Essential Catering & Events
ProHighlights
- Full-service event caterer cooking from a commissary kitchen in Bayswater North since 2008
- Finger food, grazing stations, buffets, carvery, shared platters and plated dining menus
- Mobile kitchen equipment, wait staff, bar staff and a dedicated event manager on the day
About Essential Catering & Events
Essential Catering & Events is a full-service caterer founded by Sean Robertson in 2008 and now run with co-owner Julian Azzopardi. The team cooks from a commissary kitchen in Bayswater North, where it also grows produce in its own kitchen garden, and works at event spaces, function rooms, offices and private homes across Melbourne. Menus cover most service styles. Finger food and cocktail packages keep canapés moving through a standing crowd, grazing stations set out cheeses, charcuterie, fruit and breads on timber boards, and street food stations serve dishes inspired by cuisines from around the world. For seated events there are buffets, a roast carvery, shared platters brought to each table and a two- or three-course plated menu served alternately. Vegetarian and vegan finger food menus are available, and dietary needs such as gluten free and dairy free can be planned in. For weddings and larger functions the package covers more than food: menu advice, set-up, crockery, cutlery and place settings, wait staff, clean-up and an event manager overseeing the service. Mobile kitchen equipment, including ovens, can be brought to venues or outdoor sites with no kitchen, given space and power. Beverage packages with beer, wine, sparkling, cocktails and alcohol-free options can be added. Private parties start at around ten guests, from birthdays and engagement parties to dinners at home, while corporate work ranges from boardroom lunches and conferences to launches and end-of-year functions. Send an enquiry with your date, venue and guest numbers to receive a quote.
Inclusions & amenities
Service
Cuisine type (caterers)
Catering style (caterers)
Dietary support (caterers)
Budget
Pricing
Service Details
Mobile kitchens come to venues without facilities. An initial instalment secures the date, with the balance due ten business days before the event.
Frequently asked questions
Can Essential Catering & Events cater at a venue with no kitchen?
Yes. The team brings mobile kitchen equipment, including ovens, and needs a set space to work from with access to power. Extra fees apply and are itemised in the quote.
What is included in a wedding or event catering package?
Menu advice, set-up, crockery, cutlery and place settings, attentive wait staff, an event manager overseeing service, and clean-up once the catering is finished.
Is there a menu tasting?
Once you have a quote, a complimentary tasting for two is held at the Bayswater North kitchen, where you can try dishes and talk through the plan for the day.
Do they cater for dietary requirements?
Yes, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, coeliac and allergy needs. For weddings, menu changes for individual dietary requests are charged at $12 per person.
How small can a private party be?
Private catering starts with groups of about ten, such as an intimate dinner at home, and scales up to fully staffed parties, weddings and large corporate functions.
Areas we service
Suitable occasions
Sergio Priano
9 months ago
Masters of their craft. You will not be disappointed. The team is very friendly, incredibly professional and attentive. They take the time to understand your needs and preferences. The quality is outstanding and variety…
Jessica L
11 months ago
Essential Catering provided the 3 course meal and canapes for our wedding (as the preferred caterer of our wedding venue). Not only was the food delicious with lots of fresh seasonal options, they were so well organised…
Maddy Dyt
a year ago
Essential Catering catered our wedding in November 2024, and they were absolutely fantastic! Since our wedding was on a private property, we needed a team that was reliable, organised, and could deliver amazing food—and…
Fiona Barbazza
2 years ago
We cannot recommend Essential Catering Melbourne more highly! We recently had our private property wedding catered for and the food and service was second to none! Our family and friends are still raving about the food a…
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