A private event gets planned over weeks of emails and phone calls. On the day, the kitchen and the floor need all of it on one page. That page is the function sheet, also called an event order or a banquet event order (BEO). Fill it in once the client confirms, share it at least a week before, and brief both teams together.
What a function sheet contains
- The header: event, client, contact on the day, date, venue, confirmed guests, event lead and where the booking is logged.
- Version and date: so nobody works from last month's numbers.
- Timings: what happens when, and who does it.
- Menu: every course, the quantity of each dish, and notes for the kitchen.
- Dietary requirements and allergies: by guest or table, with the dish served instead.
- Team: roles, names, arrival and leaving times.
- Equipment and setup: what you bring and what is already on site.
- Drinks: what is served, who supplies it and the quantities.
- Payment: quote total, deposit, balance and how extras on the day are charged.
- Notes and briefing: anything else the team needs to know, and when each team was briefed.
The example: a wedding lunch for 40
A wedding lunch on Saturday 12 June 2027 in the client's garden, with a kitchen tent beside the house. Final numbers came in on 5 June: 40 guests, 32 on the standard menu and 8 vegan, so the sheet is marked Version 2, updated 5 June. Lukas is the event lead, and the contact on the day is the client's sister.
The menu, guest numbers and price come from the quote; see How to Price a Catering Event per Guest for how this one came to €47 per guest.
Write the timings backwards
Start from the moment guests arrive and work back to the first job in the kitchen, then forward to the moment the van leaves.
| Time | What happens | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00 | Kitchen prep starts at the restaurant: duck, starters, tart | Elena, Maria |
| 10:30 | Load the van against the equipment list | Jon, Lukas |
| 11:30 | Arrive on site, set up the kitchen tent, tables and linen | All |
| 13:00 | Guests arrive, Prosecco and water on trays | Lukas, Nina, Sam |
| 13:45 | Guests seated, bread and salad on the tables | Floor |
| 14:00 | Starters served | Floor, kitchen |
| 14:45 | Mains served: vegan plates first, by name | Floor, kitchen |
| 15:30 | Speeches, kitchen holds dessert | Event lead |
| 16:00 | Dessert and coffee | Floor |
| 18:00 | Clear down, pack the van | All |
| 19:00 | Leave site, walk the garden first | Lukas |
The speeches line matters most. Speeches run long at every wedding in history, so dessert waits for a signal from the event lead, never for the clock.
List every dietary requirement by name
A count of "8 vegan" helps the kitchen order. On the day, the floor needs to know exactly who gets which plate.
| Guest or table | Requirement | Served instead |
|---|---|---|
| Table 3 (6 guests) | Vegan | Vegan menu throughout |
| Table 5: Mark | Vegan | Vegan menu throughout |
| Table 6: Julia | Vegan, nut allergy | Vegan menu, confirmed nut-free with Elena |
| Table 2: Emma | Gluten intolerance | Standard menu, gluten-free bread, sorbet instead of the tart |
Check that the names add up to the menu: six at table 3, plus Mark and Julia, makes the 8 vegan covers. The menu notes back it up: the vegan stuffed peppers are free from gluten, dairy, egg and nuts, and the vegan tables get olive oil instead of butter with the bread.
Team, equipment, drinks and money
Team. Elena and Maria cook from 08:00 to 19:00. Jon, the kitchen porter, and Lukas arrive at 10:30 to load the van. Nina and Sam join on site at 11:30. Everyone leaves at 19:00.
Equipment. To bring: hired tableware for 40, linen for 5 tables, two induction hobs, chafing dishes, a hot box, a probe thermometer and the food safety logs. On site: the client's tables and chairs, two sockets in the garage and a water tap.
Drinks. Supplied by the client and delivered on 11 June. The team serves them and brings the ice and glasses.
Payment. Quote total €1,880 before VAT. Deposit €564, paid on 2 March 2027. Balance €1,316, due on 5 June and paid on 4 June. Extra guests on the day are charged at the quote price per guest. The terms behind these dates are in Deposits and Balance Terms for Private Events.
Brief both teams together
Elena and Lukas briefed the kitchen and the floor together on 8 June, four days before the event. One briefing means one version of the truth. Print one copy for the pass and one for the event lead.
Use the notes for the things that cause trouble when nobody mentions them. Here: the cake arrives at 15:00 and goes in the tent fridge, and the photographer needs the head table clear at 17:00.
One brief for every event
The Event Function Sheet is a printable and editable template with every section above: header, timings, menu, dietary requirements and allergies, team, equipment and setup, drinks, payment, notes and a briefing sign-off. It includes a one-page guide, this wedding lunch as a filled-in example (the same event as in the Catering & Event Quote Calculator), and a blank sheet to copy for each event.
Related
- Read: How to Price a Catering Event per Guest
- Read: Deposits and Balance Terms for Private Events
- Also useful: Catering & Event Quote Calculator, the price per guest, deposit and margin before the sheet is written
Every template in Restaurant Notes is in the Complete Restaurant Collection: 25 tools in one download.