Service Styles
Medellin Elite Catering cooks for small groups across Medellín, from a two-person anniversary dinner in an El Poblado penthouse to a 20-person board lunch in Ciudad del Río. Small events get the same head chef, the same kitchen and the same food-safety standards as our largest weddings.
Our small-group clients include couples who eloped and want a celebration meal, digital nomads hosting friends, families renting a finca for a long weekend and teams holding a strategy day. Many are planning from abroad, so we work over email and video calls in English on Colombian time (UTC-5, with no daylight saving).
We have cooked for Medellín hosts since 2019, and many of those meals were for fewer than 20 people. We know which formats work well for a small group and which ones only make sense once the guest list grows.
Plan your event
We cater small groups in four ways: a private chef cooking at your table, family-style platters, boxed meals and drop-off trays. Which one fits depends on the occasion, the space you have and whether you want anyone serving.
Typical requests include an engagement dinner for 6, a celebration lunch for 10 after a civil wedding at a notaría, a weekend of meals for 14 friends at a finca in Guatapé and working lunches for a 12-person team. For any of them we send a menu, quantities and an itemized quote before you commit.
Small does not mean simple. A dinner for 8 still gets proper plates, dishes cooked to order and a menu that adjusts for vegetarian, gluten-free or allergic guests at the table.
The right format for 1 to 20 people is usually a private chef for the smallest dinners, platters or boxed meals for daytime gatherings, and a staffed buffet once you reach 15 guests. Here is how they compare on group size and effort.
| Format | Group size | What you handle |
|---|---|---|
| Private chef dinner | 2 to 12 | Nothing; cook serves and cleans |
| Family-style platters, delivered | 8 to 20 | Set out and clear |
| Boxed lunches | 6 to 20 | Hand them out |
| Breakfast or coffee break | 6 to 20 | Set out |
| Staffed buffet | 15 to 20 | Nothing |
Private chef dinners are the most personal option, and they work in any home or Airbnb with a working stove. For a relaxed meal where guests serve themselves, our catering pick-up or delivered platters put the same kitchen's food on the table with no one cooking in your home.
A cook arrives with ingredients prepped in our kitchen, finishes each course in your kitchen and plates it at the table. Menus run three to five courses, and wine pairing can be arranged through our bar service or with your own bottles.
The cook needs a working stove, an oven and a clear stretch of counter, and arrives about two hours before the first course. Before leaving, the cook washes every pan used and leaves your kitchen as it was found.
Large shared platters suit families and friends who like to pass dishes around the table. They are a natural fit for our family gathering catering and for long weekends at a rented finca.
Each boxed meal is a complete, labeled portion: a main, a side, a salad, a dessert and a drink. Boxes suit meetings, day trips to Guatapé and film or photo shoots where people eat at different times.
Every box carries a label with the guest's name and its allergens, so a vegetarian or gluten-free order reaches the right person. Packaging is compostable, which matters to offices with a waste-sorting policy.
These sample menus show what a small group typically orders at three sizes. Every menu can be adjusted for dietary needs and swapped for Colombian or international dishes.
Starter of ajiaco shooters with capers and cream, then seared Santa Elena trout with criolla potatoes and a lemon butter sauce. Dessert is a passion fruit mousse with fresh berries, plated at the table by the cook.
Platters of chicharrón, grilled chicken, white rice, black beans, patacones, avocado and ripe plantain, with hogao and ají on the side. Arroz con leche closes the meal, and everything arrives in insulated carriers ready to set out.
Two proteins (posta cartagenera and chicken in mushroom sauce), coconut rice, roasted vegetables and two salads, with one server and one cook for 5 hours. Plates, glasses, setup and cleanup are part of the service.
For groups growing past 20, our mid-size event catering explains how the format and staff plan change. If you are hosting in the hills south of the city, we also offer catering in Envigado for staffed and drop-off events.
Questions and answers
Yes, our private chef dinners start at two guests. A cook prepares and serves a multi-course menu in your home or rental, then cleans the kitchen before leaving. It is a popular choice for proposals, anniversaries and birthdays for couples.
Reserve your date
Tell us how many people, where and what kind of meal you have in mind, and we will suggest the best format with a quote within 24 hours. Or email info@medellincatering.com.