Catering is the highest-risk vendor category in any South Asian wedding. The deposit is usually the largest you will pay. The caterer is the hardest vendor to replace if something goes wrong late in the planning. And a catering failure on the day (food that runs out, dietary requirements ignored, a no-show) is seen by every guest.
Before you shortlist
Before you book a single tasting or send a single enquiry, do your groundwork. Search Google reviews and Facebook groups for the caterer's name: not just their business page, but mentions in community groups where people share honest feedback. Ask for references from at least two recent weddings of a similar scale, and actually call those references rather than just collecting their numbers.
Confirm that the caterer has cooked South Asian menus specifically, not just "Asian food". Cooking for a Punjabi baraat, a Tamil reception or a Pakistani nikkah involves different dishes, different spice profiles and often very different service styles. A caterer who is excellent at Bangladeshi cuisine may never have prepared a Gujarati thali. Ask about weddings from your own regional and religious background.
Check that the caterer holds public liability insurance and a current food hygiene certificate before you go any further. These are not optional. They tell you whether you're dealing with a professional business or someone operating informally, and they matter if anything goes wrong.
The 12 questions
Ask these in your first proper meeting, before any commitment is made.
Have you catered a South Asian wedding of this size before?
Ask for specifics: how many guests, what kind of ceremony, when. Large-scale South Asian catering needs a different operation from a 60-cover dinner. You need evidence they can handle volume.
Can you provide a full itemised quote?
Every dish, every service, every additional charge should appear in writing. Vague quotes lead to disputed invoices. If a caterer can't itemise, they won't be able to account for the money later.
What is your deposit structure and refund policy?
Many caterers require 25–50% upfront. Understand exactly what happens to that money if you cancel, if they cancel, or if circumstances change. This should be in writing.
Are you insured: public liability and food hygiene?
Ask to see the certificates, not just a verbal yes. Public liability insurance covers the caterer's liability if a guest is injured or taken ill. The food hygiene rating shows the result of the council's last inspection.
Do you have a Food Hygiene Rating of 4 or 5?
You can check this yourself on the Food Standards Agency website. A rating below 4 is a serious concern. No rating at all, for any business preparing food at scale, should make you very cautious.
Can we do a tasting before we sign?
Any reputable caterer will offer a tasting. It's your chance to judge quality and presentation before anything is at stake. If a caterer refuses or charges heavily for a tasting, treat that as a warning sign.
Who will be on-site on the day?
Confirm the name and role of the person leading the operation on your wedding day. Will it be the same person you have been meeting during planning, or a different team? What is the ratio of staff to guests?
How do you handle dietary requirements (halal, Jain, vegan)?
At most South Asian weddings, dietary requirements are not edge cases. They affect a large share of guests. Ask how they keep food separate in the kitchen, label it at service and brief the venue staff.
What is your contingency plan if a staff member is ill on the day?
Things go wrong. A caterer who has thought this through, with a named reserve team or an established staffing agency, takes reliability seriously.
Do you provide crockery, linen and staffing, or is that separate?
The headline price often covers food preparation only. Crockery, cutlery, linen, service staff and equipment hire can add significantly to the total. Understand exactly what is and is not included before you compare quotes.
What is your payment schedule?
Understand when each payment is due, what triggers it, and what the penalty is for late payment on either side. The final balance should not be due until close to the wedding, with clear cancellation terms for both parties.
Will you sign a formal contract?
This is non-negotiable. A contract protects both parties. It should specify the menu, guest count, service requirements, payment schedule, cancellation terms, and the names of the people responsible. If a caterer won't sign one, walk away.
Red flags to watch for
Even with the best questions, trust your gut when you notice these warning signs:
- Vague or evasive answers that don't address what you actually asked
- No written contract offered, or resistance to putting things in writing
- Cash-only payments with no receipts or formal invoicing
- No food hygiene certification, or an expired or low-rated certificate
- Pressure to pay a large deposit before a tasting or formal agreement
- No references from recent weddings they are willing to provide
- A quote that changes significantly after the first meeting without explanation
Each of these tells you how a business will behave when things get difficult. A caterer who is straightforward and organised during the booking process is far more likely to deliver on the day.
How Nodus helps
Every caterer is checked before they can take bookings on Nodus: ID, business details, insurance and a food hygiene rating. Contracts are created and signed on the platform, so there is always a written record of what was agreed. Every payment is processed through Stripe and documented against your booking confirmation, which gives you a clear paper trail if anything needs to be resolved.
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