Internal Delivered Catering Conditions of Service

Internal delivered conditions of service – Reviewed Nov 2023

Booking Information

• Standard delivery times for delivered catering are between 8.00 am- 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday.


• There is a minimum delivery charge of £20 per delivery slot and therefore any bookings below this value will be brought up to this minimum charge.


• An additional charge may apply to deliveries that are made off campus. Deliveries for Thames Valley Science Park or any University Farm require 2 delivery slots due to the distance from Whiteknights Campus.


• We must receive all bookings and final numbers at least 3 working days before the start date of your event.


• Late bookings may be accepted at the discretion of Catering, Hotel and Conference Services however this may not always be possible.


• Please email hospitality@venuereading.com for any amendments or cancellations to bookings that are within 3 working days of delivery.


• In the event of a full or partial cancellation within 3 working days of the delivery date, the full catering charge will be incurred. Large orders and some menu items will incur a charge if cancelled within 5 working days.


• Alcohol needs to be confirmed at least 10 working days before the start date of your event, if alcoholic items are cancelled within 10 working days this will incur a charge.


• All bookings need to be confirmed with an internal charge code.


• Waiter/Waitress service is only available for bookings from the Serve to You Menu. We strongly recommend the use of this service for large bookings, as a guide we will provide 1 member of staff per 50 people. 2 hours Waiter/Waitress service is included with all bookings from the Serve to You Menu. Should you require additional service time, this will be charged at the rates detailed below:

Weekday – £20 per hour per member of staff
Saturday – £30 per hour per member of staff
Sunday – £40 per hour per member of staff


Please note that additional charges may be incurred for any late-running bookings.

Delivered Catering Online Portal


All internal catering bookings from the Deliver to You Menu should be made using our online booking system – Deliver Online. The only exceptions are weekend/out-of-hours deliveries, vouchers and all orders from the Serve to You Menu. The Delivered Catering Online Portal requires 3 working days notice to create, amend or cancel a booking. Please note that The Delivered Catering Online Portal will not consider the day you are creating or amending a booking as a full day.


To register for Deliver Online please click here

Out of Hours/Weekend Bookings

For out of hours or weekend hospitality services and deliveries we must receive bookings at least 10 working days in advance and the following minimum spends will apply:

Evening – £40
Saturday – £80
Sunday – £120

Dietary Requirements

Please state all dietary requirements when placing your booking. Our food is produced in an environment where nuts are used. For more information about allergens & ingredients please visit the wellness portal.

Delivery Information

• Bookings are scheduled in delivery slots of on the hour, twenty past and twenty to the hour. A limited number of delivery slots are available for each time.


• We aim to deliver catering no more than 10 minutes before or after your delivery slot.


• Please check all catering items when they arrive and notify us of any problems on the day of delivery (e.g. shortages or damaged goods).


• If requested with our Deliver to You Menu, our staffs will layout catering on tables provided by the customer at the venue you have pre-booked. Otherwise the delivery will be left in our delivery crates for customers to unpack. Please note that all orders from the Serve to You menu will be unpacked and laid out by our staff. It is the customer’s responsibility to organise the setting up of tables prior to the delivery and to ensure adequate numbers of tables are provided for the size of the booking.


• Suitable space and furniture must be provided. The site must be accessible to trolleys and must comply with the University Health and Safety policy.


• Please ensure that your catering delivery area has been booked for a minimum of 10 minutes before your catering order is due to arrive to allow our staff to set up if required.


• Our food safety policy recommends that all food we supply must be consumed within 2 hours of delivery.

Waste Disposal and Equipment Collection

All waste must be disposed of in the bins provided across the University Estate in accordance with the waste disposal flyer. We will make every effort to collect serving equipment within 48 hours of delivery. Please put non-disposable items back in the delivery box for collection. We will collect from the same location that we delivered to so please inform us if the location for collection changes. Please be aware that a charge will be made for any lost or damaged items of catering equipment.

Catering Items and Pricing


All prices are exclusive of VAT if paying by an internal charge code. We reserve the right to alter a particular ingredient or item on the menu if is not available and replace it with a suitable alternative. We will make every effort to inform the customer of changes should they arise prior to or at the point of delivery.

Sale or Return

Please be aware that we do not have a sale or return policy and that all catering items ordered will be charged for in full. The only exception to this is for wine ordered for Drinks Receptions on the Serve to You Menu where we can offer 25% Sale or Return. Please ensure that any unopened items are taken with you at the end of the event, otherwise they will be collected by the catering team.

Catering Vouchers


• Set amounts of £3, £5, £7 and £10 can be selected, if you have a unique request please contact us directly.


• 10 working days notice is required for all vouchers orders. Vouchers are produced and posted to address provided by the client.


• Vouchers are valid for 3 months from the date of production.


• Please be aware that we do not have a sale or return policy and that all catering vouchers ordered will be charged for in full.

Email: hospitality@venuereading.com
Tel: 0118 378 8427
Office hours: Monday-Friday 8.30 am – 4.00 pm