Frequently Asked Questions

Practical answers for planning your food, delivery and event.

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  • Fresh & Ready is an individual-item order for collection or delivery, ready to serve or supplied with reheating instructions. You handle serving and clearing away. A staffed buffet can include setup, appropriate serving equipment and on-site support, with the exact arrangements agreed in your quote.

  • We’re based in Gartcosh and deliver across Greater Glasgow and selected Central Belt locations, depending on the order and timing. Collection from Gartcosh is free where offered. Send us your postcode and preferred date so we can check delivery.

  • Ideally, allow at least two weeks and book earlier for busy dates or larger events. Shorter-notice orders may be possible depending on availability—please enquire.

  • The standard booking deposit is £100. Orders below £100 are normally paid in full. The final balance, guest count and remaining small changes are due ten days before the event; shorter-notice bookings require full payment to secure the date.

  • Tell us your guest count, whether you’re serving light bites or a full meal, and what other food will be available. We’ll help you choose a balanced selection. Serving estimates are a guide—appetites and the mix of dishes make a difference.

  • Absolutely. Share the occasion, guest count and the kind of food you enjoy, and we’ll suggest a suitable selection from our current menus.

  • Yes—tell us the guest count and venue so we can recommend the right menu and service format. Larger gatherings may need a planned buffet and setup rather than a collection order.

  • Fresh & Ready lets you order by item from the current menu. For event catering, we’ll discuss the menu around your occasion. Substitutions depend on the dish and service; please agree them with us before booking.

  • Please tell us before booking. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are available on suitable menus, and we’ll confirm what we can accommodate. Our kitchen handles multiple allergens, so we cannot promise every dish can be adapted or an entirely allergen-free environment.

  • Delivery is quoted separately unless your quote specifically includes it. Any service, setup or staffing charges will also be made clear before you book.

  • Hot delivery may be available depending on the dishes, distance and timing, with a higher service fee than food supplied ahead for reheating. Food leaves us freshly cooked and hot, but it can lose heat in transit, so a quick reheat may still be needed. Please tell us when you want to eat so we can recommend the best arrangement.

  • Many dishes can be supplied chilled for you to reheat when needed; other items are ready to serve. We’ll confirm which dishes suit this option and provide storage and reheating instructions. Please let us know what fridge and oven space you have.

  • Delivery alone does not automatically include setup. Fresh & Ready orders are handed over in the agreed format; buffet setup or staffed service must be included in your quote.

  • These can form part of a staffed buffet arrangement. They are not automatically included with a food-only delivery. We’ll agree the equipment, staffing and service period in advance.

  • For Fresh & Ready, these can be added on request. For other services, check your quote for what’s included and tell us about any venue or hire requirements.

  • With Fresh & Ready, you handle serving and clearing away. For staffed catering, the agreed service and clear-down arrangements will be listed in your quote.

  • Tell us about access, parking, stairs, serving space and any kitchen or power facilities. For chilled orders, allow suitable refrigeration and reheating space. We’ll confirm the requirements for your particular menu and service.

  • Follow the storage, reheating and serving instructions supplied with your order. Tell us beforehand if you won’t have suitable refrigeration, reheating or hot-holding equipment so we can plan an appropriate menu and handover.

  • Send an enquiry with your date, guest count, postcode or venue, preferred serving time and any dietary needs. We’ll confirm availability and prepare your quote. Your booking is secured once the required confirmation and payment have been received.

  • Your quote reflects the food, quantities and service you need, including any agreed delivery, setup, equipment or staffing. We’ll confirm the full total before you book.

  • Please send remaining small changes by the ten-day deadline. Later changes depend on what is possible and may affect the price. Reductions may not be possible once ingredients or other arrangements have been committed.

  • We’ll confirm the agreed food, date, service and payment stage, then finalise the delivery or collection arrangements and other details before the deadline. Please stay in touch so we can complete those arrangements.

  • See the Booking Terms & Conditions below. If you need to change or cancel, contact us as soon as possible so we can explain the options for your booking.

  • Please contact us promptly with your order details and explain the issue. Photographs can help where relevant, and we’ll work with you to put it right.

  • We offer delivered meals and premium cooking in your home. Explore Meal Prep for how each option works, then enquire about suitability and availability.

  • We offer selected seasonal products and food gifts when available. Follow our social channels for the latest offers or get in touch. We’ll confirm the available range, ordering deadline and collection or delivery details.

Booking Terms & Conditions

By placing an order or confirming a booking with California Kitchen & Catering, you agree to the terms and conditions below.

  • Your booking is confirmed only when California Kitchen & Catering confirms receipt of the required deposit or full payment. The standard deposit is £100. Orders below £100 are payable in full when booked. A provisional date may be released after 48 hours if the required confirmation and payment have not been received.

    The remaining balance, final menu choices, guest count and remaining small changes are due 10 days before your event. If the balance is not received by the deadline, we reserve the right to cancel the booking. Payment instructions are provided directly with your booking.

  • Final menu choices, guest numbers and remaining small changes must be agreed 10 days before your event. Later changes to the menu, numbers, event time or delivery time are not guaranteed and may incur an additional charge. Reductions may not be possible once ingredients, staffing, transport or equipment have been committed.

    If you cancel more than 30 days before your event, your deposit will be held as credit towards a future booking. For cancellations within 30 days, the deposit is normally retained to cover losses caused by cancellation; any amount retained must reflect those losses and take account of costs saved.

    Christmas and seasonal orders follow the amendment and cancellation deadline stated when ordering. These arrangements do not limit your rights where we do not supply the food or service as agreed.

  • You must provide a complete delivery address, working contact number and any access or parking restrictions before we finalise arrangements. You are responsible for collecting at the agreed time or ensuring a recipient is available during the agreed delivery window.

    If we cannot complete delivery because of incorrect details, unavailable access or an absent recipient, we will attempt to contact you. Food will only be left in a safe place where this has been agreed and is suitable for the order. Any proposed waiting, redirection or redelivery charge will be explained and agreed before further arrangements are made.

    Delivery windows may be affected by traffic or weather. We will contact you about a material delay so alternative arrangements can be discussed. Collection and delivery options, including hot food and reheating, are explained in the FAQs above.

  • Tell us about every allergy, intolerance and dietary requirement before booking and confirm them with your final details. We’ll explain what we can safely accommodate before accepting the order. Our kitchen handles multiple allergens, so we cannot promise an entirely allergen-free environment.

    Allergen information is available for the food supplied. Customers are responsible for passing accurate allergen information to guests and keeping labels with the correct dishes.

  • For collection or food-only delivery, you are responsible for safe transport, storage, reheating and serving after handover. Follow the storage, use-by and reheating instructions supplied, and refrigerate chilled food promptly. We are not responsible for problems caused by handling contrary to those instructions after handover; we remain responsible for the food and service we supply.

    Where our team staffs your event, we manage food safety during the agreed service period. Responsibility for leftovers passes to you when handed over with storage instructions.

    Your quote defines the agreed staffing, setup, equipment, tableware and clear-down. Fresh & Ready does not include these unless expressly listed in your quote. You must tell us about venue access, facilities and restrictions needed to deliver that service.

  • Menus and photographs show our style and previous work. Ingredients and presentation may vary with seasonality, availability and the needs of your booking. We won’t make a material change to an agreed menu without discussing it with you.

  • Please contact us as soon as possible if anything is missing, incorrect or not as agreed—ideally before the food is served or altered. Include photographs where relevant so we can investigate quickly. Where we are responsible, we’ll offer an appropriate correction, replacement or refund in line with the circumstances and your statutory rights.

    If anything is unclear before booking, please contact hello@CaliforniaKitchen.co.uk.

  • We need your final menu choices, guest numbers and essential arrangements confirmed 10 days before your event so we can organise ingredients, staffing and preparation.

    If essential details remain outstanding and we cannot reach you despite reasonable attempts to contact you, we reserve the right to cancel the booking and release the date. Before cancelling, we will send written notice to your supplied contact details, explain what is outstanding and give a reasonable final deadline to respond.

    If we cancel because contact cannot be established, your deposit will be held as credit towards a future booking, valid for 12 months from cancellation. We will confirm the cancellation and credit in writing. This does not exclude responsibility for any failure on our part or affect your legal rights.