Catering Quote Generator

Why the quote wins the job

In catering, the quote often matters more than the price: the first vendor to send a complete, professional quote usually wins the booking. Response time is one of the strongest conversion levers in event sales — and yet most catering quotes are still built from Word templates, copy-paste and a pocket calculator.

That is what this free quote tool is for: enter your line items, pick VAT rates, set a deposit — and copy the finished catering quote as text.

What belongs in a catering quote?

A professional quote answers the client's questions before they ask:

• Company details: full legal name, address, contact, tax ID where applicable.
• Itemised services: every line with quantity, unit and unit price — a lump-sum "catering package €2,500" invites haggling; a clean item list does not.
• VAT shown separately per rate (more on the German split below).
• Validity period: without a deadline, a quote can remain legally binding for an "appropriate" time — not what you want with volatile food costs.
• Deposit and payment terms: 30–50 % on confirmation is standard.
• Cancellation terms: a tiered cancellation schedule protects you against late drop-outs.

The checklist next to the preview summarises these must-haves — the tool covers items, VAT split, deposit and validity directly.

7 % or 19 %? The German VAT trap in catering

The most common mistake in catering quotes is a wrong or missing VAT split:

• 7 % applies to food for pickup or delivery without any service around it.
• 19 % applies as soon as service is involved: on-site staff, tableware, buffet setup — and generally to drinks.

In practice a catering job almost always carries both rates: the menu at 7 %, drinks and staff at 19 %. That is why this tool calculates each line with its own rate and shows the totals separately — exactly how they must appear on the final invoice. For plain net/gross conversion, see our hospitality VAT calculator.

Note: German rates as of 2026; your tax advisor has the final word.

Deposit, validity, cancellation: the three protective clauses

Deposit. 30 % on confirmation is the event-catering standard; weddings and large corporate jobs often take 50 %. The deposit covers your food cost risk and filters out non-committal enquiries.

Validity. 14 days is a solid default: short enough to absorb price swings, long enough for client decision cycles. For long-lead events (next-year weddings), add a price-adjustment clause.

Cancellation. Reference your cancellation tiers in the quote — e.g. free until 43 days out, staged after that. You can model a schedule with the cancellation fee calculator.

Example: corporate event for 50 guests

A clean item list looks like this (the tool's default values above):

• 3-course menu per person — 50 × €32.00 (7 % VAT) = €1,600.00
• Drinks package per person — 50 × €18.00 (19 % VAT) = €900.00
• Service staff (hours) — 24 × €28.00 (19 % VAT) = €672.00

Net subtotal €3,172.00, plus €112.00 (7 %) and €298.68 (19 %) VAT = €3,582.68 gross. At a 30 % deposit, €1,074.80 is due on confirmation.

From Word documents to automated quoting

This tool takes the math off your plate — but every quote is still manual work: gathering items, looking up prices, formatting the document, sending it, remembering to follow up.

Caterers who quote regularly automate exactly these steps: in Univents, an enquiry turns into a branded quote in a few clicks — with a product catalogue holding prices and VAT rates, digital client approval and an invoice generated from the confirmed quote. The quotes & invoices feature handles quote management end to end: every status visible, no quote forgotten.