Mediterranean catering: a guide for pros
What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.
Offering mediterranean catering
You prepare Mediterranean dishes for events, from grilled meats and dips to salads and flatbreads. Clients want fresh, bright food that suits warm weather and a crowd that grazes.
What customers ask
- How do you keep the dips cold outside?
- Do you grill the meat on site?
- Can you cater a vegetarian spread?
- Which dishes contain nuts or sesame?
- How often do you refresh the platters?
How to win the job
- On the first call, ask for the guest count, the date, the location, the service style and the dietary needs
- Offer a tasting of two dips, a salad and a grilled item, with the ingredients labeled
- Show a spread plan that marks which dishes stay cold, which stay hot and which can sit at room temperature
- Put in the quote the dishes, portion sizes, grilling plan, cold holding equipment and servers
- Plan the refresh schedule for each platter and write it into the run sheet
- Label nuts, sesame and dairy on each dish and keep the vegetarian dishes separate
- Confirm the grill and open flame rules for the site before you quote
What to put on your profile
- Post photos of mezze spreads, grilled platters and flatbread bars
- List the dips, salads and proteins you prepare
- Show your vegetarian and vegan options with labels
- Describe how you keep cold food cold during an outdoor event
- Add your permits and food handler certification status, described accurately
Follow-up that helps the customer
- Offer a fresh spread for the host's next backyard gathering
- Suggest a dessert platter of fruit and sweets to finish the meal
- Recommend a recipe card for the hummus the host enjoyed
- Share a guide to keeping a spread safe on a warm day
Licenses and permits
Food businesses commonly need a health permit or a food handler card from the local office that oversees food safety, and the kitchen you cook in may need its own approval. Grilling on site may have its own fire rules. Keep your permits and staff cards on file and check the rules for each site.
Questions
Do I need a permit to grill at a client's outdoor event?
Ask the local office that oversees food safety and the local office that oversees open flame what applies at that site. Rules differ by place.
How do I keep the dips cold at an outdoor event?
Use chilled display units or ice baths under the platters, refill in small batches and discard dips that have been out too long, as your food safety plan states.
What if a guest has a sesame allergy?
Label each dish with sesame, including tahini, and keep the serving tools separate. Tell the host which dishes are safe for that guest.
About this guide
This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.
Edit history
- Oct 29, 2026: Drafted by infinibell to our content guidelines.
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