Catering invoices in the UK: what to include (template checklist)

If you do markets, pop-ups, or private catering, your invoice is often the difference between getting paid quickly and chasing money for weeks.

Here’s a clean checklist that works well for UK street food and catering.

What a good catering invoice includes

A solid invoice should include:

• your business name and address
• client name and address
• invoice number and invoice date
• event date (and location if relevant)
• line items (catering service, staffing, travel, hire)
• deposit amount and remaining balance
• VAT (if registered) and VAT number
• payment instructions (bank details)
• payment terms (e.g. “due within 7 days”)

Deposits and payment schedules

Deposits are common for private catering. Make it clear:

• deposit amount (and date paid)
• remaining balance and due date
• cancellation terms (optional but helpful)

Tip: For private events, many vendors set the balance due before the event to avoid post-service chasing.

VAT: what to do if you’re registered

If you’re VAT-registered, show VAT clearly and include your VAT number.

If you’re not VAT-registered, don’t add VAT - invoice the gross amount and keep your wording simple.

Payment terms that actually work

One line helps reduce back-and-forth:

• “Payment due within 7 days”
• “Balance due 48 hours before the event”
• “Please use invoice number as the payment reference”

Mini template (copy/paste)

You can copy this into an invoice note:

• Event: date at location
• Deposit: £X (paid on date)
• Balance due: £Y by date
• Payment details: bank details
• Reference: invoice number

Track invoices against bookings

The easiest way to stay on top of money is linking invoices to the booking:

• booking status (upcoming/completed/cancelled)
• invoice status (unpaid/partially paid/paid)
• deposit tracking

If you’re doing this in a spreadsheet, it gets messy fast - this is exactly why Streatflow links invoices to bookings and payment status.

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