Experienced catering staff for your next event

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Need some extra hands for your corporate function? We can provide wait staff and equipment hire along with our catering services
A group of colleagues having lunch on a wooden table.

Some of the Companies We’ve Worked With

We cater for special events and occasions

Whatever you’re celebrating, we’ve got you sorted.

What are my EatFirst Benefits for Staff and Equipment Hire

With EatFirst, it has never been easier to organise your corporate catering needs
A safe service

A safe service

From food production to delivery, our caterers are all vetted and adhere to our high standards of food safety.

Event expertise

Event expertise

From product launches to annual conferences, our team can cater to just about any corporate event.

Tailored solution

Tailored solution

Wide range of menus with a-la-carte style options available for the perfect catering solution for your needs.

Our Services

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Professional staff and quality equipment to ensure your events are perfect

Whether you're having wait staff roaming the room with platters of delicious canapés or are hosting a sit-down meal requiring meals to be brought to each guest, our friendly, professional staff services are able to help make your event everything you imagine it to be.

We can also ensure you've got the right serviceware for your event. From crockery and cutlery to glassware to bain-maries, we can provide all the necessities for your function to go off without a hitch.

Woman wearing a light pink top holding a stone platter of canapés.
Bartender making the finishing touches on a few cocktails.

We can help with bartenders, mixologists and baristas too

Want a bartender to shake, stir, blend and mix the perfect cocktails for your function? Or an expert barista to brew the ultimate cup of coffee to power you through your morning workshops?

EatFirst can place more than just wait staff to serve food at your next event, regardless of whether you're hosting it in your office or at a conference centre.

Hear from our happy clients

We happily support offices all across Australia
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Tech / Automotive

‘Delicious food & great customer service’

Order In is perfect for keeping our kitchen well-stocked with food & drinks. We love the wide selection of snacks and fresh fruit. Michael from Order-In always goes out of his way to make sure we have what we need, and to recommend new products for our pantry. Highly recommend!

We helped with:

Kitchen Supplies
Corporate Catering
Alex Kelly
Building and Facilities Manager
 @ 
carsales.com.au
Health & Care

‘Excellent company to deal with, great food, great staff!’

They have a great selection of suppliers, and their customer service staff is second to none! I have had nothing but great service from them time and time again.

We helped with: 

Corporate Catering
Functions & Events
Daren Weippert
Scrum Master @ Bupa
Finance

‘It makes my job significantly easier’

Order-In is the easiest possible way to access a great variety of caterers around. It makes my job easier and allows me to have some fun choosing on the way. Thank you for all your help and support.

We helped with: 

Corporate Catering
Functions & Events
Lazarela Devrnja
Project Officer @ Equity Trustees

FAQs for Staff and Equipment Hire

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What you'll need to know about hiring catering staff and equipment

How many wait staff do I need?

The number of catering staff you should hire depends on your party size, type of function and what services you're hoping to provide.

Generally, we'd recommend:

  • Cocktail functions (standing): 1 waiter per 25 guests
  • Seated meals: 1 waiter for 10-15 guests

For large events of 100 people or more, you'll likely also need a function supervisor to make sure everything runs smoothly.

How much does catering staff cost?

Expect to pay about $45-$55 per hour, per wait staff required.

So if you're hosting a three-hour, standing cocktail function for 75 people, you'll need 3x wait staff for about five hours. Expect to pay about $675-$825 for the service.

Price vary from company to company and depending on which city your job is in.

Note: Catering staff hire doesn't include things like crockery, cutlery and glassware hire. If you're in need of those items too, we can certainly help, but it will be an additional cost.

Waiter setting a table at a function.

How long do I need to hire wait staff for?

Most of our partners have a four-hour minimum for catering staff hired for an event.

To ensure everyone is ready and trained up for your specific event, staff will need to arrive about an hour before they're expected to start serving. They'll also finish up about an hour after the event has finished.

How much equipment do I need to hire for my event?

Equipment isn't quite as straight-forward as wait staff, as it depends on factors like:

  • The style of your meal: Is it a sit-down or standing affair?
  • How many courses are being served? Do you need dishes for appetisers and dessert or just a main?
  • Will you be serving food buffet-style from platters, or as individual servings?

Luckily, our friendly customer service team is more than equiped to help you sort out just what you need so your event runs smoothly.

When will equipment be delivered?

Of course everything will need to be delivered prior to the start of your event! We will need a four-hour delivery window so we can make sure your items are delivered on-time for your event.

We can also pick up everything you've hired within a four-hour window as well. Just let us know the pick-up date and we'll take it from there!