Private Function Catering · Sydney
Private function
Private function
catering, Sydney.
Dinner parties, milestone birthdays, anniversaries and family gatherings. We cook it, bring it, set it up. And you actually get to enjoy your own party.
What we cover
The bit that usually ruins your own party is being stuck in the kitchen all night.
We're here to fix that. We cook real food from scratch in our Castle Hill kitchen, deliver it to your event, and set it up properly before your guests arrive. You walk in and enjoy yourself. That's the whole idea.
What we make isn't the sort of catering that gets forgotten by the time the main course lands. It's the food you'd actually make yourself if you had three extra hours and a commercial kitchen. Butter chicken from scratch. Beef bourguignon. Real lasagne. Grazing tables that aren't just a wheel of brie and some crackers.
We work across the Hills District, North Shore, Western Sydney, Inner West and beyond. Drop-off or fully staffed, whatever suits your event.
Events we cater for:
- Dinner parties (any size)
- Milestone birthdays (30th, 40th, 50th, 60th and beyond)
- Anniversaries (silver, gold and everything in between)
- Engagement parties
- Family gatherings and reunions
- Baby showers and pregnancy celebrations
- Hens nights
- Farewell dinners
- Christmas and end-of-year celebrations
Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and dairy free options are available across all our menus. Note any dietary requirements when you enquire and we'll build them in from the start.
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Canape functions
Grazing tables, canapés and cocktail-style events.
Not every gathering calls for a sit-down dinner. A lot of our private function bookings are cocktail-style events: a beautiful grazing table for guests to help themselves from, canapés served through the evening, and a relaxed atmosphere that lets people move around and talk.
We make our grazing boards and canapés from scratch. The boards are styled and set up by our team before your guests arrive. The canapés come out hot when they should. You don't need to think about it.
How it works
Drop-off, set-up, or fully staffed.
We offer three service levels. The right one depends on your event size, formality and how hands-free you want to be.
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Drop-off
We deliver the food either ready to serve, or ready to heat & serve, and you take it from there. Good option for smaller, casual gatherings where you're happy to do the serving yourself.
Works well for: dinner parties, home gatherings, smaller groups who prefer a DIY setup.
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Set-up
We arrive, set the food table, arrange the food so everything looks great, then leave. Ideal if you want the food presented properly without the cost or complexity of a staffed event.
Works well for: mid-size gatherings, events at a venue, milestone occasions where presentation matters.
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Fully staffed
We bring wait staff who set up, serve your guests and clear away at the end of the evening. You are completely hands-free from arrival to last course. Recommended for larger events and any occasion where you want to be a proper guest at your own party.
Works well for: milestone celebrations, engagement parties, larger seated dinners, any event over 30 guests.
Not sure which option is right for you? Include your headcount and a brief description of your event in your enquiry and we'll recommend the best fit.
A social enterprise
Every booking counts for more than the food on your table.
Dinner on the Table is a social enterprise. We use profit from every catering booking to gift meals each month to families living with disability. Families who are doing the daily juggle, often with far fewer resources and far greater challenges than most of us face.
So when you book us for your next dinner party or milestone celebration, you're also helping put dinner on someone else's table.
Castle Hill kitchen
Everything is cooked from scratch by our team, using real ingredients. The food you eat is the same food we'd put in front of people we love.
Cooking for Sydney since 2014
Over a decade of private functions, corporate events and everything in between. The food is consistently good because we've been doing this for a very long time.
Dietary requirements as standard
Gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan: we accommodate all of these as a standard part of every booking. Not as an extra, and not as an afterthought.
What clients say
Real events, real feedback.
Thanks so much for catering for my mum’s 80th! We had a big family celebration at my home & Dinner on the Table was fabulous. A great menu to choose from, the food was delicious, ordering was easy & delivery seamless. Will definitely use again and recommend.
Dinner on the Table catered my birthday lunch for 30 guests. It was a fantastic experience from the first time I spoke with Rachel, who was calm, reassuring and helpful, to when the food was delivered, hot and delicious, on the day. I had friends with dietary requirements and DotT didn't bat an eyelid where a different caterer had been unable to accommodate them. I asked if they could provide a coffee and walnut birthday cake, and even though it wasn't on their menu the chef came up trumps. I swapped out dishes between menus to create the meal I wanted, and Rachel and Maria were very accommodating. On the day the food was delicious, copious and delivered hot and fresh. I can't recommend Dinner on the Table enough and I would not hesitate to use them again.
Dinner on the Table is a fantastic company, both in terms of their work for families living with disability and for the quality of their food and catering. They catered for a birthday event and were so flexible, helpful, and prompt. The quality of their food was outstanding and the staff were excellent. Cannot recommend enough.
Common questions
Things people ask before they book.
Dinner parties, milestone birthdays (30th, 40th, 50th, 60th and beyond), engagement parties, baby showers, hens nights, anniversaries, Christmas gatherings, farewell dinners and family reunions. If you're not sure whether your event is the right fit, just ask. We'll tell you honestly.
Drop-off: we deliver the food ready to serve and you take it from there. Set-up: we arrive, arrange everything, and leave everything looking great, and go. You serve. Fully staffed: we bring wait staff who set up, serve your guests, and clear away at the end. What's right depends on the size and formality of your event. Include your headcount and what kind of evening you're planning in your enquiry and we'll recommend the best option.
Minimums depend on the menu and service type. The easiest approach is to include your headcount in your enquiry and we'll confirm straight away whether your event meets the minimum. As a general guide, most shared dinner menus start from around 10 guests for drop-off, with staffed events typically requiring a larger group.
For smaller events, a week is usually fine. For staffed events, milestone parties or anything with complex dietary requirements, two weeks is better. December, school holidays and long weekends fill up quickly. If your event is in one of those periods, earlier is always better. Left it a bit late? Get in touch anyway and we'll tell you honestly whether we can fit it in.
Yes. We cater for vegetarians, vegans, gluten-free and dairy-free as a standard part of every booking. Every shared dinner menu includes at least one vegetarian dish, and most include a vegan option too. For severe allergies or multiple simultaneous dietary needs, get in touch before booking so we can discuss the right approach.
For set-up and staffed events, yes: we supply platters, serving tongs, napkins and everything needed to present and serve the food. You don't need to source anything. For drop-off catering, we can include recyclable plates, cutlery, cups and serviettes if you need them; just let us know when you enquire.
Yes. Cakes and desserts are a natural addition to any private function. We make celebration cakes, dessert cakes, cupcakes and sweet tables from scratch in our Castle Hill kitchen. They're included in our catering enquiry, or you can see the full range here.
Yes. Alongside our soft drink packages, we are fully licenced and can supply an alcoholic beverage package, including bar staff, glassware and everything required to serve drinks. For staffed events where you'd like to supply the drinks we can include bar staff at $292 per bar person for 4 hours (1 bar person recommended for every 50 guests). Ask about this when you enquire and we'll include it in your quote.
Make an enquiry
Tell us about your event.
The more detail, the better we can quote. Date, location, guest numbers, and what kind of evening you're planning. We'll come back to you within 1 business day.
Prefer to call? Contact us on 0403 688 486
Where we cater
Hills District, North Shore, Western Sydney and beyond.
Our kitchen is in Castle Hill, which makes the Hills District our home territory for private function catering. We deliver regularly across the North Shore, Western Sydney, Inner West and Parramatta area.
Hosting somewhere further afield? Get in touch. We've catered private functions in places that surprised even us, and we'll always tell you honestly if we can't make it work.
Suburbs we cover regularly:
Castle Hill
Baulkham Hills
Kellyville
Norwest
Bella Vista
Rouse Hill
Pennant Hills
Dural
Glenhaven
Carlingford
Epping
Hornsby
Wahroonga
Pymble
Gordon
St Ives
Turramurra
Chatswood
North Sydney
Dee Why
Frenchs Forest
Manly
Parramatta
Inner West
About Dinner on the Table
Cooking for Sydney since 2014.
We're a social enterprise based in Castle Hill. Almost everything we serve is made from scratch in our own commercial kitchen by our team of talented chefs, using real ingredients. The small number of speciality items we purchase come from trusted suppliers.
After more than a decade and more private functions than we can count, the food is consistently good. The shared meals and celebration spreads that come out of our kitchen are the same ones we'd put in front of people we know and love.
Every booking also contributes to a program that gifts meals each month to families living with disability. You can read more about that here.