Catering services promise to save us from the hangries so we may continue to socialise with laughter and joy. And because caterers in Singapore aren’t expensive, they’ve become a common fixture at home events.
But is catering a buffet worth the money? Or is home cooking the better deal? Whether you choose to cater or cook, there are pros and cons to each option.
Halal Catering: Saves You Time and Effort
Catering saves you time and effort, so you can focus on your event and your guests. A catering package provides everything you need to feed your guests, including disposable cutlery, garbage bags, serviettes and such. Some caterers can also rent you stools, tables and chairs.
However, because caterers rely on economy of scale, the cost per person goes up for smaller parties than larger ones. This has got nothing to do with the quality of the food – it’s purely because of the need for caterers to make a profit.
Additionally, most caterers charge a delivery fee (around $50 to $60 per trip) which, if ever, are only waived for orders exceeding several hundreds of dollars. There are also other surcharges that may be payable, such as if your location lacks direct lift access.

Another common downside with catered food is food wastage, as you cannot return cooked food. Because catering kitchens combine and prepare orders, your food is typically cooked hours prior to your guests’ arrival. This contributes to the problem of wasted food, as certain types of food items just do not keep well.
Here, 11 best caterers including Halal caterers:
Purple Sage
This well-known caterer ticks all the boxes when it comes to serving up buffet lunches or dinners your family and friends are expecting – with all the fanciness and none of the hard work (on your end, anyway).
Regular buffet lunch and dinner menus range from $30 to $57 per pax, although the minimum order starts from 30 pax.
Some dishes from the basic Indigo menu ($30 per pax) include:
- Garden salad with garlic crouton
- Laksa
- Nonya Assam Curry Fish
- Pan Seared Chicken
- Deep Fried Tempura Prawn
Pretty decent!
Lavish Dine Catering
Get your order in early to clinch some unmissable deals with this caterer, which has always had appetising Christmas menus for all budgets.
Outside of the festive season, Lavish does residential and corporate catering. Prices range from $28 to $58 per pax, although the minimum order is quite high at 40 to 50 pax.
Some dishes from the basic Buffet Menu A ($28) include:
- Thai glass noodle salad with seafood
- Coffee glazed chicken
- Baked fish fillet with lemon butter sauce
- Poached prawns
- Thai Pineapple fried rice
Simple, yet effective, we say.
Decker Barbecue
Forget what you think you know about home catering and buffet. Instead, order up a BBQ spread from decker Barbecue so good you’ll need to roll your guests out the door after.
For catering, there’s a minimum order of $300, and you will need to give the restaurant four days’ advance notice. There’s also a $30 delivery charge.
While there isn’t a set barbecue catering menu, Decker Barbecue’s Christmas 2022 menu looked like this for reference ($490+ for 8 pax):
- Whole smoked turkey
- Sourdough, sausage stuffing
- Jalapeno cheddar cornbread
- Coleslaw
- Mac & Cheese
- Apple Cobbler with whipped cream
Delectable, and unorthodox.
In Decker’s words: All of the trimmings, none of the fuss. We like.
The Plattering Co.
For a cocktail party or something more informal, check out The Plattering Co.’s stunning grazing tables and platters.
Comprising beautifully-arranged spreads, they have six types of catering menus:
- Breakfast buffet catering
- Sandwich buffet catering
- Lunch/ Dinner buffet catering
- Tea break buffet catering
- Grazing table, Cheese platters
- Bento catering
This unique take on home catering is such a breath of fresh air, especially aesthetically when compared to the ugly-but-functional chafing-tray set-ups we’re used to.
Do it for the ‘gram. #buffetgoals, anyone?
Grain’s
Feeling stuffed from all the festive feasting and want something that’s tasty yet nutritious? Grain’s your go-to.
There are three types of buffet catering at Grain’s:
- Mini Buffet ($20 to $31)
- Bentos ($11.50 to $21)
- Classic buffet ($20)
- High tea buffet ($12)
The one big disadvantage is that every menu has a different minimum pax order and it can get a little confusing while comparing the menu and prices. Yikes!
Meaty staples like whole turkey and chicken and roast beef are available if you want something even heartier.
Halal Catering: Orange Clove
This Halal-certified caterer is a household name throughout the year – especially so around Christmas and festive seasons.
Orange Clove offers both residential and corporate buffet catering. Prices range from $10 to $27 per pax for mini buffets, and $21 to $36 per pax for a classic buffet. Note that these prices do not include GST, and there’s a minimum order of approximately 40 guests.
Some dishes from the basic Apricot buffet catering menu ($21 per pax) include:
- Chicken caesar salad
- Aglio Olio
- Indian Cabbage Ulathiyanthu
- Baked rempah fish
- Peranakan ayam panggang
- Malay potato perkedel
Halal Catering: Rasel Catering Singapore
Rasel Catering is the Halal arm of Purple Sage – which has received endorsement from the Health Promotion Board as part of its Healthier Dining Programme, for those watching their waistlines and wellness.
Prices range from $20 to $46 per pax, with a minimum order of 25 to 40 pax.
Some dishes from the basic International Fiesta Western buffet menu ($20.41) include:
- Italian Chicken cacciatore
- Battered Fish Fillet with Tartar Sauce
- Traditional Shepherd’s Pie Filled with Country Style Chicken Filling
- Chipolata Sausage with BBQ Sauce and Pepper
- Roasted Seasonal Vegetables
- Rice Pilaf with Mixed Herbs
Halal Catering, All Things Delicious
Muslim-owned cafe-cum-caterer All Things Delicious has several buffet and mini buffet menus that you can’t resist.
Unlike the other halal caterers listed in this article, All Things Delicious offers buffet set meals and dishes instead of charging you by pax.
This Ramadan, All Things Delicious has rolled out an array of set menus ranging from $129 to to $228:
- Sahur set ($76.90)
- Iftar mini buffet ($129.50)
- Mubarak set ($199.70)
- Lebaran set ($207.70)
- Aidilfitri set ($228.70)
Luxury Food Catering: Atipico
For those who have no time to spare, this calls for personal chef services, where a pro comes to your home, takes over the kitchen and churns out great food — leaving you to be the perfect host. It’s not surprising then, that this service comes at a price.
You can hire chef Matteo from Atipico to your place as a private chef for the night.
Chef Matteo Pertoldi of Atipico specialises in modern European cuisine, offering creative dishes that are a fusion of different food cultures, but rooted in Italian and French traditions. Matteo incorporates high quality exotic ingredients, as well as diverse cooking techniques, to create unique dishes that are beautifully and artistically plated. Atipico also offers a variety of other services, such as catering for cocktail events, and menu consultancy.
You get a customised four-course menu, private chef, service staff (chargeable), all the necessary cookware, and removal.
Prices start from $150 per pax, with a minimum of eight pax. There will be additional chef’s and logistic fees.
Other optional add-ons include drinks, wine, cutlery, table linens, and staff.
Luxury Food Catering: Personal Chef Singapore
Founded by chef John Sawarto who was schooled in the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Paris and boasts over 15 years of experience under his belt, Personal Chef Singapore offers the entire gamut of luxury food catering:
- Private dining
- Canapes and cocktails
- Premium custom buffet
- Premium BBQ with chef
- Dessert table
- Conferences
- Weddings
- Yacht or in-flight chef
- Corporate meals
Prices are pretty transparent on their website. For private dining, prices start from $125 to $150 and upwards per pax for a four-course meal. You get to choose from Indonesian, Italian, British, or a French menu.
Luxury Food Catering: Chef de Maison
Founded by former W Sentosa Steakhouse chef Jeco, and former steakhouse executive chef Ian, Chef de Maison primarily does food catering on board yachts in Singapore. However, you can contact Chef de Maison for a private seated dinner in your residence as well.
Services include:
- Home chef
- Yacht chef
- Canapes
- BBQ with chef
- Oyster bar
A seven-course seafood menu for a party of 10 will cost you approximately $3,100. At the hefty price tag of $310 per pax, you get white Sturgeon caviar, oysters, Oscietra caviar on Kanpachi Tartare, Hokkaido scallop, Alaskan king crab, razor clams, ribs or lamb for game.
Catering vs Home Cooking Price
Catering costs money, whereas home cooking costs time and effort. All things being equal, how much more are we paying when we book a catering package? Are the monetary savings worth the time and effort of cooking?
To find out, we drew from about 5 different caterers to construct a typical catering menu, consisting of 10 items and for 30 pax (see above for why we chose such a large number). We then found out the ingredient cost of cooking a similar menu for a side-by-side comparison.
For the home-cooked menu, we chose the same dishes or close equivalents. We excluded the cost of pantry staples such as oil, sugar, salt and spices; the large quantity of food cooked would render the individual cost of these items negligible.
We all know that catering is more expensive, but did you expect to see such a large difference? Our results above shows that home cooking can give you as much as 60% savings.
Additionally, we may have been overly generous in our food portions. To determine how many ingredients were needed for each dish, we followed recipes designed for between 3 to 6 pax, then multiplied accordingly.
However, during a 10-course catered buffet, most people would likely take smaller portions per dish. There is more to eat, sure, but your stomach can only take in so much food at one go. Which means that your actual food bill is very likely to be even lower.
And, if you’re wondering why the curry vegetables turned out to be the most expensive item, it’s because coconut milk in large quantities is quite pricey!
Home Cooking: Saves you money
However, cooking requires skill, time and equipment. Preparing food and cleaning up after can also be messy. You may also find it difficult to attend to the stove and your guests at the same time.
Given the significant price difference (S$300, in our above example) between catering and home cooking, it is a good idea for cost-conscious Singaporeans to opt for the latter. But before you reach for your apron in resignation, know that cooking doesn’t need to be a chore.
Ask your friends and relatives for help in the kitchen. They can turn up an hour or two early to take over the last leg of of cooking, or contribute to the table by bringing a dish. Even those who can’t cook can help out. Non-cooks and older children can refill the air fryer basket when the timer goes off, give the marinating chicken wings a turn, or help to wash the dirty dishes.
Besides, celebrations are about spending time together, so take the opportunity to invite your nearest and dearest to join you in the kitchen and catch up on the latest gossip.
Part of this article first appeared on SingSaver.
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