Relaxed, generous and designed to be shared.
Family-style dining brings the food to the table rather than keeping guests to a formal sequence of courses. Platters are passed around, people help themselves and the meal becomes part of the atmosphere of the evening.
It works particularly well for weddings where good food and a relaxed atmosphere are equally important, and just as well for a welcome dinner or a company gathering.
FAMILY STYLE
BENEFITS OF FAMILY STYLE
FAMILY FEELING
Sharing plates gets people talking to the person next to them, and a long table with a service that keeps moving does a great deal for how a room feels.
IT'S FLEXIBLE
A spread of dishes on shared platters absorbs dietary requirements without anyone being handed a different plate to everyone else. It also wastes less food, because the quantities flex with what the room actually eats.
QUALITY TIME
A free-flowing service is not tied to a schedule, so nobody is called back to their seat for each course. Guests can move around the room between settings and still eat properly.
WHAT IS INCLUDED?
TABLES AND CHAIRS
Family-style menus are built for long tables, which is what makes the sharing work. Round tables are available where the venue or the numbers call for them.
SHOW-COOKING
We bring our own barbecues and equipment, so the cooking happens in front of your guests rather than out of sight. It gives the room something to watch while the food is being served.
Base plates, cutlery, glassware and napkins are all included. Our full family-style service can include:
- Menu planning
- Professional chefs and service staff
- Two tastings
- Food preparation and cooking on site
- Crockery, cutlery and glassware
- Tables, linen and service equipment
- Bar and drinks service if required
- Setup and breakdown
- Transport and logistics
- Venue coordination
THE SERVICE
We prepare, cook and serve the food on site, with the service planned around the venue and the running order of the day.
The setup can be informal or more styled, depending on the wedding. Long tables, shared platters, good glassware and a properly run service can feel relaxed without feeling casual.
THE FOOD
Our family-style menus are built around seasonal ingredients and live cooking. Depending on the menu, this might include:
- Fire-cooked meats and fish
- Grilled vegetables
- Seasonal salads
- Fresh bread
- Paella and rice dishes
- Mediterranean sides
- Homemade desserts
Menus can be tailored to the season, the venue and your preferences.
DRINKS AND OPEN BAR SERVICES
The bar is staffed well enough that nobody is left standing in a queue waiting for it to catch up.
The list covers premium spirits, local and national wines, and Mallorcan producers wherever we can use them.
Classic cocktails can be added, along with the Canonita Spritz, our own version built around local produce.
If you would rather supply your own drinks, we will work around that and provide the service.
EXTRA SERVICES
An event is more than the food, and the parts around it decide how the evening feels.
Music and lighting set the room. Over a decade working in Mallorca and Ibiza has given us the contacts to arrange both.
We work with suppliers we have used before and would use again, so the parts we do not cover ourselves are handled by people we can vouch for.
EXTRAS
Things people add on top of a menu rather than instead of one. Most of them are for the later part of the evening, when the dinner is cleared and the night changes gear.
COFFEE SERVICE
A two-hour barista service after dinner, serving every kind of coffee alongside a selection of teas.
ESPRESSO MARTINI STATION
Served with the coffee, or on its own once dinner is cleared.
MIDNIGHT SNACK WITH LA VAN
Tacos and slider burgers served late, for the part of the night when people have been dancing for a while.
PIZZA STATION
A live pizza station with a run of toppings, cooked and served in front of your guests.
CAVA TOWER
A poured cava tower for the toast, with the whole room gathered round it.
ICE CREAM CART
A cart of ice cream through the afternoon or after dinner, which is reliably the first thing the children find.
Extras are quoted separately from your menu. Tell us which appeal and we will price them into your proposal.
TESTIMONIALS...
The food itself was by far the best I've ever had at a wedding! The flavours of the grilled Sea Bass, (giant!) prawns, chicken and vegetables were phenomenal. The salads, breads, dips and appetisers were also beyond delicious. … The guests we spoke to also said it was the best wedding food they've ever had.
Hattie Clark · Finca Son Sampol
The canapés were as good as we have ever tasted at a wedding, the grazing board and leg of jamon went down really well and the mains were delicious. … Max said the waiters would get to know the people on their tables and that was clearly the case. Again, not experienced that level of service at a wedding before.
Our wedding experience was flawless from bar/drink service to cocktail hour to main course to after-party asado. A big part of planning a large event is the emotional strain, La Van Mallorca do a good job of taking that pressure off of you and helping tie together the loose ends. We had a ton of fun working with them.
Matt Finch · Pollença
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is included in your catering?
Effectively everything between the first planning meeting and the last guest leaving. A quoted event includes:
- Menu planning and consultation
- All food and ingredients
- Canapés and reception service, then full dinner service
- Selected wines, beers, soft drinks and water
- Open bar service with premium spirits and cocktails
- Professional chefs and service staff
- All crockery, cutlery, glassware, tablecloths and napkins
- Tables, chairs and basic table settings
- Bar equipment, ice and service equipment
- Transport of all equipment and staff to and from the venue
- Full set-up before, and complete breakdown and removal after
- Venue coordination, event management and on-site logistics
- Management of dietary requirements and special requests
- 10% VAT
How much does family-style catering cost?
Family-style is priced per person, and the rate comes down as guest numbers rise, because the fixed costs of an event spread further:
- 60 guests: €300 per person
- 80 guests: €270 per person
- 100 guests: €250 per person
- 120 guests: €245 per person
- 140 guests: €235 per person
- 200 guests: €225 per person
All prices include 10% VAT and cover the full list above: food, drinks, staff, furniture, tableware, transport, set-up and breakdown. Extras and premium upgrades are quoted separately. For the full breakdown, and when a wedding costs more, read what wedding catering in Mallorca actually costs.
Do you provide the staff, furniture and tableware?
Yes. Chefs, service staff, crockery, cutlery, glassware, tablecloths, napkins, tables, chairs and basic table settings are all part of the quote, along with transport, set-up and the breakdown afterwards.
For furniture beyond the basics we work with several of the island's leading rental suppliers, and visits to their showrooms are included so you can choose in person. Bespoke pieces and premium upgrades are quoted separately.
Do we get a tasting before the event?
Two personalised tastings are included once you have booked, and we will arrange a third if the menu still needs work. The point is that nothing served on the day is something you have not already tried.
Can you cater for dietary requirements and allergies?
Yes, and we would rather know early than late. Our menus are built so that every guest has a meat, fish or vegetarian option as standard, and we handle allergies and specific requirements individually. They are collected during planning and managed by the kitchen on the day.
Do you look after the bar and the drinks?
We do. Open bar service runs for four hours and covers premium spirits, wines, beers, soft drinks and water, along with classic cocktails and our own Canonita Spritz, made with local produce wherever we can.
If you would rather supply your own drinks, a case of something meaningful, or wine given as a wedding gift , we are happy to work that way and simply provide the service around it.
How many guests do you cater for?
Most weddings we cater are between sixty and a hundred and twenty guests. We work from fifteen up to two hundred. Smaller numbers tend to suit a plated service or a private chef; larger ones suit family-style tables and show-cooking.
Which parts of Mallorca do you cover?
The whole island. We cater at fincas, villas, private estates and established wedding venues across Mallorca, and we bring our own kitchen equipment, which means we can work at locations with no kitchen of their own.
Do you only do weddings?
No. Weddings are the bulk of what we do, but we also handle corporate events and production catering, pool and villa parties, welcome dinners and other pre-wedding events, and private chef services in your own villa.
How far in advance should we book?
For a summer wedding, twelve to eighteen months is comfortable and the peak dates in June, July and September go first. Smaller events and villa catering need far less notice. If your date is close, ask anyway rather than assuming we are full.
CONTACT US...
Tell us the date, the place and roughly how many people, and we will
come back with menus and a price. Whichever is easiest:
email us directly,
book a one-to-one call,
use the form below, or message us on WhatsApp