What is a menu tasting?
A menu tasting is a scheduled pre-event meal where the client samples the proposed menu and finalizes their choices. The chef prepares scaled-down versions of the dishes under consideration so the client can taste, compare and lock in their selections before the kitchen commits to prep.
It is the point where a menu on paper becomes a menu the client has actually tasted — turning "this sounds good" into a confirmed, signed-off selection.
Free, or per person.
Whether a tasting is complimentary depends on the size of the booking. Caterers commonly include it free for higher-value events — weddings over 100 guests, or contracts above a set total such as $10,000 — because the cost of a tasting for two is small against the booking. For smaller events, the tasting is usually charged per person (often $40 to $85 a head), with the fee sometimes credited back against the final invoice once the client books. Tastings are typically held 4 to 8 weeks before the event, after the booking is confirmed but before the final menu and guest guarantee are due.
A tasting usually covers 2 to 3 options per course — the ones the client is deciding between rather than the whole menu. It is also the natural moment to confirm dietary requirements and allergen handling, since the client can see how vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free versions of each dish will be plated. Decisions made at the tasting flow straight onto the event's function sheet.
A tasting in practice.
A couple books a 140-guest wedding at a package price of $130 per head. Because the booking clears the venue's "free tasting over 100 guests" threshold, the chef hosts a complimentary tasting for the couple and both sets of parents six weeks out. They compare two entrées — a braised short rib and a herb-crusted salmon — plus two canapé selections. The couple confirms the short rib as the main with salmon as the dietary alternate, and drops one canapé. The coordinator updates the menu and dietary counts on the spot, and the confirmed selections carry through to the final guarantee due three days before the event.
Keep reading.
- Full banquet & catering glossary — every booking and event term in one place
- Final guarantee — the locked guest count tastings feed into
- Plated vs buffet vs stations — the service styles you taste against
- Event deposit — the payment that confirms a booking before a tasting
- LightCater features — carry tasting choices straight onto the BEO
From tasting to plate, nothing lost.
Capture confirmed dishes, alternates and dietary counts at the tasting and push them straight to the function sheet. Try LightCater free for 14 days, no credit card to start.