VANILLA GOURMET CATERING LIMITED

What VANILLA GOURMET CATERING LIMITED does

Vanilla Gourmet Catering Limited is a privately held, founder-owned full-service catering and event management company headquartered at Swanwick Marina, Southampton, founded in 2004 by Sally Pickles. The company serves three primary customer segments — wedding couples, corporate/business clients, and private celebration hosts — across the South of England, with operations spanning West Sussex to Dorset and Surrey to the South Coast. With an 18-person permanent team led by Executive Head Chef Lee Butler (9+ years tenure), the company supplements permanent staff with temporary workers for peak events. Its core offering integrates professional catering with complete event management: menu design, food preparation, dedicated wedding/event planning, full staffing, bar service, tableware, furniture, setup, and cleanup.

The company's underlying 'technology' is operational rather than digital — a state-of-the-art mobile kitchen operation capable of servicing challenging venues (historic ships such as HMS Victory and HMS Warrior, marquees, aircraft carriers, and distillery galleries). Vanilla is a member of Hampshire Fare, sourcing locally and sustainably with Farm Assured meat, no GM foods, and in-house smoking/production of fish, duck, mozzarella, and ice cream. The company holds a 5-Star food hygiene rating and is a preferred caterer at Chichester Cathedral, Tournerbury Estate, and sole caterer at Walled Garden Weddings in Salisbury. Beyond external venues, Vanilla operates two company-owned café-kitchens — The Port House in Port Solent (civil-licensed for ceremonies) and The Rifleman's Table in Salisbury — with a third venue, The Mariners Table, planned.

The business model is professional services with custom quote-based pricing per event; no standard published pricing exists. Go-to-market is sales-led through website enquiries, venue partnerships, word-of-mouth referrals, and direct enquiries, with complimentary tastings offered to wedding clients. Revenue streams span wedding catering, corporate hospitality, private celebrations, and managed café-kitchen operations. The company has been bootstrapped throughout its 22+ year history with no institutional funding, has a documented portfolio of high-profile clients including Royalty, Land Rover BAR (America's Cup), and HMS Illustrious, and continues to expand through venue partnerships and owned-venue development.

Name

VANILLA GOURMET CATERING LIMITED

Legal name

Vanilla Gourmet Catering Limited

Website

https://vanillacatering.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vanilla Gourmet Catering Limited is a privately held, full-service catering and event management company founded in 2004, serving wedding couples, corporate clients, and private celebration hosts across the South of England with mobile kitchen operations and dedicated event planning.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320), Food Service Contractors (722310), Food Services and Drinking Places (722)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Catering (Off-Premise) (HSACAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wedding & Reception Catering (HSACAGAD), Private Chef & In-Home Dining Services (HSACAGAE), Catering Coordination & Bar Service Management (Non-restaurant) (HSACAAAH), Event Catering (Weddings, Social, Private Parties) (THAFAIAB)

Keywords

• Wedding catering services
• Corporate event catering
• Private party catering
• Event management services
• Mobile kitchen catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Southampton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wedding Catering and Events: Full-service wedding catering including menu design, food preparation, service, staffing, setup and cleanup. Includes event management/planning services. Provides dedicated wedding planner with every booking.
2. Corporate Event Catering: Corporate hospitality including champagne receptions, formal banquets, product launches, conferences, and corporate dinners. Ranges from intimate meetings to large-scale events for hundreds of guests.
3. Private Celebration Catering: Birthday parties, anniversaries, christenings, wakes, and other private events. Services include informal buffets to formal seated dining, staffing, tableware, furniture, and pay bar services.
4. Café-Kitchen Operations: Operates café-kitchens at Port House in Port Solent and Rifleman's Table in Salisbury, serving breakfast, lunch, and Sunday roasts. Also used as venues for micro-weddings and private dining.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Vanilla Gourmet Catering Limited provides full-service catering and event management for weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations across the South of England. The company combines professional chef-driven catering with complete event coordination from setup through take-down and cleaning, including staffing, tableware, and bar services. They also operate two café-kitchen venues (The Port House and The Rifleman's Table) serving breakfast, lunch, Sunday roasts, and hosting micro-weddings and private dining.

Product overview

Vanilla Gourmet Catering Limited operates as a catering and events company providing three core service lines: Corporate Catering, Wedding Catering, and Private Catering. The company also operates exclusive venue brands including The Port House in Port Solent and The Rifleman's Table in Salisbury, with The Mariners Table planned. All services include full events management from set-up through staffing and service to take-down and cleaning. The company is a member of Hampshire Fare and specializes in locally sourced, seasonally inspired menus prepared by professional chefs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wedding Catering

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 weddings catered in 2016 alone with record summer performance
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Walled Garden Weddings (Salisbury)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2019Vanilla became the sole caterers at a walled garden wedding venue in historic Salisbury. They organize marquee weddings with capacity for 120 guests and provide comprehensive wedding planning services.
• Tournerbury EstatecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 April 2017Vanilla became one of only two preferred caterers at the Tournerbury Estate (50 acres of private woodland wedding venue). They offer a dedicated wedding planner service for this venue.
• Hampshire FarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVanilla is a member of Hampshire Fare, a local food organization. They work with a select group of local Hampshire suppliers and use the Hampshire Fare branding. This membership is central to their value proposition of local, sustainable sourcing.
• Chichester CathedralcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVanilla was appointed as one of the preferred caterers at Chichester Cathedral in 2021, described as a 'prestigious venue.' This is their only mentioned formal preferred caterer arrangement with a cathedral.
• Surfers Against SewageminorOthersCurrent charity of the year. For every wedding or three-course corporate event, they donate 30p per head to the charity.
• Frank WaterminorOthersFirst charity supported since 2010. Very first charity of the year partner.
• Breast Cancer Haven / Wessex Breast Cancer TrustminorOthersCharity of the year partner for multiple years. Donated 30p per guest for three-course meals.
• The Ellen MacArthur TrustminorOthersCharity partner supporting young people with cancer and leukaemia.
• Marine Conservation SocietyminorOthersCharity partner focused on marine wildlife protection, sustainable fisheries, and clean seas.
• Meningitis NowminorOthersCharity partner for 2016 alongside Marine Conservation Society, supporting meningitis awareness.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rhubarb Food Design: UK premium event caterer specialising in luxury weddings, corporate events, and high-profile private dining with a focus on design-led food presentation. Direct comparable on bespoke menu design, premium positioning, and London/SE UK service area.
• Absolute Taste: London-based full-service event caterer offering bespoke menus for corporate and private events including marquee weddings. Comparable on quote-based premium pricing model and full event management scope.
• Searcys: Long-established UK full-service event caterer and venue operator offering weddings, corporate hospitality, and premium private dining. Highly comparable on full event management service model, prestigious venue partnerships (e.g. St Pancras, The Barbican), and bespoke quote-based pricing.

Broad incumbents

• Payne & Gunter: Historic London full-service event caterer (Baxter Storey group) serving corporate, private, and wedding events. Comparable on full event management model and premium private/hospitality positioning.
• Baxter Storey: Major UK workplace and event catering contractor with deep corporate client base and 50+ year heritage. Comparable in B2B/corporate event catering capability, though considerably larger and focused on workplace food services as well as events.
• CH&CO: Large UK independent caterer operating across corporate hospitality, events, and venue catering. Comparable on full-service event catering and venue partnerships, though much broader in scale and scope.
• Sodexo Events: Global facilities and event services group with significant UK event catering presence across corporate hospitality, sports events, and large-scale functions. Comparable on capability to deliver at scale, though a much larger and more diversified competitor.

Regional players

• Beales Gourmet: Hampshire-based bespoke event caterer for weddings, corporate and private dining. Comparable as a regional South Coast full-service catering competitor with a similar target customer base.
• Kalm Kitchen: South of England wedding and event caterer operating across Hampshire, Sussex, and Dorset. Closely comparable on regional geography, marquee wedding expertise, and locally sourced seasonal menus.

Emerging players

• Caper & Berry: Independent South of England event caterer focused on sustainable, seasonal menus for weddings and corporate events. Comparable on Hampshire-base, sustainability positioning, and bespoke quote-based premium offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/vanillacatering
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vanilla-gourmet-catering-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VANILLA GOURMET CATERING LIMITED