Catering Suppliers for Devon & Cornwall Event Caterers
Xlent Foods has been supporting event caterers, mobile food businesses, and function catering operations across Devon and East Cornwall since 2003. We understand the unique challenges of catering—variable demand, seasonal peaks, diverse menus, tight event deadlines, and the need for suppliers who are responsive when you need them most.
Whether you're catering weddings at a Devon venue, running a mobile street food business, providing corporate event catering, or managing festival food operations, we provide the flexible wholesale supply and personal service that catering businesses depend on. From small intimate gatherings to large-scale events, we're here to support your success.
Why Catering Businesses Choose Xlent Foods
Catering is different from restaurant or institutional food service. We understand the specific challenges caterers face—and we've built our service around supporting those needs.
Flexible Ordering for Variable Demand
Your demand fluctuates based on bookings and event schedules. We support flexible ordering—order what you need, when you need it, without rigid minimum orders or inflexible delivery schedules.
Quick Response Times
Events come in at short notice. Last-minute menu changes happen. We respond fast when you need to adjust orders or source specific items. Real people on the phone, not automated systems.
Seasonal Demand Support
Wedding season, festival season, Christmas parties—we understand catering peaks and troughs. Scale up your orders during busy periods without penalty, scale down during quieter times.
Event-Ready Products
Products suited to event catering—portion-controlled options, buffet-friendly formats, premium presentation items, and reliable products that perform under event pressure.
Specialist Product Sourcing
Need something specific for a wedding menu or themed event? We'll source specialist products and add them to your personalised price file. Your requirements drive what we stock.
Competitive Catering Pricing
Transparent wholesale pricing based on your actual volumes. No generic price lists—pricing that reflects your real usage patterns and helps you quote competitively for events.
Types of Catering Businesses We Support
Our catering customers across Devon and East Cornwall span the full spectrum of event catering and mobile food operations. Whatever your catering niche, we have the products and service to support your success.
From intimate private parties to large-scale festivals, from wedding breakfast to corporate hospitality—we support caterers across every event type.
Understanding Your Catering Challenges
We've worked with caterers long enough to understand the specific pressures of the catering business. Here's how we help:
Last-Minute Event Bookings
Events come in at short notice. Same-day delivery available for orders placed before 6:00am when you land an urgent booking and need supplies fast.
Menu Variations
Every event has different menu requirements. Our product range and sourcing service support menu flexibility—from traditional British fare to international cuisines.
Portion Accuracy
Event catering demands accurate portioning. Portion-controlled products help you cost events precisely and reduce waste—critical for profitability.
Cash Flow Management
Catering cash flow can be lumpy. Flexible payment terms that understand the catering business rhythm—you pay for this weekend's event after it's completed.
Storage Constraints
Mobile caterers and small operations have limited storage. Flexible delivery frequency means you can order closer to events rather than stock-piling inventory.
Seasonal Product Needs
Summer BBQ season needs different products than winter wedding season. We support seasonal menu changes with appropriate product availability and suggestions.
Delivery Coverage Across Devon & East Cornwall
Next-day delivery across Devon and East Cornwall to support your catering operations wherever events take you. Reliable service from our Plymouth depot.
Devon Coverage
- Plymouth & surrounding areas
- Exeter & East Devon
- Torquay & Torbay
- South Hams
- North Devon
- Mid Devon
- Dartmoor area
East Cornwall
- Bodmin area
- Saltash & Torpoint
- Launceston area
- Liskeard
- Looe
For events in other Cornwall areas, please contact us to discuss delivery options.
Event Venues
We deliver to caterers serving events at hotels, marquee sites, outdoor venues, festival grounds, function rooms, and private properties throughout our coverage area.
Complete Wholesale Range for Event Catering
From canapes to BBQ, from wedding breakfast to festival food, we supply the full spectrum of products to support diverse catering menus and event types.
Frozen Foods
Extensive frozen range including premium meats, seafood, vegetables, pastries, desserts, and catering favourites. Perfect for prep-ahead catering and consistent event delivery.
Explore Frozen Range →Chilled Products
Fresh chilled items including premium meats, cheese, dairy, prepared salads, and delicatessen products. Supporting fresh, quality-focused catering menus.
View Chilled Range →Ambient Goods
Comprehensive dry goods—oils, condiments, tinned products, dried ingredients, and pantry essentials. Everything your catering operation needs for versatile menu delivery.
Browse Ambient Products →Event Caterers & Mobile Businesses We Support
Real examples (anonymised) of catering businesses across Devon & Cornwall benefiting from flexible catering suppliers:
Wedding Caterer (Devon-Wide)
Challenge: Variable booking pattern—0-2 weddings/week depending on season. Each wedding has bespoke menu requiring different products. Peak demand May–September, quiet Oct–April. Previous supplier required fixed weekly minimums.
Solution: Event-based ordering with no minimum orders. Flexible delivery frequency scaled to booking diary. Sourced premium lines for high-end weddings (Wagyu beef, speciality seafood). Reduced product wastage by 25% vs fixed-order model.
Street Food Van (Plymouth & Exeter)
Challenge: Mobile burger van operating events across Devon. Event locations vary weekly (Plymouth markets, Exeter festivals, private hires). Limited refrigeration—needed reliable delivery to home base before each event.
Solution: Twice-weekly delivery to home kitchen with flexible timing. Premium burger patties, buns, and condiments at street-food volumes. Same-day delivery available for last-minute bookings. Trading 5 days/week now vs 3 days previously due to supply reliability.
Corporate Event Caterer (Exeter)
Challenge: Supplying corporate lunches, boardroom catering, and conference refreshments. Bookings come in 1-7 days notice. Menu varies by client (sandwich platters, hot buffets, canapés). Needed fast turnaround.
Solution: Same-day delivery for orders before 6:00am. Stocked commonly-used lines (premium meats, sandwich fillings, pastries). Sourced specialist items on request. Improved quote-to-delivery time from 3 days to next-day—increased booking conversion by ~20%.
Festival Caterer (Devon & Cornwall)
Challenge: Operating food stall at 8-12 outdoor festivals/year (May–Sept). Each festival has different volumes depending on expected attendance. Needed bulk supply delivered to festival site or pre-event to catering unit.
Solution: Festival-by-festival ordering with volume pricing for large events. Delivery to home base before festivals or direct to accessible sites. Bulk frozen supplies (burger patties, hot dogs, pizza) at festival volumes. Saved ~£180/festival vs cash-and-carry purchasing.
For wider Devon & Cornwall coverage, see our regional wholesaler page. Supplying school catering? We support schools too.
How to Get Started
We've made it simple for catering businesses to start working with us. Our process is designed for the realities of catering operations.
- Initial Discussion Tell us about your catering business—event types, typical menus, seasonal patterns, current challenges. We can review your existing supplier invoices to understand your usage.
- Personalised Pricing We create tailored wholesale pricing based on your actual requirements. Transparent pricing that helps you cost events accurately and quote competitively.
- Flexible Ordering Order by phone, email, or through your account manager. Order what you need, when you need it—we adapt to your event schedule, not the other way around.
- Reliable Delivery Next-day delivery across Devon and East Cornwall. Same-day available for orders before 6:00am. Temperature-controlled transport ensures products arrive event-ready.
- Ongoing Partnership Your dedicated contact knows your catering business. We're here when you need to adjust orders, source specialist items, or discuss event requirements.
Running an Event Catering Business?
Tell us about your event types and typical menus. We'll show you how flexible catering suppliers with event-focused pricing can support your business better than rigid minimum-order suppliers.
Get a Catering Quote →Support Your Catering Business with Xlent Foods
Join wedding caterers, mobile food vans, corporate caterers, and festival operators across Devon and East Cornwall who trust Xlent Foods for flexible, responsive wholesale supply. Whether you're catering intimate gatherings or large-scale events, running a mobile food business, or providing corporate hospitality—we understand the unique challenges of catering and we're here to support your success.
Get in touch today to discuss your catering requirements and discover how catering suppliers with 20+ years of event experience can help your business thrive.
Get a Catering Quote →