Turning a street food idea into a menu brief

Separate published choices from inspiration

Fables publishes pizza catering and BBQ and grill menus, and its street food offer includes discussions about bespoke menus. Begin by identifying whether your idea comes from one of those published menus or is a new request. Use the actual menu name when referring to an existing choice so everyone can compare the same information.

Images, social posts and examples from other events can help explain a style, but they are not a confirmed dish list for your booking. Ask which options can be discussed for your date and setting. A bespoke enquiry is an invitation to agree a menu, rather than confirmation that every suggested dish is available.

Describe a food preference in useful terms

Explain the kind of meal guests should receive: for example, the published pizza option or a different street food idea you would like considered. Include whether people will sit, mingle or eat during a fixed break. Tell Fables which choices matter most to you and which parts of the idea can change.

If you have several alternatives, rank them rather than blending them into an assumed package. Describe any serving or presentation preference separately from the food itself. That helps Fables identify the actual menu request, the practical arrangement and any optional details that need individual confirmation in a quotation.

Connect the menu with the guest group

Give the people count for this food service, the role of the meal and the age groups or other practical circumstances that need discussion. A guest total alone does not explain whether the food is the main meal or a later addition. Be clear about earlier and later catering so the proposed selection can be considered in context.

Keep food preferences separate from intolerance requirements. Fables caters for agreed food intolerances only and does not cater for food allergies. Discuss an intolerance before booking and wait for express confirmation. Do not describe a request as accepted merely because it was entered on a form, and do not include guests’ medical histories.

Check the practical consequences of a choice

Different food ideas may lead to different working-space, supply and service questions. Share the venue address, proposed setup position and access restrictions rather than selecting a vehicle on appearance alone. Ask Fables to confirm the proposed vehicle and any power, water or operating requirements for the menu under discussion.

Describe the available serving period and any fixed commitments around it. Avoid supplying your own assumed meals-per-hour figure or equipment specification. The useful information is the event programme, people count, intended food and setting; the proposed catering arrangement needs review by the provider and venue.

Ask for a menu that can be confirmed

Compare the complete written proposal: food choices, agreed quantity, serving arrangements, staffing and any separately included items. Identify alternatives or requested changes clearly. A headline price without the same menu and scope is not a useful like-for-like comparison, particularly when one enquiry includes equipment or service that another does not.

Before communicating choices to guests, check what has actually been agreed. Keep one dated menu record with the latest headcount and timetable. If the food choice changes, ask Fables whether the vehicle, working space or other arrangements also need to change. Update the event team from that confirmed record.

Details to gather before enquiring

• Published menu or clearly identified bespoke food request
• Main-meal or evening-food role and service-specific numbers
• Preferred choices ranked separately from optional ideas
• Venue, access, available serving period and eating setup
• Expressly confirmed intolerance arrangements, without personal histories

Questions to settle with your event team

Can we ask for something beyond pizza?

Yes, the street food offer invites bespoke menu discussions. Describe your idea and ask what can be proposed for your event; do not treat the enquiry as a confirmed fixed menu.

Does choosing a vehicle confirm the food?

No. Confirm the menu, quantities, proposed vehicle and service arrangement together in the written booking details.