Glossary
The language of catering
79 terms you will find in caterers' menus, quotes and proposals, explained briefly and linked to the guides that go into them.
A
- Advance paymentMoney paid upfront towards the catering price. In Italy it is not a caparra: if the event is cancelled it is usually refunded, unless penalties are written in.
- AllergensThe 14 substances EU law requires to be declared even in unpackaged dishes: the caterer must tell you, dish by dish.
- ApericenaAn aperitivo generous enough to replace dinner: finger food, small bowls and drinks, guests standing. Common for graduations and parties.
B
- Banquet managerThe banqueting company's person in charge of your event: turns requests into menu and running order, and keeps time on the day.
- BanquetingThe full organisation of a banquet: kitchen, front of house, staff, set-up and timing, not just the food.
- BartenderThe person who runs the event bar: aperitivo, cocktails, open bar after dinner, ice and glasses. Often a separate item in the quote.
- Blast chillerEquipment that brings food down to a low temperature very quickly: it keeps food safe and is required for fish to be served raw.
- BuffetA format where dishes sit on tables or stations and guests help themselves or are served by staff. Sociable, but needs space and restocking.
- Business lunchLunch within a working day, between conference sessions or with clients: buffet stations, light lunch or plated, on a tight schedule.
C
- Cake-cutting feeA fee the caterer may charge to store, cut and serve a cake made by an outside pastry shop.
- Cancellation feeThe sum owed if you cancel the event after signing. It often grows as the date approaches: each caterer sets its own percentages.
- Carving stationA buffet station where a staff member carves meat to order in front of guests: roast beef, porchetta, roasts.
- CateringThe service that prepares food and drink for an event away from a restaurant: from delivery only to a full service with staff.
- CentrepieceThe arrangement in the middle of the table, of flowers, candles or seasonal elements. It gives the room character but must not divide guests.
- Chef de rangThe waiter in charge of a rang, a group of tables: knows the menu, allergies and timings of the section and serves with the commis.
- Coffee breakThe break at a conference or meeting, usually 15-30 minutes: coffee, drinks, sweet and savoury bites. The welcome coffee is the one on arrival.
- Cold chainKeeping perishable food cold from preparation to service. Outdoors and in summer it is the weak point of buffets, raw seafood and desserts.
- CommisThe waiter who works alongside the chef de rang: carries plates from the kitchen, tops up bread, water and wine and clears.
- ConfettataA table or corner displaying sugared almonds, from which guests take their share. It can replace the wedding favour or go alongside it.
- Cooking to orderDishes are prepared or finished on site rather than arriving ready-made. Close to a restaurant result, but it needs a kitchen, space and staff.
- Corkage feeA fee the caterer or venue charges to serve wine or sparkling wine you bring. Not set by law: each supplier decides.
- CourseEach stage of a served menu: aperitivo, starter, pasta course, main with side, sorbet, dessert, cake, coffee.
- Cover chargeIn Italian, coperto is the place laid for each guest: plates, cutlery, glasses and napkin. It also means the space each guest needs at the table.
D
- DepositMoney paid to secure the booking. Unlike an advance payment, if you cancel the caterer may keep it; if the caterer cancels, it may owe you double.
- Dessert buffetA table or station with petits fours, fruit and spoon desserts, served after the cake or instead of it. Often an extra on top of dessert.
E
- English serviceThe waiter holds the serving dish and portions it onto the guest's plate. Quicker than French service, it needs experienced staff.
- Equipment hireEquipment rented for the event: tables, chairs, tableware, linen, gazebos, field kitchen. Sometimes the caterer brings it, sometimes not.
- Event managerThe person who organises the event for a company, in-house or for an agency: writes the brief, coordinates suppliers and talks to the caterer.
- Event set-upEverything that prepares the event space: tables, linen, flowers, lighting, sets. The caterer handles part of it, other suppliers the rest.
- Exclusive catererWhen the venue only works with its in-house caterer or one fixed supplier: venue and caterer are chosen together.
- Extra hoursService hours beyond the time set in the quote. They are charged separately, per staff member or as a flat fee: get the cost and who authorises them in writing.
F
- Field kitchenA temporary kitchen the caterer sets up when the venue lacks a suitable one: work surfaces, ovens, fridges, blast chillers, washing-up.
- Final guest countThe date by which you tell the caterer the confirmed guests. After that deadline the number can often go up, but not down.
- Finger foodBites eaten with the fingers, in one or two mouthfuls and without a knife: the basis of aperitivi, apericene, rinfreschi and cocktail parties.
- Food stationA buffet point devoted to one type of food or drink: cheese, fried bites, raw seafood, pasta, desserts, bar. Each station has its own staff.
- Food truckA kitted-out van that cooks and serves on site, in gardens, courtyards or country houses. It needs space, access, power and the right permits.
- French serviceThe waiter presents the serving dish and guests help themselves with serving cutlery. Elegant but slow, for small formal dinners.
G
- Gala dinnerA formal dinner, often corporate, where service, pace and set-up matter as much as the menu: speeches, awards, plated service.
- Gluten-freeFor a coeliac guest it is not enough to swap the pasta: cross-contamination must be prevented in the kitchen, at the buffet and in service.
- Guaranteed minimumThe minimum number of guests, or spend, the caterer charges for regardless. If guests fall below that threshold, you pay the minimum.
- Guéridon serviceThe waiter finishes the dish on a trolley beside the table: portions, carves, dresses. Theatrical and slow, suited to few covers.
H
- HACCPThe food hygiene self-monitoring system every caterer must apply, under EC Regulation 852/2004.
- HalalWhat is permitted in Islamic tradition. On a menu it means no pork or alcohol and meat slaughtered according to the rite, ideally certified.
- Home cateringCatering brought to your home: delivery only, buffet with staff, or a cook and service in the house. Price and space needed rise in that order.
I
- Imperial tableThe long rectangular table, sometimes a single row across the room or garden. Striking, but guests only talk to their neighbours.
- Italian-style serviceThe plate arrives already composed from the kitchen and the waiter sets it in front of the guest. The most common service at seated receptions.
K
L
M
- MaîtreThe head of the dining room: leads the waiters, checks the table setting, signals each course and makes sure all tables are served together.
- MarqueeA temporary cover for guests and tables at an outdoor event. Not a gazebo: it covers larger areas and needs certification.
- Menu tastingTasting the menu before the event to decide dishes, portions and service. Ask first whether it costs and whether it comes off the total.
- Micro weddingA wedding with few guests, usually up to 30-40. The price per person may rise, but the total falls and the menu can be more refined.
- Mise en placeEverything set on the table before guests arrive: tablecloth, plates, cutlery, glasses, napkins, centrepieces and place cards.
O
P
- Place cardThe card or object with the guest's name at their seat. It also helps the caterer recognise who has a special diet or allergy.
- Plated serviceA format where guests stay seated and waiters bring each course to the table. Orderly with predictable timings, but it needs more staff.
- Price per personThe catering cost divided by guest. It usually covers the menu: extra staff, hire, open bar and cake may be separate items.
Q
R
- RinfrescoA light buffet after a ceremony or on a party afternoon: finger food, sweets and drinks. If it replaces a meal, it needs lunch-sized quantities.
- Round tableThe most used table at receptions: everyone sees everyone, conversation flows and waiters serve in a circular route.
- Running orderThe written programme of the event, minute by minute: arrivals, courses, speeches, music, cake. One running order for all suppliers.
- Russian serviceThe whole dish is shown to the guests, then portioned on a trolley or side table and served onto plates. Very theatrical.
S
- Seating planThe board or display that shows each guest their table. It is finalised after the final guest count and the caterer needs it too.
- Show cookingA cook prepares or finishes dishes in front of the guests, at a visible station. It draws attention, but needs power, water and space.
- Site visitThe visit to the venue with the caterer before the final quote: kitchen, access, power, routes and spaces for plan B.
- SommelierThe person who chooses, presents and serves the wine. Worth having when you pair different wines with the courses or serve notable labels.
- SorbetA refreshing pause between two mains, or between fish and meat, served in a small cup. Not a dessert: with a single main it can go.
- Street foodStreet food served at stations: sandwiches, fried bites, pizza, desserts. Suits parties, graduations, informal corporate events and late wedding food.
T
- Table linenTablecloths, silence cloth, overlays or runners and cloth napkins. White is often included; colours, linen and special fabrics may cost extra.
- Take-downThe stage after the event when suppliers collect equipment, clean and leave the space. Who does what, and by when, should be in writing.
- Tray serviceWaiters circulate among guests with trays of finger food or glasses. It keeps the room clear and reaches everyone, but needs enough staff.
- Turnkey serviceA format where the caterer handles everything the event needs, from kitchen to set-up, with a single contact.
V
W
- Weather plan BWhere the aperitivo and dinner move if it rains or is too hot, who decides and by when. For an outdoor event it belongs in the contract.
- Wedding cakeThe wedding cake, made by the caterer, a pastry shop or a cake designer. Who makes it changes costs, rules and logistics.
- Wedding plannerThe person who organises the wedding for the couple and coordinates suppliers. They suggest caterers, but the choice and contract stay with the couple.
- Welcome aperitivoThe first part of the reception: finger food, food stations and drinks, standing, while guests arrive and the couple have their photos taken.
Questions about the glossary
What is the glossary for?
It collects the words you will find in caterers' quotes and proposals in Rome, many of them Italian, with a plain explanation and links to the guides that cover them in more depth.
Do the terms mean the same for every caterer?
They are the meanings most widely used in the trade. Each caterer may use them a little differently: if an item in a quote is unclear, ask what it includes.
Is a term from your quote missing?
Write to us from the quote page and name the term: we add the entries that help people planning an event the most.
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