Guide for Caterers
Everything you need to know about setting up your presence, responding to leads, and growing your catering business on Cennaire.
How Orders Work
Every booking on Cennaire follows the same three-stage pipeline:
| Stage | What it means |
|---|---|
| Lead | A client has posted a catering request that matches your profile. You haven't responded yet. |
| Quote | You've submitted a proposal with itemised pricing. The client is reviewing it. |
| Booking | The client accepted your quote. The event is confirmed. |
Your dashboard sidebar organises these under Orders with separate views for Leads, Quotes, and Bookings.
Setting Up Your Profile
Your profile is your storefront. A complete, high-quality profile attracts significantly more quote requests.
Business Info
- Business name — Use your trading name exactly as clients would know it.
- City — Your primary operating location. Clients filter by this.
- Cuisine types — Select every cuisine category you offer. This is how leads are matched to you.
- Bio — Write 2–3 sentences describing your catering style, specialities, and what makes you stand out.
- Guest capacity — Set accurate minimum and maximum guest counts. Leads outside this range won't reach you.
Photos
Photos are often the first thing clients look at. Upload:
- Logo — Square format, at least 200×200px. Shown on your card in search results.
- Cover image — Landscape, at least 1200×400px. The hero image on your profile.
- Gallery — 4–8 high-quality photos of your food, presentation, and events. Natural light, clean plates, wide shots work well.
You can upload your logo and cover image during onboarding, and manage all photos from Dashboard → Profile → Photo Settings.
Writing Your Bio
Your bio should answer three questions:
- What type of catering do you specialise in?
- What's your style or signature approach?
- Who is your ideal client?
Example: "Modern Indian cuisine for corporate events and weddings. We blend traditional family recipes with contemporary plating — ideal for groups of 30 to 300. Based in London, available across the South East."
Creating Packages
Packages help clients understand exactly what they'll get before requesting a quote. Think of them as menu options.
You can create your first package during onboarding, and manage all packages from Dashboard → Menus → Packages.
What to Include
Each package should have:
- Title — Clear and descriptive (e.g., "Corporate Lunch Buffet" or "Premium Wedding Package")
- Description — What's included: menu style, service format, setup/cleanup, staffing
- Price per head — Your standard rate; clients can negotiate via the quoting process
- Guest count range — Min and max for this package
- Cuisine type — Primary cuisine category
- Dietary options — Tick all that apply (Vegetarian, Vegan, Halal, Gluten-Free, etc.)
Menu Items
You can also manage individual menu items from Dashboard → Menus → Items. These items can be pulled into quotes directly using the quote builder's "Add from menu" feature.
Tips for High-Converting Packages
- Name packages by occasion rather than by what's in them ("Wedding Reception" converts better than "3-Course Sit-Down Meal").
- Keep descriptions under 100 words but include the most important selling points.
- Price competitively for your market — you can always negotiate in your quote.
Building and Sending Quotes
The quote builder lets you create professional, itemised proposals for clients.
Creating a Quote
Navigate to Dashboard → Quotes → New Quote, or click Quote on any lead in your Leads view. The builder has five sections:
- Client & Event Details — Client name, email, event description, date, time, and guest count. If you're quoting on a client request, these fields are pre-filled.
- Line Items — Add items with quantity, description, and unit price. Use the Add from menu button to pull in items from your menu directly.
- Fees — Add percentage-based fees (e.g., 15% service charge) or fixed fees (e.g., $50 delivery). Suggested defaults are provided.
- Cover Message — A personal note to the client explaining why you're a great fit for their event.
- Terms — Validity date (defaults to 14 days), deposit percentage, and deposit terms.
Drafts and Sending
Quotes can be saved as drafts before sending. Drafts are visible only to you and can be edited freely. When you're ready, submit the quote to send it to the client.
Live Preview
As you fill in the builder, a live preview on the right shows exactly what the client will see — a clean, professional document layout with your business details, line items, fees, and totals.
PDF Export
Every submitted quote can be exported as a PDF from the quote detail page. Useful for sending via email or keeping records.
Share Links
Each submitted quote gets a unique share link that you can send to clients outside the platform. The client can view the full quote and accept or decline it directly from the link — no login required.
Standalone Quotes
You don't need a client request to create a quote. Use standalone quotes when you've spoken to a client directly and want to send them a professional proposal through Cennaire.
Quote Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Saved but not yet sent to the client |
| Pending | Sent and awaiting client response |
| Accepted | Client accepted — booking created |
| Rejected | Client declined the quote |
| Expired | Validity date has passed without a response |
Responding to Leads
Open requests that match your cuisine, city, and guest capacity appear in Dashboard → Leads.
Reviewing a Request
Read the full request details before deciding to quote:
- Event type and date — Can you accommodate the date?
- Guest count — Within your capacity?
- Budget range — Does it align with your pricing?
- Notes — Any special requirements you can't meet?
Writing a Competitive Quote
A great quote is not just the lowest price. Make yours stand out:
- Detailed line items — Break down your offering clearly so the client knows exactly what they're paying for.
- Realistic pricing — Quotes that underdeliver on expectations hurt your reviews.
- A personal cover message — Reference details from the client's request to show you've read it carefully.
- Fair validity window — Give clients enough time to decide (5–10 business days is typical).
Messages
Communicate directly with clients through the built-in messaging system. Access your inbox from Dashboard → Messages.
Messages are organised by conversation and show the event context (request or booking) so you always know what you're discussing. Unread message counts appear on the sidebar badge.
Calendar
The Dashboard → Calendar gives you a visual overview of your schedule with two views:
- Month view — See all your bookings and quote deadlines at a glance.
- Week view — Drill into a specific week for detailed planning.
Bookings appear in gold and quote deadlines in blue. Click any date to see event details, guest counts, and amounts. Navigate between months and use the "Today" button to jump back to the current date.
Coming soon: Google Calendar sync — your Cennaire bookings will push to Google Calendar automatically, and your personal Google events will appear on your dashboard calendar. See the roadmap for details.
Verification
Earn a verified badge on your profile by uploading business documents from Dashboard → Verification.
After you submit your documents, our team reviews them manually — typically within two business days. Once approved, the verified badge (a champagne shield icon) appears next to your business name on:
- Your caterer card in browse results
- Your public profile page
- Your dashboard header
The badge signals trust and credibility to clients. You can start the verification process during onboarding or complete it later from your dashboard.
Managing Bookings
When a client accepts your quote, a booking is created in Dashboard → Bookings.
What to Do After Acceptance
- Confirm logistics directly with the client via Messages.
- Discuss and confirm payment terms.
- Check your Calendar to see the booking alongside your other events.
Booking Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Upcoming | Event date is in the future |
| Completed | Event date has passed |
| Cancelled | Booking was cancelled by either party |
Growing with Premium
Premium costs $50/month and unlocks features designed to increase your bookings.
Priority Listing
Your profile appears at the top of browse and search results — before all Free tier caterers. Clients typically click the first few results, so placement matters.
Analytics Dashboard
Access 6 key metrics from Dashboard → Analytics:
- Total revenue — Cumulative revenue from completed bookings
- Revenue this month — Current month's completed bookings
- Quote win rate — Percentage of submitted quotes that became bookings
- Average booking value — Mean total per completed booking
- Pipeline value — Total value of pending (unaccepted) quotes
- Upcoming events — Number of events booked in the next 30 days
Use these to understand your conversion rate, identify slow periods, and price more effectively.
How to Upgrade
From your Dashboard or Profile page, click Upgrade to Premium. You'll be taken to a secure Stripe Checkout page. Your account upgrades immediately after payment.