How Much Does Film & TV Catering Cost in Cornwall? | Production Guide | Salt Wind Catering

Film and TV catering in Cornwall and Devon costs from £30 +VAT per crew member per day for a full shoot day, based on a unit of around 50 — hot breakfast at call time, a multi-course lunch and all-day craft service included. The final figure moves with crew size, the number of shoot days, how remote the location is, and the dietary spread. Salt Wind Catering, Redruth — costed quote back within 48 hours.

What does film and TV crew catering cost?

Productions budget crew catering as a per-head day rate, and Salt Wind Catering publishes ours: from £30 +VAT per head for a full shoot day based on a unit of around 50. Most location caterers make you request a quote before you see any number — we give you a real one to plan against from the start. Smaller units and bespoke menus with premium proteins or split dietary lines sit above that anchor; larger crews bring the per-head rate down.

What's included in a per-head day rate?

• Hot breakfast at call time — cooked options with a vegan/vegetarian griddle as standard.

• A multi-course hot lunch, plus afternoon hot food on long days.

• All-day craft service kept stocked — filter coffee, teas, cold drinks, fruit, snacks.

• Every dietary requirement catered as standard — vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, allergies — clearly labelled at the line.

• Your choice of hot-boxed delivery to set or our mobile kitchen cooking on location.

• Place settings either way — compostable packaging or crockery on request.

What moves film catering costs up or down?

A film catering quote is built around your call sheet, so the same crew can sit at different price points depending on the shoot. The main levers:

• Crew size — the per-head rate falls as the unit grows; we cater roughly 20 to 500 crew a day.

• Number of shoot days — multi-day and whole-schedule bookings are priced differently to a one-off day.

• Location access — remote, off-grid clifftops, beaches and moors need a fully self-contained setup (our own power, water, refrigeration and waste), which a venue with a kitchen does not.

• Dietary spread — a heavy split of special diets adds prep and separate lines.

• Second-unit and split-unit drops — hot-boxing to more than one location in a day.

• A small travel supplement for the far reaches of Devon — itemised on your quote, never hidden.

The three ways productions book us

Most productions book one of three ways, all quote-based and all built from the call sheet. A Location Lunch is a single shoot day with a hot lunch hot-boxed to set or unit base. A Full-Day Production is call-to-wrap from our mobile kitchen on location — breakfast, lunch and all-day craft. A Multi-Day Shoot covers the whole schedule. You can see how the tiers compare on our film & TV catering page.

How a film catering quote is built

Send a call sheet — crew size, shoot dates, locations and dietary spread — and we send a costed quote within 48 hours. Because we publish a from-£30 +VAT starting rate, you begin with a real number rather than a blank request form, then we tailor it to your production.

Is a local caterer cheaper than trucking one in?

Usually, yes — and it is lighter on your production's carbon report. Based in Redruth, our runs to set are short, which keeps travel cost and road miles down. A caterer travelling into Cornwall from up-country adds long-haul travel, accommodation and mileage to the budget and to the shoot's footprint. Our unit base catering page sets out how being on the ground compares.

Sustainability and your budget

Salt Wind Catering is a BAFTA albert–aligned supplier. We hand your coordinator a per-event sustainability statement (PDF) listing suppliers, packaging, vehicle movement and our made-to-order policy — the data they drop straight into albert's carbon footprint calculator. Cooking made-to-order against your confirmed headcount also keeps over-ordering, and its cost, off the budget.

Frequently asked questions

How much does film catering cost per head?

From £30 +VAT per head for a full shoot day based on a unit of around 50, including hot breakfast, lunch and all-day craft service. Smaller units or premium menus sit higher; larger crews bring the per-head rate down.

Is there a minimum crew size for film catering?

We cater crews from around 20 up to 500 a day. There is no strict minimum, but very small units carry a higher per-head rate because the kit and kitchen team still have to turn out.

Do you charge extra to cater shoots in Devon?

We are based in Redruth and cover Cornwall and Devon. A small travel supplement may apply for the far reaches of Devon — it is itemised on your quote, never hidden.

What about night shoots, early calls and second meals?

Built in. We flex the service window to your call sheet — early breakfasts, late meals and standby through night shoots — rather than a fixed lunch hour.

Can you give a quote without a tasting?

Yes. Send your call sheet — crew size, shoot dates, locations and dietary spread — and we send a costed quote within 48 hours, starting from our published from-£30 +VAT rate.

Planning a shoot in Cornwall, Devon or the wider South West? Request a production quote or call 01209 206255 and we'll cost your call sheet within 48 hours.