A buffet setup from myCHEF’s previous work.
A menu can fit the occasion while the equipment cannot reach the room. If there is no service lift, tell the caterer before agreeing the setup. “First floor” is less useful than a description of the actual route: parking, entrance, stairs, turns, doors and the final serving area.
When discussing catering services in Dubai, ask the team to review access and the proposed service format together. Do not assume that additional carrying, a different vehicle or a reduced equipment setup is automatically included.
Walk the whole route before sending the brief
Start where a delivery vehicle can legally and practically stop, using the property's confirmed arrangements. Walk to the intended food area, including any change of level. Record narrow points, turns, uneven surfaces, doors that cannot remain open and any shared areas that must stay clear.
Photographs with short descriptions help, but give measurements where equipment clearance is uncertain. Ask the catering team which dimensions they need. A room photograph alone does not show whether a trolley, table or serving unit can pass through the route to reach it.
- Identify the authorised entrance and named property contact.
- Describe each stair section and any intermediate landing.
- Record the narrowest doorway and tightest turn.
- Explain how far the final room is from the unloading point.
- Confirm any protected surfaces or property restrictions.
- Show where empty transport boxes can wait without obstructing circulation.
Ask the team to match equipment to access
Send the route information before choosing between a buffet, plated service or a smaller delivery setup. Each can involve different containers, tables, serving pieces and staffing. The catering team should confirm what is practical for the agreed plan; a host should not improvise how heavy or awkward equipment will be carried.
If an item cannot reach the room, resolve it before the event. Possible questions include whether another agreed item is suitable, whether the service area can move, or whether the format should change. These are options to discuss, not a promise that every site can be accommodated.
Separate access time from the meal time
Confirm the permitted unloading period, time available for setup and when guests begin using the same route. A dining time is not an access appointment. Property registration or a loading-bay booking may also need to be arranged by the host or venue; check current requirements with the property team.
For a home gathering, explain whether guests, household members or other suppliers will be using the stairs during setup. Agree a workable sequence. Keep entrances, circulation routes and emergency exits clear; the venue or property team should resolve any uncertainty about permitted use.
Plan the return journey as well
| Before service | After service |
|---|---|
| Who opens the correct entrance? | Who remains available for collection? |
| Where can transport containers wait? | Where will cleared equipment be collected? |
| When is the route available for setup? | When must the room and route be clear? |
| Which property permissions are needed? | Do the same permissions cover the collection window? |
Do not assume that collection is possible after the property contact leaves or the loading entrance closes. Put the confirmed timing and contact details in the same brief as delivery. For outdoor cooking requirements beyond access, use the outdoor kitchen planning guide.
A useful access message
Write: “The serving room is reached by the attached stair route. These photographs show the entrance, landing and doorway; the measurements requested by your team are included. The property contact can provide access during these confirmed windows. Please confirm the suitable equipment, setup time, staffing and collection plan before we approve the format.”
Attach that information to your catering enquiry. An unresolved access question belongs in the proposal process, before anyone commits to a menu that relies on an impractical setup.
Prepared with AI assistance for myCHEF as practical planning guidance. Confirm the arrangements for your own booking in the written service brief.
