Private & Luxury Events
Picnic Catering in Medellín
Medellin Elite Catering prepares picnic catering in Medellín, from a basket for two to a styled picnic setup or a park party for a whole group. We pack food that travels well, tastes good at outdoor temperature and needs nothing more than a blanket to serve.
Couples book picnics for anniversaries and proposals, visiting friends book them for a day in the hills above the city, and families book group picnics for birthdays and reunions. Our coordinators work in English and Spanish and help you match the format to a spot that allows it.
We have catered outdoor events of every size since 2019, and picnics taught us to plan for the walk as much as the food. A basket that must be carried 15 minutes along a forest trail needs different packing from one set down next to a parking area.
- Itemized quotes available
- Bilingual English and Spanish coordinators
Plan your event
Our Picnic Catering
Our picnic catering comes in three formats: packed picnic baskets you collect or we deliver, styled picnic setups with blankets, cushions and a low table, and staffed group park parties. All three share the same kitchen, the same food safety rules and the same care with packing.
Baskets are drop-off or pick-up orders, so they need 48 hours' notice, and one basket can feed two people generously or four to six on a lighter menu. If you would rather collect the basket on your way out of town, our catering pick-up page explains how collection works.
Styled setups use rented décor from our partner suppliers, itemized on the quote. Group park parties with servers are staffed events and start from 15 guests.
Styled Picnics vs Group Park Parties
A styled picnic is a small, decorated setup for 2 to 10 people, while a group park party feeds 15 to 80 guests with a buffet and staff. The table compares them side by side.
| Styled picnic | Group park party | |
|---|---|---|
| Group size | 2 to 10 | 15 to 80 |
| Setup | Blankets, cushions, low table, flowers, tableware | Folding tables, buffet, shade canopy where allowed |
| Food | Boards, sandwiches, pastries, fruit, juices | Hot or cold buffet, grilled items, desserts |
| Staff | Setup and collection only | Servers for the whole event |
| Best places | Private gardens, finca lawns, viewpoints, parks that allow it | Fincas, club grounds, parks with group areas and permission |
| Lead time | 48 hours for food; décor depends on availability | 2 weeks |
For a group of more than a handful of people in a public park, the venue's rules decide the format, not the menu. Many hosts end up moving the group picnic to a finca lawn or a private garden, where tables, a grill and music are no problem.
Picnic Spots Around Medellín
The best-known picnic spots around Medellín are Parque Arví in the hills of Santa Elena, the Jardín Botánico in the north of the city, and viewpoints in the Las Palmas and Envigado hills. Each has its own access and rules, and those rules can change, so confirm them before you book catering.
Parque Arví is a large forest park run by its own corporation, reached by road through Santa Elena or by the Metrocable line L from Santo Domingo. Ask the park about group sizes, permitted areas, grills, decorations and whether outside suppliers may set up, because we never assume any of these are allowed.
The Jardín Botánico is a busy managed garden with its own rules on food, events and setups, so contact its administration first. Many of the picnics we prepare end up on private land instead: a friend's finca, a rented villa lawn or a hillside terrace near our catering in Sabaneta area, where the owner's written permission is all you need.
Picnic Menus
A good picnic menu is cold or room-temperature food that holds for 2 hours: sandwiches, cheese boards, fruit, pastries and fresh juices. We pack it in insulated bags with ice packs, so the cold items stay below 5 °C until you open them.
Sandwiches come wrapped one by one: roast pork with pickled onion on a soft roll, chicken salad with apple, caprese on focaccia, and a hummus and roasted vegetable wrap. The full range of fillings is on our sandwich platter catering page.
Boards carry quesito antioqueño, doble crema, a soft goat cheese, cured meats, olives, crackers and bocadillo veleño (guava paste). Sweets include pandebono, mini almojábanas, lemon bars and brownies, and drinks travel sealed: lulo juice, limonada de coco, iced tea and sparkling water.
Questions and answers
Picnic FAQs
Do parks need a permit for a catered picnic?
It depends on the park, so check with its administration before you book catering. Some parks welcome a blanket and a basket but restrict décor, tables, grills, sound or outside vendors, and some areas forbid setups entirely. Any authorization is the host's to request, and we adapt the setup to whatever the park allows.
Can you set up a proposal picnic?
Yes, we prepare proposal picnics with a styled blanket, cushions, flowers, a cheese board, a dessert and a bottle of sparkling wine. We agree the timing with you so everything is ready and our team has left before you arrive, at a spot where you have permission to set up.
Reserve your date
Order Your Picnic
Tell us the date, how many people, the spot you have in mind and whether you want a styled setup, and we will reply with an itemized quote within 24 hours. You can also email info@medellincatering.com.
- Itemized quotes available
- Menus, staff, tableware, setup and cleanup in one quote
- Food-handler certified team and labeled allergens on every tray
- Monday to Saturday
- 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Sunday
- Closed (events still run)