Frequently Asked Questions
What are the bespoke menus you offer?
For Weddings, Private Chef Experience and Event Catering we offer bespoke menus. We take the information you have supplied regarding your event and translate that to a menu uniquely for you.
Why we do this?
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We want to be able to make your food and service experience special and something that reflects you.
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Our chefs love creating something different each time and pushing their creativity.
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Food is one of the top 3 things that people remember at your wedding or event.
Can you cater to my guest's diets or food intolerances?
Yes. This is something we don’t want you to worry about.
You choose the foods you want. We will make substitutes for every selection; we try to make foods that look and taste similar to your choices but are suitable for your guest's specific diet. We receive a lot of positive feedback from our customers about the variety of foods we make for their dietary guests.
Our ingredients
We believe buying local is best, and we are very lucky that the Waikato can provide us with many of our ingredients. We always buy New Zealand meats, fresh fish, free-range pork, poultry and eggs.
You may see ingredients regularly in our menus sourced from these local businesses: Clevedon Buffalo - Raglan Coconut - Good Bug - Over The Moon - Meyer Cheese - Volare - Bellfield Butter - Hamilton & Cambridge Farmers Market - Cilantro Cheese - Southern Fresh (vegetables) - Bid Fresh Hamilton - Fonterra
What are children’s prices?
• Children under the age of 3 are free.
• Children aged between 3 and 11 years of age are 50% off.
• Ages 12 and over are full price.
Do you provide alcohol?
Yes, we can provide alcohol. We are a licensed caterer.
Staffing – how do you estimate the time and number of staff?
We take the information you have supplied regarding your event and from there we estimate how many staff and their start and finish times. We take into account your number of guests, the style of dining and how long that would take to start, serve, clear and clean after each event.
Why does banquet / family-style dining cost more?
The labour, equipment, staff and resources are extensively higher with this style of dining.
What are the travel costs?
Our travel costs cover the km’s travelled on a return trip and the number of vehicles estimated to carry staff, equipment and food. If travel is more than 30 minutes away from Hamilton it also accrues staff travel time.
Will we be required to provide accommodation for Three Forks staff?
In some cases, we may ask that you provide an accommodation subsidy or organise accommodation for staff.
Will the person we are dealing with when making the booking be present on the actual day of the event?
We have a very robust system, that takes all of the notes from event planners, your communications, menu recipes, timings and special notes and make this available to all our staff 24/7.
Although our Event Coordinators attend some off-site events, some overlap with other events. You will be assigned a briefed and trusted staff member to execute the event.
Do you take away rubbish?
Yes, all food-related rubbish will be taken away by us. If for some reason we are unable to do this, we will liaise with the event planner to make sure this is covered.
We do not provide disposal of bar waste i.e. glassware, plastics or cardboard unless previously arranged.
What general duties can wait staff and bar staff carry out?
General duties include (other duties can be discussed):
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Preparing the bar
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Checking settings on the tables
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Serving canapes
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Serving drinks
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Clearing rubbish
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Serving and clearing of meals
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Providing service to the head table with meals and drinks
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Restocking chillers or bar
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If necessary, cleaning glassware
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Assisting with timings and smooth running of the event
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Assisting with cake cutting and serving
Do you do taste tests?
If you have secured your date with a deposit, you can request a menu taste test. We run these 30-40 days before your wedding so that the products used in your menu are available from that season. We charge for the taste tests at the per head price of your menu.
We endeavour to assign the same chef for both the taste test and the actual event.
What do you require for locations/venues that have no kitchen facilities?
Water – we require good drinking water, preferably council supply.
Power is required for catering ovens and other equipment. Whether that be from a house, garage or generator, this is the responsibility of the client. We can provide the power usage we require and it is advised that you consult with an electrical specialist to ensure that you have enough power for all vendors.
What do the crockery and cutlery look like that you provide in your packages?
If you would like to upgrade, we have a list of suppliers that have a large range of bespoke and boutique cutlery, crockery, glassware, tableware and much more at an additional cost.
