School Event Catering Done Properly

How Catering By Chefs delivered an extensive, professionally presented buffet spread for Casey Grammar School, with a wide selection of savoury and sweet finger food for the entire school community.

The Event at a Glance

  • •Client: Casey Grammar School
  • •Occasion: Official Building Opening
  • •Date: Tuesday 3 March 2026
  • •Location: Casey Grammar School, 3 New Holland Drive, Cranbourne East
  • •Format: Morning tea buffet – large-scale spread along a long branded catering table
  • •Guests: 170
  • •Uniformed Chefs: 2
  • •Event Timeline: CBC arrival 7:30am to 8:00am  |  Guest arrival 9:00am  |  Ceremony 9:30am (downstairs)  |  Morning tea ready by 10:15am  |  Morning tea service 10:30am to 11:30am (upstairs)

The Story

Catering a Milestone Moment for Casey Grammar School

A Building Opening Deserves Food That Matches the Occasion

Catering for a school event in Melbourne comes with a set of considerations that most other events simply do not have. The guest mix is wide. You might have students, parents, teaching staff, school leadership and special guests all in the same room at the same time. The food needs to work for all of them.

When Casey Grammar School chose Catering By Chefs to cater the official opening of their new building, the occasion carried real weight. A building opening is a milestone for the entire school community – a moment that brings together staff, students, families and special guests to celebrate something significant. The catering needed to reflect that.

Phil and his team arrived at the school between 7:30am and 8:00am, well ahead of the 9:00am guest arrival, to set up the full morning tea buffet in the upstairs function space. While guests attended the official ceremony downstairs at 9:30am, the CBC team used that time to ensure every item was freshly prepared, perfectly arranged and ready for service at 10:30am.

The food should match the energy of the occasion. At a school event, that means generous, varied and genuinely impressive.

The catering table was dressed with a dark blue CBC branded tablecloth alongside Casey Grammar School branding, creating a professional and cohesive presentation that reflected well on both the school and the catering team. Fresh floral arrangements were placed along the length of the table as centrepieces, elevating what could have been a standard buffet setup into something that looked genuinely considered and well-organised.

The morning tea ran from 10:30am to 11:30am, with 170 guests moving freely through the upstairs space, selecting from the full spread at their own pace. Phil and his team managed the service throughout, ensuring the table remained well-stocked and presentable from the first guest through to the final one.

What Was Served

A Fresh Morning Tea Buffet for 170 Guests

Every item on the Casey Grammar School morning tea menu was freshly prepared by the CBC team on the day and arranged across the buffet table ahead of the 10:30am service. The menu was designed to give 170 guests a generous and varied selection of savoury and sweet options throughout the one-hour service.

Savoury

340 assorted mixed sandwiches (2 points per person) across four fillings:

  • Chicken and mayo with celery and spring onions
  • Egg and lettuce
  • Ham, cheese and tomato with carrot, cucumber and mustard pickle
  • Roast beef with mustard mayo, rocket, lettuce and carrot
  • 170 assorted sushi pieces; prawn, chicken and vegetarian varieties
  • 170 roasted beetroot and hummus tartlets with crumbled feta
  • 170 sweetcorn, zucchini and haloumi fritters with tomato relish

Sweet Bites (2 per person)

  • Dessert minis
  • Mini muffins
  • Lamingtons with jam and cream
  • Fresh fruit platter

The combination of a generous savoury selection and a well-rounded sweet spread gave every guest something to return to across the full hour of service.

Three Things That Made This Event Work

Why CBC Is the Right Choice for School Event Catering in Melbourne

01

A Spread Designed for a Mixed-Age Crowd

School events bring together students, parents, staff and school leadership in the same space. A catering spread that works for all of them requires genuine thought about variety, accessibility and presentation. Phil designed the Casey Grammar School spread with every type of guest in mind, ensuring there was something for everyone from the first item to the last.

02

Professional Presentation That Reflected Well on the School

The combination of the CBC branded tablecloth, the Casey Grammar School branding and the fresh floral centrepiece arrangements along the full length of the table created a setup that looked genuinely impressive. At a school event, the catering presentation reflects directly on the school itself. This spread looked exactly as a Casey Grammar School event should look.

03

Early Setup and Seamless Timing

CBC’s early arrival at 7:30am gave the team ample time to set up the full buffet before guests arrived at 9:00am. By staging the preparation around the 9:30am ceremony, Phil ensured the morning tea was completely ready to go the moment guests came upstairs at 10:30am. The one-hour service ran without interruption and the table remained well-stocked and presentable throughout.

Planning a School Event in Melbourne?

Talk to Phil Today

Whether it is an awards night, a Year 12 formal, an open day, a building opening or any other school occasion worth celebrating properly, Catering By Chefs has the experience, the menus and the professional team to make it genuinely impressive. Phil personally handles every school event catering enquiry and would love to discuss your event.