The Luxe Catering Coach

The Luxe Catering Coach Helping caterers build premium, profitable businesses with systems, strategy & coaching

09/10/2026

You quoted £3,000 for the event.

The food cost £900.

Staff cost £500.

So you’re thinking… “Not bad, I’ve made £1,600!” 😭

But wait.

Who paid for the petrol?

Who spent 4 hours shopping?

Who washed everything afterwards?

Who went back to collect the equipment?

And who spent the whole week answering emails, planning and organising the event?

YOU.

And somehow, none of those hours made it into your calculations.

After 10 years in catering and 11 years working in accounting, I’ve learnt one thing:

The expenses you forget to calculate are still expenses.

Your bank account will remind you eventually. 😂

Before sending your next quote, make sure you’re costing the ENTIRE job, not just the food and staff.

Want help working out what your catering jobs actually cost?

Comment PROFIT for my Catering Quote & Profit Calculator. 👇🏾

08/10/2026

One of the most uncomfortable situations in catering?

You’ve cooked the food, paid your staff, delivered the event…

And now you’re chasing the client for YOUR money. 😭

So when a client asks:

“Can we pay the remaining balance after the event?”

Instead of automatically saying yes, try:

“Our payment terms require the remaining balance to be settled 7 days before the event. This allows us to finalise ingredients, staffing and all preparations. I’ll send you a reminder before the due date so everything is ready for your event.”

Simple. Professional. No awkward conversation.

Because think about it…

Your butcher isn’t waiting until after the wedding to get paid.

Your staff aren’t working for free.

Your suppliers still expect payment.

So why should you be financing someone else’s event?

After 10 years in catering, I’ve learnt that a booking isn’t profitable just because you’ve sent the invoice. You still need to collect the money.

Of course, corporate contracts may have different agreed payment terms.

But for private events, have a clear payment policy and communicate it BEFORE the client books.

Caterers, do you collect the full balance BEFORE or AFTER the event? 👀👇🏾

01/10/2026

A lot of caterers know how to make money in their business…

But nobody really teaches us how to pay ourselves from it efficiently. 👀

If you run your catering business through a UK limited company, taking everything as salary isn’t necessarily the most tax-efficient option.

Here’s a simple 2026/27 example 👇🏾

You want £50,270 income:

£12,570 salary

* £37,700 dividends
= £50,270 total income

Your personal deductions:

Income tax on salary: £0
Employee NI: £0
Dividend tax: £3,999

So…

💰 YOU TAKE HOME: £46,271

Your company may also pay:

Employer NI: £1,135.50*

This is why I keep telling caterers that knowing your numbers goes much further than knowing how much you made from Saturday’s event. 😭

After 11 years working in accounting, one thing I’ll always say:

Making money is one skill.
Knowing how to manage and take that money is another.

Save this and speak to your accountant about whether salary + dividends could work for your catering business. 👀

Address

London

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Luxe Catering Coach posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category