A birthday at home in Cascais with full catering means we take the whole food side: menu, shopping, cooking, tableware, service and the clearing up afterwards. The host greets guests instead of checking the oven, which is the entire point of doing it at home rather than in a restaurant. We do everything from a twenty-person garden lunch to an eighty-guest evening across house and terrace.
One quote covers the menu, all ingredients, the cooking, plates, cutlery, glassware and linen, serving staff and the clean-up. Birthday cake and dessert table are included if you want them from us, or we work around a cake you have already ordered. We agree a running order for the evening — when canapés start, when the main food goes out, when the cake appears — so the timing is not improvised.
A thirtieth with friends and a seventieth with three generations need different food, and we ask which one it is. Younger crowds tend towards a long canapé and finger-food evening with a couple of warm dishes; family birthdays usually want a proper seated or buffet meal. In summer we push towards grilled fish, salads and cold starters on the terrace; in winter towards baked dishes and warm stews.
Homes here range from apartments near the old town to villas in Quinta da Marinha and Birre with pools and outdoor kitchens. Narrow lanes, parking and lift access decide our arrival time, so we check the address early. Where there is a garden we plan for wind off the sea — covered trays, weighted linen, and a plan B if the evening turns.
Yes — we make cakes to order, or we can build a dessert table around a cake supplied by someone else.
Three to four weeks is comfortable, and longer for June to September weekends, which fill quickly in Cascais.
Tell us the date, the number of guests and the style — we'll send a tailored proposal.
MamaVera