Catering HQ has etched a name for itself as Australia’s premier provider of catering services for corporate events, as well as offering an exceptional and holistic hospitality management and advisory service across New South Wales, with the elements that comprise this including planning, operations, marketing and business development, hospitality fit-outs, HR and compliance, financial, research, and graphic design services. Best Corporate Catering Services Provider 2023 – Australia awardee Catering HQ is distinguished from other catering companies in the field through its bespoke offerings that are certain to exceed the expectations of clients, with an unrivalled atmosphere being fabricated along with some truly excellent food, these two factors are expertly combined to construct a unique dining experience that is like no other one can find in the Land Down Under.
Those looking to make their next event highly memorable for themselves and their guests alike should look no further than Catering HQ, a company determined to provide high quality menus, excellent food, and even better value for money. Offerings are meticulously tailored for each event, as too is the service, so as to specifically exceed the needs of the venue, budget, and demographic in question. Another extension of this is the business’ special function service, whereby a dedicated group of knowledgeable and professional hospitality team members will assist the venue team to undertake functions of any calibre, again carried out to the highest of standards.
One cannot begin to delve into Catering HQ without first talking about Founder and Managing Director Steve Sidd. A worldwide hospitality consultant boasting clients from around the world, when Steve established the business back in 1996, it served as the culmination of years of interest, passion, and experience in the food and hospitality industry, with him having spent a great deal of his childhood in his dad’s restaurant, watching the action and working with his father whenever the opportunity arose. As Steve describes, “the smells, the noise, the adrenaline – it was intoxicating.”
Steve describes one of his fondest childhood memories as being his mother placing him in a taxi at 5am so he could help his father feed the hungry diggers on Australia’s ANZAC Day once service was finished, highlighting his fondness both for food and culture. Speaking of Steve’s culture, from a young age he was afforded an array of global influences in this department, as growing up in Belrose, Sydney with a Greek father, Egyptian mother, and his treasured Yia Yia, who played an instrumental part in raising him and his sister, meant that food was a big part of his life, a symbol of love and homeliness.
His father’s restaurant, however, resulted in food being much more than just something for the home, it meant business. Keen to follow in the family trade, an 18-year-old Steve came to his dad with a high-risk, high-reward business proposal to turn an old fruit shop in St Ives into a restaurant. The legwork carried out by Steve and the help he received meant that the establishment was soon a success, and it was not long before Steve was opening more restaurants. As his portfolio grew, Steve found it necessary to maintain his famed personal investment and involvement in each venue, a lesson learned when one of his restaurants momentarily began to lose steam after Steve began to sink time and effort into another.
To this day, Steve prides himself on the personal touch he brings to all of his venues, something that remained steadfast even as he began to take over the catering side of clubs across Australia with Catering HQ, using his profound expertise in the area to elevate the catering offerings of such establishments, which beforehand left a lot to be desired. Almost a dozen clubs are today under Steve’s ownership, with up to 6000 people able to be fed per day. Other endeavours Steve has undertaken include buying 50% of catering software company Hospitality Genie, which runs all of his clubs, and opening two production kitchen warehouses, Good and Plenty Wholefoods and Moon Deli.
These serve to represent wider success in addition to the focal point of Catering HQ, which Steve has honed using his unrivalled experience and well-deserved reputation, fostering a fantastic culture for the more than 300 employees that comprise the team. Key to this success has been cultivating an approach to managing the business that prioritises being ethical, putting people first, and always remaining highly respectful, diverse, and understanding. Further adding to the continued success that Catering HQ has experienced over the years is Steve’s status as a pioneer and trendsetter within the wider industry, with him being quick to adapt to new trends and reinforce long-term paradigms to ensure consistent flourishment.
Catering HQ proudly offers more than 25 dining concepts and 32 event spaces throughout Sydney and the Greater Sydney area, with each being complete with such amenities as beautiful dining spaces, indoor and alfresco areas, and complemented with panoramic views and stunning backdrops. Specifically in the realm of corporate events, one can pick from a host of rooms at 4 of the company’s stellar venues, Pittwater RSL Club, Wests Ashfield Leagues, Davistown RSL Club, and Brighton Lakes Club, with each boasting a choice selection of rooms and areas suitable for any function at any budget.
From here, there is an extensive array of menu options that are sure to effectively set the scene and result in happy guests across the board, such as the breakfast menu, which offers a continental breakfast, seated modern breakfast, or canapé breakfast, perfect for that morning event. A coffee break selection is also available, as too is a broad luncheon range that is comprised of tiered options from light bites through to full sit-down meals, again showcasing the diversity and personalised nature of these event options, as well as the commitment Catering HQ affords every one of its clients. HQ
For those seeking more than just a few hours’ worth of food and beverages, day and half-day packages serve as the ideal solution, with the former offering beverages and biscuits on arrival, before morning tea, lunch, and then afternoon tea are served, followed by other inclusions that span a whiteboard, pens, and eraser, a flipchart and paper, projector and screen, as well as a lectern complete with a fixed microphone. In a similar vein, the half-day package consists of arrival drinks, a smaller selection of lunch options, morning or afternoon tea, and the same added extras as listed above.
Additionally, the beverage options available throughout these corporate events are specifically tailored on a case-by-case basis, with either a beverage package available that includes wine, beer, soft drink, and juice that lasts for 4 hours, or beverages on a bar tab or a cash bar. Cakes can too be provided, if necessary, with a chef available to either cut and place on a sharing platter or to individually plate up the cakes and garnish them by hand. Decorations can be organised on a corporation’s behalf if required, or organisers are welcome to bring their own and source their own entertainment for the event.
Last but not least, a trio of additional packages are available that add those much needed finishing touches to an event, with a standard package that offers Lycra chair covers and a simple centrepiece, a luxury package with Lycra chair covers complete with a satin sash or band, a standard centrepiece, and a satin table runner, and finally, the deluxe package, which adds a deluxe centrepiece and coloured napkins to the items already included in the luxury offering. These little extras will go a long way in serving as the cherry on top of what is sure to be a terrific event, a guarantee that stems from the team’s unbridled commitment to excellence, array of knowledge and experience, and friendly and helpful demeanour.
Aside from its corporate catering gigs, the company took on three new venues in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, with Steve being front and centre to oversee the redevelopment of the subsequently launched dining spaces, ensuring that these warm and welcoming spaces serve as a fantastic precursor to the exquisite food and unparalleled dining experience that is soon to follow. Menus at each of these venues are extensive and boast a terrific range of food and drink that are available at both member and visitor prices, meaning regulars and first-timers alike can divulge in a series of exquisite offerings that are sure to make them want to return time and again.
Determined to remain ahead of the curve, Catering HQ has spent the past couple of years refocusing its attention inwards, developing new products and methods that will serve to solidify its frontrunner position in the sphere. To this end, the team have already begun to embrace the use of plant-based products in their recipes to better cater to the increasing amount of vegetarian and vegan clientele utilising their services, as well as regularly updating their menus across the board frequently to reflect the seasons and maintain freshness.
A firm believer in showing rather than telling, Steve emphasises that people want an experience, with this ethos forming an integral part of what the company attempts to strive for on a daily basis. Moreover, having made the switch to a pescatarian diet a few years ago, Steve has continued to provide the necessary menu items and foodstuffs that can best serve niches in the market, with Steve remaining steadfast in his commitment to deliver the sort of food that he is truly passionate about through Catering HQ.
While it is the firm’s catering services that have won it this award, it would be amiss to not further explore the other avenues of the business that are equally as impressive and successful, with these covering the bases of hospitality consulting, logistics, and speaking events. The first of these is undertaken by partner firm Consulting HQ, with this offshoot focusing heavily on specialist consulting services in the areas of tourism and leisure, in addition to the hospitality and food service sectors.
Clients served by the company include hotels, clubs, gaming/hospitality corporations, tourism operators, restaurants, function and events, industry associations, food manufacturing, liquor, beverage and warehousing organisations. The secret to success for Consulting HQ has been the combining of the unique skills and experience that only three decades in the sector can provide, with Steve and the highly qualified consultant team able to exceed the needs of a client business, confidently providing the best advisory and management expertise available in the market today.
Catering HQ Logistics is a similarly impressive subdivision, priding itself on working with a range of clients and venues to assist them in making sure that they boast sustainable success and can provide innovative and tailored gourmet solutions to satisfy the needs of their customers. Within this area can be found a series of specialised field retail consultants that are located in each of Australia’s major cities, as well as an internal customer service team that has been wholly built around transacting with customers in a swift, convenient, and efficient manner. Partnering only with Australian manufacturers and stocking Australian source products further guarantees an approach peppered with quality and sustainability.
The final additional service on offer is speaking events, and with Steve being a proud member of the FCSI (Foodservice Consultants Society International) Association, he has spoken at a number of events and functions across the country, confident in his ability to set the right tone, deliver messages that are sure to provoke and inspire, and ultimately drive an event’s success forward. Just a few of the organisations that Steve has spoken for in the past include the RSL Services Association, the Club Managers Association, Food Service Australia, and the Club NSW Association, with topics covered such as cost control and strategy and new hospitality technologies.
As we hope all of this conveys, Steve Sidd, and by extension Catering HQ, is really something special in the world of catering and hospitality, and what’s more, similar packages are on offer for both weddings and celebrations, meaning that these fantastic services can be implemented in settings outside of the corporate sphere. Steve should be incredibly proud of all that he and the firm have accomplished, and he poignantly references his dad, now in his 70s, who was eating at one of his clubs, showing everyone a photo of Steve from when he was a boy, in which he is proudly sporting a chef’s hat. This served as a full circle moment for Steve, who is sure to continue to drive Catering HQ to prosperity for years yet to come.
For further information, please contact https://www.cateringhq.com.au/
