Planning an event usually starts out sounding quite simple.
Find a venue, organise some food, sort the drinks and invite everyone along. Then the messages start, the supplier list gets longer, and suddenly there are twelve different things to think about.
That is where Leones Catering can make life a lot easier.
Run by husband-and-wife team Zoe and Marino, the business provides catering for weddings, parties, corporate events, family celebrations, clubs and community events across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Milton Keynes and surrounding areas.
It is very much a team effort behind the scenes. Marino is the grafter behind much of the hands-on side of the business, while Zoe takes care of the admin, organisation and planning that keeps everything running smoothly.
There is plenty of choice too. Leones Catering offers everything from BBQs and buffets to hot food, afternoon teas, private dining and larger event catering.
And there is another useful part of the business. Zoe and Marino also run Leones Mobile Bar Hire, providing fully staffed mobile bars for weddings, parties, corporate events, festivals and other celebrations, with Bar Manager James taking the lead on their bar jobs.
The two services can be booked separately or brought together, which means one less supplier to chase when the big day gets closer.
Here are three reasons why Leones Catering deserves a place on the shortlist for an upcoming event.
1. There is a catering option for almost every kind of event
One of the biggest strengths of Leones Catering is simply the amount of choice available.
Not every event needs the same style of food. A summer birthday party might be perfect for a BBQ. A wedding reception might need a buffet or a more formal dining option. An afternoon gathering might suit sandwiches, cakes and afternoon tea instead.
Leones Catering covers all of those bases.
Customers can choose from BBQ packages, traditional buffets, hot buffets, afternoon teas, private dining and catering for larger events. Homemade cakes and desserts can also be included, which is always a fairly good way to keep a room full of guests happy.
There is flexibility within the menus as well. Favourite sandwich fillings and cake flavours can be chosen, while selected items can be swapped depending on what works best for the occasion.
Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free requirements can also be catered for, alongside other dietary needs. That matters when organising food for a group, especially when the guest list starts creeping up and suddenly everyone seems to have a different requirement.
The team has experience catering at a wide variety of events too. Recent bookings have included a BBQ at West Oxfordshire Sailing Club and catering for the Labyrinth 40th Anniversary Masked Ball.
Those are two very different occasions, but that is rather the point. Leones Catering is not tied to one particular type of event.
There is also a Meals on Wheels service for local customers who need freshly prepared hot meals delivered to their door. Customers can arrange regular deliveries or simply choose a couple of days each week, depending on what suits them.
It is another side of the business that shows the same simple approach, good food, friendly service and a bit of flexibility.
2. The food and the bar can be organised in one place
This is where things get particularly useful for anyone planning a bigger celebration.
Alongside the catering business, Zoe and Marino also operate Leones Mobile Bar Hire, with James serving as Bar Manager and taking the lead when it comes to their bar jobs.
The mobile bar service can be used for weddings, birthday parties, corporate events, festivals and other celebrations across the local area. Bars are fully staffed, so customers are not left trying to work out who is pouring the drinks while also keeping an eye on everything else happening at the event.
There is a selection of beers, wines, spirits, cocktails and mocktails available, giving guests plenty of choice whether they fancy a pint, a glass of wine, a cocktail or something alcohol free.
Most importantly, Leones Catering and Leones Mobile Bar Hire can be booked together.
That can make event planning much simpler.
Instead of dealing with one company for the buffet, another company for the bar and several different people on the day itself, customers can arrange two major parts of their event through the same team.
It also means the catering and bar service can work alongside each other from the start. For weddings and larger parties in particular, having fewer moving parts is rarely a bad thing.
Of course, there is no need to book both. Someone who already has food sorted can simply use Leones Mobile Bar Hire. Equally, customers who only need catering can book Leones Catering on its own.
But having the option to combine the two gives customers a lot more freedom when putting their plans together.
3. It feels personal from the first enquiry to the event itself
Food and drink are important, but good event catering is also about the people providing it.
There is a noticeably personal feel to Leones Catering.
Zoe, Marino and the team regularly share behind the scenes updates from the events they attend, including photos from BBQs, celebrations and larger functions. There is a genuine sense that they enjoy getting out to events and being part of them, rather than simply arriving, serving the food and disappearing again.
The different roles within the business also help everything come together. Marino is heavily involved in the hands-on side of the operation, while Zoe looks after the admin, organisation and planning behind the scenes. When it comes to Leones Mobile Bar Hire, James takes responsibility as Bar Manager and leads the team on bar jobs.
That personal approach comes through in the feedback the business receives too. After catering at the Labyrinth 40th Anniversary Masked Ball, Zoe made a point of praising team members Lily Mai, Tom and Aelish for the work they put in during the event.
It might seem like a small thing, but it says plenty about the kind of business customers are dealing with.
The aim is to provide friendly, professional service from the original enquiry right through to the event itself. Menus can be adapted, dietary requirements can be discussed and customers can choose the style of catering that actually fits their occasion.
There is a similar approach with Leones Mobile Bar Hire. The bar service is still a newer part of the business, but it has been created to complement the catering side and give customers another useful option when planning an event.
And with both businesses covering Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Milton Keynes and surrounding areas, there is a sizeable local patch covered.
Whether the plan is a relaxed BBQ, a wedding reception, an afternoon tea, a corporate gathering, a private dinner, a birthday party or a larger celebration with a fully staffed bar, Leones Catering can help bring the food and drink side together without making things unnecessarily complicated.
Good food, plenty of choice and one team capable of handling both the catering and the bar. For anyone already staring at a very long event planning list, that alone could be a welcome relief.
To find out more, view recent events or enquire about availability, visit Leones Catering on Facebook.