Chef-driven, scratch-made menus.
Every menu is built around your event — not pulled from a binder. Chef Marc-André tastes every protein, every sauce, every plate before it leaves our kitchen. No banquet shortcuts, no frozen apps, no compromise.
Ottawa & the National Capital Region · Est. 2007
Ottawa's full-service caterer for weddings, embassies, and unforgettable evenings.
From plated dinners at the Canadian Museum of History to backyard weddings in Chelsea, Parliament Hill receptions to 1,200-guest galas at Lansdowne — Caterer Ottawa builds chef-driven menus, runs polished service, and treats every event like it's our only one. 18 years. 2,400+ events. Zero shortcuts.
18Years in NCR
2,400+Events delivered
22+Embassies served
$5MLiability insured
4.9 / 5 from 382 reviews
✓ $5M Commercial Liability Insured
✓ Restaurants Canada Member
✓ Smart Serve Certified Bar Staff
✓ Ottawa Public Health–Inspected Kitchen
✓ WeddingWire Couples' Choice 2024
As seen in & partnered with
Ottawa Wedding Magazine
WeddingWire Couples' Choice 2024
Eventective Best of Ottawa
Ottawa Tourism
CBC Ottawa
Ottawa Citizen Food
Chef Marc-André Lavigne, CCC
2007Founded in Ottawa
Red SealCertified Chef de Cuisine
12,000 sq ftCommercial kitchen
BilingualService team (EN / FR)
About Caterer Ottawa
A small-batch catering company that grew up feeding the National Capital Region.
Caterer Ottawa was founded in 2007 by Chef Marc-André Lavigne — a Red Seal Certified Chef de Cuisine who came up through the brigades at the Château Laurier and Restaurants Canada–accredited hotel kitchens before opening his own shop in a converted Carling Avenue commissary. Eighteen years later, we still cook every menu the same way: from scratch, with named-source proteins, Ottawa Valley produce in season, and a brigade that knows what a guest's allergy card actually means.
We're a full-service operation — not a drop-off shop. That means our chefs finish your courses on-site, our Smart Serve bartenders pour your bar, and a coordinator runs the floor so the wedding party never has to ask where the canapés went. We've fed Members of Parliament, ambassadors, two former Prime Ministers, weddings under tents in Wakefield, museum galas at the National Gallery, and a 22nd-floor cocktail reception at the Bell Sky Lounge. Every event is purpose-built — never a one-size-fits-all package.
Today we run two service lines from our 12,000 sq ft commercial kitchen on Carling. Wedding & private events handle the high-touch work — bespoke menus, full-service bar, rentals, the lot. Corporate & volume catering keeps Ottawa's federal departments, embassies, and tech firms fed, from breakfast platters at 7 a.m. to plated executive dinners at 7 p.m.
— Marc-André
Founder & Executive Chef · Caterer Ottawa
Why Caterer Ottawa
Six reasons we get booked back.
You don't get to 2,400 events without earning every single one. Here's what couples, corporate planners, and Ottawa's protocol office actually say when we ask them why they came back.
$5M insured. Pre-approved everywhere.
$5,000,000 commercial general liability and $2,000,000 product liability — issued to your venue within 24 hours of request. We're already on the preferred-vendor list at most major Ottawa-Gatineau venues.
Bilingual brigade, NCR-trained.
Our chefs, servers, and event captains operate fluently in English and French — essential for embassy receptions, federal events, and weddings that span both sides of the Ottawa River. Service that mirrors your guests.
Allergy & dietary-first kitchen.
Vegan, gluten-free, halal, kosher-style, nut-free, FODMAP — every restriction lives on the BEO and follows your plate. Our kitchen runs strict cross-contamination protocols Health Canada inspectors actively recommend to other operators.
One coordinator, start to bill.
You get one event coordinator from first quote through to final invoice. No handoffs to a stranger two weeks before the wedding. They know your timeline, your in-laws, your dance floor cue, and your cake supplier's loading-dock window.
Ottawa-grown, Ottawa-sourced.
Beef from Beretta & Lapointe Farms in West Carleton. Cheese from Glengarry. Produce from the ByWard Market. Beer from Beyond the Pale, Dominion City, and Beau's. Real local sourcing — not a marketing line.
What We Cater
Twelve event types. One brigade.
Whether you need 30 plated dinners in Westboro or 1,200 cocktail-style canapés at the Aviation Museum, every service line below runs through the same Carling Avenue kitchen — same chef, same standards, same insurance.
Most BookedWedding Catering
Plated, family-style, buffet, or grazing-table weddings — for 30 to 400 guests. We handle menu, rentals, bar, and floor service so you actually get to enjoy your wedding day.
From $98 / guest · plated dinner
VolumeCorporate & Office Catering
Breakfast platters, executive lunches, all-staff meetings, holiday parties. Standing accounts with 40+ Ottawa firms — federal departments, tech, law, embassies. Same-week ordering available.
From $24 / guest · drop-off
ReceptionCocktail & Canapé Receptions
Stand-up cocktail receptions with passed canapés, action stations, and a Smart Serve bar. Designed for 50–800 guests — embassies, museum openings, fundraising launches.
From $58 / guest · 8 canapés
FlexibleBuffet Catering
Chef-attended buffets with multiple proteins, hot and cold sides, and made-on-site dessert. The most flexible format for mixed dietary groups and budget-conscious weddings.
From $72 / guest · 2 protein
PremiumPlated Dinner Service
Full-service plated dinners — three to seven courses — with one server per twelve guests. The format we use for embassy state dinners and museum-gala head tables.
From $128 / guest · 3 course
IntimatePrivate Dinners & Estate Events
Intimate at-home dinners for 12 to 60 guests — Rockcliffe Park, Manotick estates, Wakefield cottages. Chef brings the kitchen, serves the courses, and leaves the place spotless.
From $185 / guest · 5 course
Large FormatGalas, Fundraisers & Awards
From the Ottawa Hospital Foundation gala to private corporate awards nights — we cater 200 to 1,200 guests with a single timed service window. Logistics-first chef-led catering.
Custom · 200+ guest events
OutdoorBBQ & Outdoor Catering
On-site grilling, smokers brought to your venue, and the Ottawa Valley smoker fleet that catered Bluesfest VIP. Pulled brisket, maple-bourbon ribs, planked salmon, vegetarian skewers.
From $65 / guest · two protein
DaytimeBrunch & Daytime Events
Bridal showers, baby showers, post-wedding brunches, board breakfasts. Egg stations, smoked-salmon boards, fresh-baked viennoiseries from our pastry team — and a respectable mimosa bar.
From $52 / guest · brunch buffet
Drop-OffCharcuterie & Grazing Tables
Six-foot grazing tables for housewarmings, engagement parties, and product launches. Quebec-cured salumi, Ontario artisan cheese, house pickles, fresh figs, honeycomb. Set up on-site.
From $38 / guest · grazing
CompassionateCelebration of Life Receptions
Quiet, dignified post-funeral catering — 50–250 guests, in your home, place of worship, or community hall. Same-day service available. We handle setup, service, and cleanup so families don't have to.
From $34 / guest · reception
SeasonalHoliday & Seasonal Events
December holiday parties, Easter brunches, Réveillon-style New Year's dinners. December books out by mid-October every year — get on the list early. We cater across the federal holiday closure period.
From $78 / guest · holiday
Transparent Pricing
Three booking tiers. No surprises on the final invoice.
Every quote includes food cost, on-site staffing, china/glass/linen rental, kitchen equipment, taxes, and gratuity ranges in writing — itemized so you can see exactly where the money goes. Bar service is quoted separately under Ontario AGCO rules.
Full-Service Wedding
The complete package — menu design, plated or buffet service, bar, rentals, captain & service team, setup, and cleanup. Most-booked tier for weddings 60–250 guests.
$98–$165/ guest, all-in
- Bespoke 3- or 4-course menu
- One server per 12 guests
- China, glassware, linen included
- Smart Serve bar staff included
- Dedicated event coordinator
- $5M liability + venue COI
- Tasting session for two
Corporate Catering
Daily, weekly, or one-off corporate orders. Drop-off and full-service available across Ottawa-Gatineau federal and downtown corridors.
$24–$78/ guest
- Standing account discount
- 24-hour ordering window
- Hot, cold, & bowl menus
- Federal-compliant invoicing
- Net-30 billing terms
Private & Estate Dinners
In-home plated dinners for 12–60 guests. Chef cooks on-site; brigade serves and clears.
$185+/ guest
- 5-course chef's menu
- Wine pairing optional
- Same-day kitchen build-out
- White-glove cleanup
- Gatineau, Manotick, Rockcliffe
From First Call to Last Plate
Six steps. Six weeks ahead, or six months.
The exact process we run on every event — whether it's a 12-person Rockcliffe dinner next Tuesday or a 600-guest gala fifteen months out. Every step ends with something tangible in your inbox.
Discovery call
Twenty minutes on the phone. We learn your date, guest count, venue, dietary needs, and budget range. You learn whether we're a fit — and if we're not, we tell you which Ottawa caterer is.
Custom menu & quote
Within 3 business days, you get a written menu proposal with itemized pricing, allergy notes, and rental list. Nothing is locked — every line item is yours to swap, scale, or strike.
Tasting session
Wedding clients book a complimentary tasting for two at our Carling kitchen. Try the proteins side-by-side. Adjust seasoning. Pick the dessert your aunt will actually eat. We refine until you say yes.
Contract & deposit
30% deposit secures your date. Final menu, BEO (banquet event order), insurance certificate to the venue, and rental confirmation all happen in this window. We send a single PDF — not seventeen emails.
Final headcount & setup
Two weeks out: final guest count, dietary updates, table layout, and timing review. The day-of: brigade arrives 4 hours pre-service, builds the kitchen on-site, and your event captain runs the floor.
Service & cleanup
We serve, we clear, we clean. Every venue is left exactly as we found it — kitchen scrubbed, garbage out, leftovers packaged for the family. You wake up the next morning with nothing on your plate.
Where We Cater
Nine NCR catchments. One radius.
We cater across the full National Capital Region — Ottawa-Gatineau and surrounding municipalities. Travel beyond a 60 km radius from our Carling kitchen is quoted with a flat per-truck surcharge; everything inside that radius is included in the per-guest price.
Ottawa Central
K1P · K1R · K1S · K1Y · K1ZCentretown, Glebe, Westboro, Hintonburg, Old Ottawa South. Federal department offices, downtown wedding venues, embassies. Sub-2-hour delivery on standing accounts.
Kanata & Stittsville
K2K · K2L · K2M · K2T · K2V · K2STech-corridor offices, residential wedding tents, Brookstreet Hotel events. Full-service catering at Kanata wedding venues including Codes Mill, Nuvo, and the Marshes.
Barrhaven & Riverside South
K2J · K1V · K1GSuburban weddings, community-centre milestone events, corporate hospitality at Costco-corridor offices. Saturday wedding crews dispatch from our south-end satellite kitchen.
Orléans & Cumberland
K1C · K1E · K4A · K4B · K4CFrench-language weddings, Shenkman Arts Centre receptions, Place d'Orléans community events. Our bilingual brigade is at home in Orléans — most of our service captains live east-end.
Nepean & Bells Corners
K2G · K2H · K2E · K1HCentrepointe Theatre receptions, Algonquin College graduation banquets, Nepean Sportsplex galas. Same-postal-code rapid response from our Carling kitchen.
Gatineau, Aylmer & Hull
J8X · J8Y · J9A · J9HCross-river catering with full QC tax compliance. Canadian Museum of History galas, Casino du Lac-Leamy events, federal Gatineau departments. AGCO bar substitution for SAQ-licensed venues.
Rockcliffe & Manor Park
K1L · K1MPrivate estate dinners, embassy residence receptions, diplomatic corps events. We've catered ambassadorial homes from Buena Vista to Acacia Avenue. Discretion is house standard.
Chelsea, Wakefield & Gatineau Park
J9B · J0XOutdoor tent weddings, ski-chalet rehearsal dinners, Mont-Cascades and Wakefield Mill events. We bring our mobile kitchen so no venue is too remote — including off-grid Gatineau Park sites.
Carleton Place, Almonte & Manotick
K7C · K0A · K4MOuter-NCR weddings at Stonefields Estate, Almonte Riverside, Black Tartan Clubhouse. Travel surcharge applies past 45 km but standing wedding clients receive complimentary travel inclusion.
Ottawa Insider Notes
The four things every Ottawa host needs to know.
After 18 years catering this city, we've learned that the National Capital Region has a few quirks every host should plan around. Here's what we tell new clients on the discovery call.
NCR Venue Notes
1. Saturday weddings book 12+ months ahead.
Peak Ottawa wedding season runs late May through late September. Saturdays at top venues — Canadian Museum of History, Château Laurier, Lansdowne Horticulture Building, the Aviation Museum — book out 12–14 months ahead. Friday weddings save 15–20% across the board.
2. Cross-river events need both AGCO and RACJ approvals.
If your venue is in Gatineau but your bar is licensed in Ottawa (or vice versa), you'll need cross-jurisdictional liquor approval at least 30 days out. We handle the paperwork — but the lead time is non-negotiable. Plan early.
3. December books out by mid-October.
Federal department holiday parties, embassy receptions, and corporate year-end events compete for the same 14 December dates. Book by October 1 if you want a Friday or Saturday. Tuesday and Wednesday December dates are easier — and 20% cheaper.
4. Outdoor events need a real wet-weather plan.
Ottawa weather flips fast — June afternoon thunderstorms, August humidity that wilts canapés, September frosts that catch tent weddings off-guard. Every outdoor quote we issue includes a costed wet-weather contingency, not a polite suggestion.
What Ottawa Hosts Say
Eight stories. One brigade.
Real reviews from Ottawa weddings, embassy receptions, museum galas, and corporate events. Names lightly redacted for protocol clients — full attributions available on request.
240 guests, four dietary tribes, one tent in Gatineau Park, and not a single complaint. Marc-André's team plated dinner in 14 minutes. We honestly still don't know how.
★★★★★
Mégan & Olivier T.
Wedding · Gatineau Park · 2024
We've used Caterer Ottawa for our quarterly board dinners for six years running. Same coordinator every time. Same standard every time. The federal procurement file is the smallest one on my desk because of them.
★★★★★
Catherine M.
Federal Crown Corp · Standing Account
National Day reception, 380 guests, 22-page protocol list. Service was flawless, halal station was kept sealed, and the ambassador commented on the pastry. Booking again next year.
★★★★★
Mission of [Embassy]
Diplomatic Reception · 2024
Mom passed on a Wednesday. Caterer Ottawa had a reception set up in our backyard by Saturday at 1pm — 90 guests, full service, dignified, easy. They didn't even let us see the bill until the following week.
★★★★★
The Beauchamp Family
Celebration of Life · Manor Park
Our daughter's bat mitzvah was 180 guests with a full kosher-style table and a regular table running side-by-side. The kashrut consultant signed off on everything. The food was exceptional.
★★★★★
David & Sarah R.
Bat Mitzvah · Centrepointe · 2024
Hospital Foundation gala, 1,100 guests, single timed service. They served all 1,100 plates inside an 11-minute window and not one came back. I've worked with three caterers in this city and Marc-André's team is the only one I now trust at this scale.
★★★★★
Janet F.
Foundation Gala Director
Backyard BBQ wedding for 75. Everyone said it was the best wedding food they'd ever had — including my father-in-law, which is its own miracle. The brisket, the corn, the cleanup. Perfect.
★★★★★
Aiden & Joel K.
Wedding · Wakefield · 2023
Tech offsite at the Aviation Museum for 320. The vegan menu was as good as the regular menu — and that almost never happens. Half the engineering team is asking who catered. We told them.
★★★★★
Priya S.
VP People · Ottawa Tech Co.
Common Questions
Fifteen questions we get every week.
If yours isn't here, send it through the contact form below — we answer every inquiry within one business day. Quote-ready answers within three.
Ask Your QuestionHow far in advance should I book Caterer Ottawa?
For weddings and major galas, 6–12 months ahead is the sweet spot. For corporate events, 4–8 weeks. Peak summer Saturdays and December holiday dates fill first — those go 12–14 months out. We also accept short-notice bookings whenever the calendar allows, including next-day for celebration-of-life receptions.
What's your minimum guest count?
Drop-off and platter service starts at 12 guests. Full-service plated and buffet catering with onsite staff begins at 30 guests. We've executed events ranging from 12-person private dinners up to 1,200-guest hospital foundation galas — the brigade scales accordingly.
Do you accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies?
Yes — every menu is built around vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, halal, kosher-style, nut-free, FODMAP, and most other dietary needs. We document every guest restriction on the BEO and our chefs follow strict cross-contamination protocols in our $5M-insured commercial kitchen.
Which areas of Ottawa and the NCR do you serve?
The full National Capital Region — Ottawa proper, Kanata, Barrhaven, Orléans, Nepean, Stittsville, Westboro, Rockcliffe Park, plus Gatineau, Aylmer, Hull, Chelsea, Wakefield, Carleton Place, Almonte, Manotick, and Kemptville. Travel beyond a 60 km radius from our Carling kitchen is quoted with a flat per-truck travel surcharge.
Are you insured?
Yes — $5,000,000 commercial general liability and $2,000,000 product liability. Certificates of insurance are issued directly to your venue within 24 hours of request, and we are pre-approved at most major Ottawa-Gatineau event venues including the Canadian Museum of History, National Gallery, Lansdowne, and the Aviation & Space Museum.
Do you provide alcohol service?
We provide Smart Serve–certified bar staff and full bar setup. Under Ontario AGCO rules, the alcohol itself is purchased by the host (or supplied through your venue's liquor license); we handle every other element — bar construction, glassware, mixers, ice, garnish program, and trained bartenders. For Quebec-side events, we handle RACJ-equivalent paperwork.
Can you cater outdoor and tent events?
Yes — we have a mobile kitchen rig that travels to tent weddings in Gatineau Park, cottages on the Ottawa River, off-grid Wakefield sites, and backyards from Manotick to Constance Bay. Every outdoor quote includes a costed wet-weather contingency, generator service if needed, and refrigeration for hot-day buffets.
What's included in your per-guest pricing?
Per-guest pricing on full-service tiers includes all food, on-site staff, china/glass/linen rental, kitchen equipment, in-kitchen prep and on-site finishing, taxes, and standard gratuity ranges in writing. Bar service, wedding cake, transportation surcharges, and AV rentals are quoted separately and itemized — no surprises on the final invoice.
Do you offer tastings?
Wedding clients receive a complimentary tasting for two at our Carling Avenue kitchen once a deposit is in place. Corporate and gala clients get a paid tasting credited back against the final invoice if booked. Tastings include three to five courses with side-by-side protein comparisons and a full beverage pairing if requested.
What's your deposit and payment schedule?
A 30% deposit secures your date. 40% is due 60 days before the event. The final 30%, plus any guest-count adjustments, is invoiced 14 days before. We accept e-transfer, EFT, credit card (3% surcharge applies), and certified cheque. Federal departments and corporate accounts qualify for net-30 billing on standing orders.
What happens if my guest count changes?
Final guest count is locked 14 days before the event. Increases are accommodated up to 7 days out at a per-guest rate. Decreases inside 14 days don't reduce the food cost (we've already procured) but do reduce service-staff and rental scaling on a sliding schedule. Everything is in writing on the contract.
Are your service staff bilingual?
Yes — every event captain we deploy speaks fluent English and French, and most of our floor servers operate in both languages. Essential for embassy receptions, federal events, Gatineau weddings, and any Ottawa event where guests will move between English- and French-speaking conversations.
Can you handle cultural and religious catering?
Regularly — we cater Indian (North & South), East Asian, Middle Eastern, Caribbean, Eastern European, and Indigenous-inspired menus. We work with kashrut consultants for kosher-style work, partner with halal-certified suppliers, and have catered Ramadan iftars, Diwali celebrations, Lunar New Year banquets, and First Nations community feasts.
What's your cancellation policy?
Cancellations more than 90 days out forfeit only the deposit. 60–90 days, 50% of the contracted total. 14–59 days, 75%. Inside 14 days, full contract value (because food has been procured and staff scheduled). We work with clients on date changes and credits where genuine emergencies arise — the policy isn't punitive.
Do you have references from Ottawa venues?
Yes — references available on request from the Canadian Museum of History, National Gallery of Canada, Aviation & Space Museum, Lansdowne Horticulture Building, Château Laurier event team, Brookstreet Hotel, the Marshes, and most major Ottawa-Gatineau wedding venues. We're on the preferred-vendor list at most of them.
Ready When You Are
Let's build the menu everyone is going to talk about.
Discovery call takes twenty minutes. Written quote in your inbox within three business days. Tasting on us if you book. The hard part is just deciding to start.
Get a Free Quote
Tell us about your event. We'll send a written quote within three business days.
Fill out the form, call us directly, or drop in for a tasting at our Carling Avenue kitchen. Whether you're three months out from a 30-guest backyard wedding or a year out from a 600-guest gala, we'd love to hear what you're planning.
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