How we chose
We started from the fourteen caterers Google Maps shows across Telford. Hygiene ratings were sourced from the Food Standards Agency register, and trade-body memberships from each business's own terms and platforms such as AddToEvent [1] [4] [5]. Each business must first meet our basic checks: it is who it says it is, it is trading today and can be reached, and anything it must hold by law is in place. Eight firms met all three. What customers say counts most toward the score, then qualifications, then whether the firm has traded two years or more and whether its cover is stated, then pricing clarity and website detail. All evidence is dated early September 2026.
How to hire
Match the cook to the occasion first. A wedding and event caterer runs hog roasts, buffets or served dinners with staff, while a cafe or takeaway shop suits everyday eating rather than a hundred guests. Venues matter as much as menus: some halls keep an approved list of caterers, marquees and fields need a team that brings power, water and shelter, and town-centre kitchens may not travel. When you first enquire, give the date, the venue, guest numbers and the style of service you want.
Check the hygiene rating before you book. Every caterer selling food should be registered with its council [4], and most appear on the Food Standards Agency ratings register with a score from zero to five [1]. Type the trading name plus Telford into the register search and check the address that comes back matches. A top rating reassures, a low one needs an explanation, and no entry means you rely on the firm's word alone. Registration itself is free and should happen at least four weeks before a new business starts trading [2].
Pin down allergens and dietary needs early. The law requires clear allergen information, and the Food Standards Agency publishes guidance caterers should follow for handling the major allergens [3]. Tell each caterer your exact needs, from nut allergies to halal, vegan and gluten-free diets, and ask how the kitchen keeps those plates separate during a busy service. If food is packed for direct sale, such as buffet boxes labelled for guests, full ingredients and allergen labelling applies [3]. A caterer that answers in specifics earns the booking; one that waves the question away does not.
Get two or three itemised written quotes on the same menu and guest count, so you compare like with like [9]. Each quote should name the dishes and portions, staff numbers and hours, hire items, travel and setup, deposit and balance dates, and what happens if guest numbers change. Ask whether waiting staff are included or billed separately, since staffing can double or even triple the base food cost at staffed events [7]. Treat an outlier as a question rather than a bargain, and ask what is included or left out.
Read the small print before you pay a deposit. Good caterers publish deposit bands, minimum orders and a deadline for final numbers, which protects both sides when plans shift. Agree the final guest count date, the balance deadline, the cancellation charges and who supplies what the venue does not, from tables to rubbish removal. If a mobile bar is included, agree the drinks range, whether guests pay or you do, and what minimum spend applies, since bars often run on a deposit against guest spending [6]. Keep every quote, invoice and message thread together.
On the day, check the setup covers food safety as well as showmanship. Hot food should arrive hot, cold food kept cool, and serving areas clean and covered, with allergen dishes clearly marked and kept apart. Agree who clears plates, takes leftovers and removes rubbish before the first plate is served. After the event, check the final invoice against the quoted menu and guest count, query extras you did not agree, and keep the paperwork with your event file. If you run one of the firms listed, use the Claim a listing link to send updated detail.
Pricing
As of autumn 2026, rough Telford ranges run like this: a wedding breakfast averages around thirty to sixty pounds per head, rising for a premium multi-course menu with table service [6]. Buffets average fifteen to twenty pounds per head, a hog roast sits in the same band, and barbecue catering averages twenty to twenty-five pounds, with canapés and evening food extra [6].
Everyday and office jobs cost less: sandwich platters and buffet catering run from around eight to twenty-five pounds per head depending on menu and service level, while corporate events with hot buffets or bowl food sit nearer twenty to sixty pounds [7]. A mobile bar for a wedding typically costs around two hundred pounds to set up, usually against a deposit and a minimum guest spend [6].
Guest numbers move the price most, since fixed costs for equipment, travel and staff spread across more plates, while small parties often face minimum charges [6] [7]. Staffed service costs far more than drop-off delivery, formal plated menus need more hands than a buffet or hog roast, and peak summer Saturdays book out first, so compare each quote on total cost rather than the headline per-head figure.
Ask whether each quote includes VAT, since food supplied in the course of catering is standard-rated, and confirm whether delivery, staffing and hire sit inside the per-head price or land on top [8] [7]. Get the menu, guest numbers, staff hours, hire items, price, deposit and cancellation terms in writing before you pay anything, and keep the final invoice beside the quote [9].
Red flags
Cannot be found on the hygiene ratings register under the trading name you were given [1].
Quotes a wedding or large event without asking guest numbers, venue access or serving times.
Gives one per-head figure with no breakdown of food, staff, hire, travel and VAT [7] [8].
Asks for full payment in cash long before the event, with no written terms or cancellation terms [9].
Waves away allergen or dietary questions instead of explaining how the kitchen handles them [3].
Will not put the menu, guest numbers, price and date in writing before taking a deposit.
Shows no business address, company record or working phone on its own site or listing.
The bottom line
For most Telford events, start with Pro Roasts: one family firm for the hog roast, barbecue or pizza oven plus the bar, with a top hygiene rating behind it. Its site publishes no prices, so ask for an exact quotation through its Quick Quote route and compare it with one rival on the same guest numbers.
Match the cook to the job: Takefood where published terms matter, Hammonds for big weddings with staffed service, Nanny Brown's for Caribbean food, Sofood! for office lunches, Goddards for everyday eating and Get Gourmet where one firm must cover food and bar. Then get two or three itemised quotes on the same menu and guest count, and check the hygiene rating before you pay any deposit.
Corrections and business responses
Tell us what needs checking, or ask to claim a listing and reply to an assessment.