are only worth your time if they match your service area, dates, guest numbers and minimum booking value. A birthday buffet for 40 down the road could be a better fit than a wedding for 150 two counties away. Write down the jobs you want more of before you start looking for them.
Make a short list of your strongest offers. For each one, note the typical guest range, the postcodes you cover, how much notice you need and what your starting price includes. Put those same facts on your website, social profile and directory listing so organisers get a consistent answer.
Build three sources of catering enquiries
Ask venues, planners and complementary suppliers to refer opportunities that fit. A marquee company may hear about a wedding before the couple picks a caterer. A caterer who is fully booked may be happy to pass on an enquiry with the organiser’s permission. Be equally clear about the jobs you can refer back.
Make it easy to find and contact you. Use a page or profile for each service you genuinely offer, show real photos you have permission to share, and give organisers a clear way to enquire. A listing that says ‘finger buffets for 30 to 120 guests in Leicester and nearby towns’ is easier to act on than ‘all occasions catered’.
Add a marketplace to the mix. Compare the cost of joining, quoting and winning a booking separately. Also check whether you can see a useful event brief, choose which jobs to quote for and agree terms directly with the organiser.
Qualify the brief before writing a quote
Confirm the date, event location, approximate guest count, service style and budget. Ask one question about anything that could change the quote substantially, such as kitchen access or the length of the serving window. If the brief is a good fit, give a realistic reply time and keep a record of the next step.
Review where your enquiries came from after a month. Count suitable briefs, quotes and confirmed jobs for each source. That will tell you more about where to spend your time than the total number of notifications.
Choose the requests that fit on Workavelle
UK caterers can create a Workavelle account and join the free enquiry service during launch. Choose which suitable requests to quote for. Workavelle makes introductions and you agree the service, booking and payment with the organiser directly. Enquiry volume varies by location, dates and demand.
Create your free Workavelle supplier account
Write a useful follow-up to an enquiry
Find out how Workavelle works for caterers
Prepared with AI assistance. These are general planning ideas; confirm availability, requirements and arrangements with your chosen caterer.