A lot of people ask what goes into a large catering order — the kind where you’re feeding 60 people and every tray needs to be hot, fresh, and ready at the same time. Here’s what that actually looks like from Anne’s side of the kitchen.
It Starts With the Booking
When someone texts about a large event, the first thing Anne does is lock in the date. A 50% deposit holds the spot on her calendar, and she immediately starts planning portion math — how many trays of each dish, cook times, delivery window. For a 60-person Fiesta package, that means a full tray of rice, a full tray of pancit, five half-trays of entrees, and 100 pieces of lumpia. That’s a lot of food, and it doesn’t happen without a plan.
The Day Before
Most of the prep happens the night before. Meats get marinated overnight — the adobo goes into the braising liquid, the lechon kawali gets its first boil and goes into the fridge to dry out so the skin crisps properly the next day. Vegetables get washed and cut. The lumpia filling gets mixed and the rolling begins. A hundred pieces of lumpia is a few hours of careful work.
Day-of Cooking
Everything is timed backward from delivery. If the event starts at 2pm and Anne is delivering at noon, she’s calculating when each dish needs to come off the heat so it arrives at the right temperature. Pancit bihon gets cooked last because it’s best fresh. The lechon kawali goes into the fryer about 45 minutes before delivery so the skin is still crackling when it’s opened.
Packaging and Delivery
Everything goes into full-size aluminum hotel pans with lids, stacked and wrapped for transport. Anne handles delivery personally — she doesn’t send a driver — which means she’s there to set up the spread and answer any questions about what’s in each dish. For families with guests who have dietary needs, that matters.
Why It’s Worth Ordering Early
Anne can only take a limited number of large orders per weekend. If you’re planning a 50+ person event, texting her 2–3 weeks out isn’t too early — it’s about right. Same-week requests for large orders are tough to accommodate without compromising the food, and Anne won’t do that.
Planning a big event? Text 602-345-1201 with your date and she’ll let you know what’s available.