Working in a kitchen someone else built
Every venue's kitchen here is different: some are well equipped for a full sit-down service, others suit a simpler menu better. Ask a caterer what they actually checked on their site visit, including extraction, fridge and freezer space, and plating area, rather than taking their word that the kitchen will work on the day.
Cooking through a power cut
A generator at the venue does not automatically mean every piece of catering equipment stays running; capacity is limited and is usually allocated to specific circuits. Ask the caterer directly what they need powered to keep food safe and service on schedule, and confirm with the venue, separately, that the generator can actually cover it.
A marquee with no kitchen at all
Some weddings here happen in a garden, a private home or another space with no kitchen on site, which means the caterer effectively builds a temporary one: gas burners, mobile fridges and a plan for water. Ask specifically how a caterer handles a site with no existing kitchen, since it is a different job to working somewhere that already has one.
Moving food and staff across the city
A caterer's prep kitchen is often well outside the area where the wedding itself takes place, and the drive between the two needs to be built into the day's timing, particularly around peak traffic hours. Ask when food actually leaves the kitchen relative to the ceremony time, not just when service is meant to start.
Checklist
- Ask exactly what the caterer checked on their kitchen site visit: extraction, fridge space, plating area.
- Confirm directly with the venue what the generator actually covers if there is load-shedding.
- If there is no kitchen on site, ask how the caterer plans to build a temporary one.
- Ask when food leaves the caterer's own kitchen relative to your ceremony time.
- Get a written menu and quantities, not a verbal estimate, before the final payment.
- Confirm cancellation and postponement terms in writing.
Questions to ask in Johannesburg
- What did you check on the venue's kitchen during your site visit?
- What happens to service if there is a power cut during the reception?
- How would you handle catering if the venue has no kitchen on site?
- How far is your kitchen from our venue, and how does that affect timing?
- What is included in the quote, and what would be billed separately?
