Catering questions, answered

Winslow's Catering Concord serves offices, homes, and event venues in Concord and evaluates nearby requests based on the exact address, date, order size, and service needs. We also consider Pleasant Hill Catering, Orinda Catering, Benicia Catering, and Lafayette Catering inquiries. Include the full location so delivery timing, parking, loading access, and staffing can be confirmed accurately.

We support office breakfasts, team lunches, client receptions, birthdays, showers, memorials, holiday parties, weddings, and formal dinners. Service can range from hot or chilled platter delivery to a staffed buffet, family-style meal, or plated event with rentals, florals, beverages, and cleanup of the contracted catering areas.

Most drop-off orders require at least 72 hours of notice. Full-service events may sometimes be accepted with 10 days of lead time, but reserving two to four weeks ahead gives you more flexibility with menus, staffing, rentals, and delivery windows. Weekends and the months of June, November, and December often fill first.

Many menus offer vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free choices. Tell us the exact number of meals needed in each category and identify any specific allergens. Dietary labels describe the selected item, but food may be prepared in a facility that also handles common allergens.

Drop-off catering is best when you want prepared food delivered ready to serve and your group can manage setup, monitoring, and cleanup. Choose full service when you want professional staff to handle presentation, replenishment, guest service, and breakdown. For smaller gatherings, adding an attendant to a delivery may provide a useful middle option.

Yes. You may build one order using breakfast, lunch, appetizer, dinner, side, dessert, and beverage selections. Mixing categories works well for all-day meetings, open houses, cocktail-hour events, and celebrations that need more than one food-service period.

Most a-la-carte drop-off orders require a $400 food minimum. Boxed meals use a separate ordering structure and generally require at least 25 boxes per selected meal or menu. Delivery, staffing, florals, and rentals are calculated separately and do not replace the applicable food minimum unless the proposal states otherwise.

A minimum of 72 hours is required for most drop-off catering. That is a cutoff, not a guarantee that every menu item or delivery time will remain available. Earlier ordering is recommended for weekday lunch periods, weekends, large groups, and peak seasonal dates.

Many menu items are offered in a small tray intended for approximately 10 guests and a large tray intended for approximately 30. The right amount also depends on how many dishes you select, whether the food is a complete meal, how long it will be available, and whether guests are likely to return for seconds.

Displayed menu pricing covers the selected food and stated quantity. Delivery, staffing, rentals, florals, service-related charges, and optional additions are calculated separately. A 4% handling fee may apply, and an optional 3.45% credit-card processing fee may apply when paying by card.

Wedding service can include menu planning, buffet, family-style, or plated dining, professional staff, catering setup, replenishment, and cleanup of the contracted service areas. Couples may also add appetizers, coffee and tea, bartenders, cakes, tables, chairs, linens, china, glassware, florals, and tablescape styling to one proposal.

Yes. Mobile tastings are complimentary for confirmed wedding bookings and may also be purchased before signing a contract. If you later book the wedding, the tasting charge can be removed from the final bill. Tastings are most helpful after you have narrowed the menu to a focused set of dishes.

Wedding packages generally range from about $55 to $120 per guest, depending on the menu, service format, staffing, and presentation level. Buffets often begin toward the lower end, while plated service and premium ingredients cost more. Appetizers, beverages, cake, bartenders, rentals, florals, and complex venue logistics can increase the total.

Applicable buffet dishes can be labeled for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free needs. Plated events may require final meal counts and a clear system for identifying each guest's selection. Share specific allergy details early, including the number of affected guests, so available options and preparation limitations can be reviewed.

Yes. We can coordinate loading access, staging space, service timing, floor plans, rental responsibilities, and breakdown deadlines with the planner, venue manager, and relevant vendors. Concord, Pleasant Hill, Lafayette, Orinda, and Benicia venues may each have different parking, security, elevator, noise, or departure requirements.

Booking at least four to six weeks ahead is recommended, although popular weekends are often secured several months earlier. A wedding may occasionally be accepted with as little as 10 days of notice, but menu, staffing, rental, and floral availability will be limited. June, November, and December are especially busy.

Orders totaling more than $3,000 require a 50% deposit. The signed catering agreement and required deposit reserve the event under the approved proposal. The remaining balance is due 10 days before the wedding, together with the final details needed for food, staffing, rentals, and service.

Yes. Bartenders and expert bartenders are available for hire. Winslow's Catering does not sell or provide alcoholic beverages, so the couple or venue must purchase and supply them. Venue rules, service hours, ice, mixers, glassware, equipment, and insurance requirements should be confirmed during planning.

The team prepares the catering area, organizes food and equipment, presents the selected buffet or table service, replenishes dishes, assists guests, and breaks down the contracted catering areas afterward. Depending on the package, service may be buffet-style, family-style, plated, stationed, or passed, with optional beverages, rentals, florals, and bartending.

Staffing depends on attendance, menu, service format, floor plan, access, and timing. A typical starting point is one server for every 25 buffet guests and one server for every 15 to 20 plated-dinner guests. Events with 50 or more guests generally include a captain to supervise service and coordinate the timeline.

No. Gratuity is optional and is not automatically included. When a client leaves gratuity, it is distributed among the cooks, drivers, servers, bartenders, customer-service staff, and rental staff who contributed to the event. Any service-related charge shown on the proposal is separate from voluntary gratuity.

Package inclusions vary. Some full-service options include ceramic plates, traditional utensils, glassware, linens, and reusable serveware, while value-focused packages may use elegant disposable plates, utensils, and cups. Review the chosen package carefully; upgraded china, glassware, tables, chairs, or linens may be added when not included.

Three to four weeks of lead time is recommended for the best selection of menus, staff, rentals, and service windows. Full-service orders may sometimes be accepted as late as 10 days before the event. Weekends and the months of June, November, and December tend to reach capacity first.

Most full-service packages begin at 25 guests. For a more intimate gathering, drop-off catering with an attendant may provide help with setup, food monitoring, replenishment, or cleanup without requiring a complete full-service package. The right option depends on the venue and the amount of support you want.

Yes. Food is prepared before arrival, so most full-service events do not require an on-site commercial kitchen. A protected staging area may still be needed for staff to organize food, equipment, and service pieces. Access to water, power, refrigeration, or a back-of-house workspace can be helpful depending on the plan.

Yes, subject to the exact address, event date, attendance, and scope. We evaluate Pleasant Hill Catering, Orinda Catering, Benicia Catering, and Lafayette Catering requests in addition to Concord events. Provide parking, loading, access, and schedule details so travel time and staffing can be confirmed accurately.

A minimum of 25 boxes applies per selected meal. Classic and artisan boxed lunches may allow eligible sandwiches and wraps to be mixed within the order. Breakfast and dinner boxes generally require at least 25 of the same selected box unless a proposal specifically approves another arrangement.

Meals are sealed in individual boxes and include the appropriate utensils and a napkin. This format is useful for office lunches, conferences, trainings, outdoor programs, and events where guests need to collect food quickly or eat at different times.

Yes. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free boxes can be clearly labeled when requested in advance. Provide the exact quantity needed for each category and identify specific allergies separately so the team can review suitable selections and any shared-kitchen limitations.

Cold boxed meals may remain at room temperature for up to approximately two hours. Hot boxes arrive in insulated carriers and should generally be served within one hour. Schedule delivery close to the planned meal time, and arrange refrigeration when cold meals will be stored longer.

A minimum of 72 hours is required for most boxed-meal orders. Larger quantities, multiple addresses, detailed labeling, or numerous dietary variations may require at least five days. Ordering early is recommended for high-volume workplace dates and important meetings.

Yes, provided that each delivery address meets the $400 minimum order. Additional delivery charges may apply for multiple destinations. Submit every address, requested arrival time, box count, labeling requirement, and on-site contact so the delivery plan can be evaluated.

Cold breakfast and lunch boxes begin at $18.75 per person. Hot lunch boxes begin at approximately $30 per person, and hot dinner boxes begin at approximately $40 per person. Beverages, desserts, premium entrées, delivery, handling, and other additions may be priced separately.

Yes. Weekly and monthly corporate schedules may receive a dedicated coordinator and locked pricing. This can support recurring Concord catering, Pleasant Hill office lunches, Lafayette meetings, or other regularly scheduled workplace meals, subject to route and delivery availability.

Holiday dates fill quickly, so booking three to five weeks ahead is recommended for likely availability. Popular weekday lunches and Thursday-through-Saturday evening events may fill sooner. Larger staffed celebrations should be requested as soon as the date and estimated attendance are known.

Yes. Holiday service can include staffed buffets, family-style meals, and plated dinners for workplace groups of approximately 25 to more than 400 guests. Depending on the package, the proposal may also include rentals, florals, beverage service, setup, and breakdown of the contracted catering areas.

Yes. Holiday entrées, sides, salads, breads, and desserts may be ordered a la carte for gatherings that do not need a full-service package. This works well for office lunches, family meals, and informal celebrations where the host can oversee serving and cleanup.

A limited number of events may be accepted on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve, and holiday surcharges apply. The company is closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. These dates and delivery windows should be requested well in advance.

Yes. Available additions may include tables, chairs, linens, glassware, seasonal centerpieces, floral arrangements, and coordinated holiday tablescapes. Tell us what the venue or office already provides so the proposal includes only the items still needed.

A confirmed holiday order cancelled at least 72 hours before the event is subject to a 50% cancellation fee. A cancellation made with less than 72 hours of notice is subject to a 100% cancellation fee because food, staffing, rentals, and other resources may already have been committed.

Options include centerpieces, bud vases, impact arrangements, meadows, floral arches, mantle installations, custom bloom bars, flower-crown bars, balloon arches, and full tablescape design coordinated with linens and china. The final scope depends on the venue, event style, budget, and installation needs.

Yes. Published offerings provide a starting point, and a custom consultation can be arranged for more detailed needs. Share your date, venue, colors, inspiration, arrangement types, and approximate budget so the team can recommend an appropriate direction and prepare a proposal.

Current starting guidance includes three-vase bud clusters from $95, lush centerpieces around $195 to $350 per table, impact arrangements from $350 to $600, a signature tabletop broken arch set at $800, meadows around $400 to $600 each, installations from $1,350 to $8,500, mantle designs from $750 to $2,000 per set, and custom bloom bars at $48 per person. Complex designs receive custom pricing.

Yes. Specific flower lists and color preferences are honored when the requested stems are available and suitable for the event. When a flower is out of season or unavailable, a like-for-like substitution may be used to preserve the palette, texture, scale, and overall design intent.

Three to four weeks of notice is recommended for the best access to flowers, vessels, staff, and installation time. Some floral orders may be accepted with as little as 10 days of notice, but selection and complexity will be more limited. Large installations should be reserved earlier.

Floral setup is included in the contracted design scope. Breakdown and disposal may be added so the host or venue is not left managing flowers, water, mechanics, boxes, or buckets after the event. Access windows and venue rules should be supplied before the final proposal.

Yes, when requested in advance, the flowers may remain with the client and guests can take stems or arrangements home. Some vases, stands, frames, and installation mechanics may be rentals that must remain at the venue for collection, so ownership and pickup responsibilities will be identified beforehand.

Available categories include Chiavari and resin chairs, guest tables with standard linens, cocktail tables, buffet tables, glassware, china, flatware, chafing dishes, and selected floral or tablescape additions. Inventory, colors, dimensions, and quantities are subject to availability for the event date.

Attendants are required for setup, safe handling, breakdown, and preparation for pickup. This protects the equipment and prevents the client or venue from having to move and manage commercial tables, chairs, china, glassware, and serving pieces.

There is no strict minimum for the rental products themselves, but on-site staffing is required for every rental order. Because labor affects the total, many clients receive better value by combining rentals with catering, florals, or another staffed event package.

Yes. Each guest table booked through the company includes one standard linen. A range of colors may be available. Specialty fabrics, layered linens, runners, overlays, or upgraded styles may carry separate pricing when offered.

Normal wear from appropriate event use is covered. Significant damage, breakage, loss, or items unavailable for collection are billed at replacement cost. The client remains responsible for the rental inventory while it is present at the event location.

Delivery generally occurs on the event date, approximately two to four hours before the event begins. Pickup may take place later that evening or the following morning, depending on venue access, staffing, the event end time, and whether equipment is permitted to remain overnight.

Share parking and loading rules, stairs, elevators, gates, security check-in, long walking distances, narrow entrances, floor plans, setup windows, and firm departure deadlines. These details can affect labor, timing, and pricing for Concord Catering, Pleasant Hill Catering, Orinda Catering, Benicia Catering, and Lafayette Catering events.

When you're ready to move forward, approve the quote and sign the catering agreement. Events over $3,000 also require a 50% deposit.

Please finalize your guest count and menu at least 10 days before the event. We cannot guarantee quantity or selection changes after that deadline.

Our commercial kitchen and primary operations are based in Pleasanton, California. We are a service-area catering company serving events throughout the Bay Area, including Concord, Lafayette, Pleasant Hill, and nearby communities. Our team delivers and provides full-service catering directly at offices, homes, wedding venues, and other event locations.