FAQs

• Our HQ operates from 8:00am to 4:00pm weekdays
• Orders need to be placed before 2pm for the next business day (update: at times we are reaching capacity earlier than this, so please get your order in as early as possible to avoid missing out)
• Morning teas are delivered between 9am & 10.30am and lunch from 10.30am
• Select your preferred 30 minute time slot, however we may need to deliver up to 60 minutes prior to this

Place your order online – It’s super quick & easy!

• Head to online ordering, choose what you need and submit your order. You will receive confirmation within 2 business hours.

If you’ve not ordered with us before, you’re welcome to email or phone us to get menu advice and the lowdown on how it all works.

• Email us anytime at catering@earlcanteen.com.au, we’ll get back to you within a couple of hours during our business hours of 8:00am to 4:00pm, Monday to Friday
• Call us between our office hours of 8:00am to 4:00pm, Monday to Friday on 03 9943 3339

Orders need to be placed by 2pm for the next business day to guarantee our full menu offering & delivery.

Monday orders need to be submitted by 2pm on the Friday prior (a_t times we are reaching capacity earlier than this, so please get your order in as early as possible to avoid missing out)_

The fastest way is to create an order summary on our website – this will calculate your order and total cost. Alternatively, for custom events, email us at catering@earlcanteen.com.au with the following info:

• Date & time catering required
• Number of people catering is required for
• Delivery/pick up location
• Items required (including any dietary requirements)

How many guests do you have?

Our platter catering solutions are designed for groups of six or more and we’re yet to encounter a group that’s too big for us to cater for!

You! Well, anyone really.

Because our main delivery zone is the CBD, most of our clients are corporate and are already very familiar with EARL.

However, we have also previously catered for the following:

• Sandwiches & sweets for group picnics
• Salad platters to bring along to barbecues
• Salads or Sandwiches for evening working dinners
• Lunch packs for tours
• Cheese & antipasto for after work drinks
• Sweet treats & fruit skewers for kids birthday parties

We offer a drop-off service and provide you with disposable platters so that you can set up your catering however you like.

Our online menu is the best representation of what we have to offer. You can view it here. Some items are not included in our menu, please email us for custom event catering options.

All of our food is made fresh, on the day of your order at our catering kitchen in Cremorne, or in an EARL store.

Our office hours are 8:00am to 4:00pm, Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours, please email catering@earlcanteen.com.au and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

++For weekday delivery:++

Zone 1 – Green (CBD, Cremorne, Southbank, St Kilda Rd Corridor)

• $100 minimum for delivery
• $10 delivery fee
• For orders below $100, please select pick up when checking out – we can offer collection from one of our locations

Zone 2 – Blue (North City Fringe, South City Fringe)

• $100 minimum for delivery
• $15 delivery fee

Zone 3 – Red (St Kilda, St Kilda East, Parkville, Carlton, Fitzroy, Prahran, Windsor, Port Melbourne)

• $100 minimum for delivery
• $20 delivery fee

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Store collection is a great option if you’re located beyond our delivery zones or don’t meet the minimum for delivery. View our opening hours.

You will need to select your preferred delivery window when placing your order, so make sure the latest time of the delivery window is prior to your serving time.

Note that we may need to deliver up to 60 minutes prior to your selected time.

We would love to satisfy your weekend catering needs!

We offer delivery services on Saturdays to select zones. See our delivery zone map here. Orders must reach our $300 minimum to be eligible for delivery.

For smaller orders, we welcome pickup from our Emporium and Collins Place stores.

Please note there is a 10% surcharge on all weekend catering, and orders are required to be placed by 5pm the Wednesday prior.

Public holiday catering incurs a 15% surcharge.

It can be tricky to predict, we know! Especially if you haven’t ordered from EARL before. As a general guide:

• All our platters have an indication of servings, these are an easy option
• Sandwiches & Salads - 2 pieces per person + ⅓ serve of salad each OR 1 mini salad each
• Sandwiches & Savouries - 2 pieces per person + 1.5 savouries per person
• Sandwiches & Sweets - 2 pieces per person + 1.5 sweets per person
• Sandwiches & Fruit - 3 pieces per person + 1 fruit skewer per person

We sure do, they will be delivered to you cold, straight from our coolroom. The full range can be found here.

All our catering is designed to be served at room temperature.

However, we can offer store collection of our hot Fancy Sandwiches or Wholebowls for quantities of up to 25. Collection needs to be either before 12.15pm or after 2pm.

First off, have a look at our dietary needs menu.

• We supply all sandwiches & savouries at ¼ vegetarian as a standard offer.
• You will receive a menu with your sandwich platter that lists the sandwich fillings and their dietaries so that guests can work out what they can and can't eat.
• We can supply sandwiches, salads, sweets and savouries individually packed and labelled, these need to be ordered in addition to any platters you are selecting.
• We can also accommodate FODMAP/Paleo and other special eating plans - email us directly for advice on the best options to suit individual requirements.
• All EARL chicken is Hazeldene's free-range & Halal.
• We use products containing all common allergens in our catering kitchen and while we take the utmost care isolating products and labelling, we cannot guarantee that our food is free from traces of allergens, even when packed separately.

We aren't equipped to offer strict kosher meals, but we find that a lot of people are happy with a vegetarian meal for Kosher. It's best to check with the guest as it is a bit of a personal choice.

You can find complete nutritional & allergen info here.

Nutritional info is available for all Everyday Sandwiches & Salads (all of which are also available for catering orders), you can find this under the product in the Everyday section of our website.

We have designed our catering to be the best in Melbourne. It's intended to be eaten within a few hours of delivery.

• EARL Catering is intended to be eaten the day it is delivered
• Your catering can remain unrefrigerated for up to 4 hours before being consumed, or 2 hours if it’s going to be refrigerated to be served again later that same day
• All EARL Catering is best served at room temperature, not straight from your fridge

Our platters come served exactly as they’re pictured online and can’t be amended. If you have requirements for additional dietaries or extras, see our dietary needs menu here.

We have made a Sustainability Promise and in an effort to reduce wastage, we don’t send napkins, cutlery & plates as a default, but let us know if you do need them and we will be happy to help you out. Napkins are complimentary, cutlery & plates are charged at 50c per piece.

Our packaging and cutlery are all made from recycled & recyclable materials;

• EARL napkins are made from recycled paper
• Our cutlery is made from timber is 100% compostable
• Our plates are 100% recyclable bamboo

Mini tongs can be purchased for an additional $3.5 each to accompany your order for serving.

We package most sandwiches & salads in recycled & recyclable kraft boxes with smart removable lids, lined with EARL greaseproof paper.  Your catering is table-ready.

Due to our kitchen processes and time constraints for catering, we don't have the capacity to label individual meals with guests' names, unless of course it is for specific dietaries.

We know last minute catering pops up from time to time!  Between our stores & catering kitchen, we will always do our best to help.  Store pickup is usually required for late orders.  

If you do have a last minute order, please call us on 03 9943 3339, rather than emailing, so we can get onto organising something for you straight away.

If you’re not sure of numbers for your event, we suggest placing a tentative order, then get back to us with firm numbers. We require this info by 2pm the day before your order.

We will always do our best to accommodate any last minute changes, but please let us know as soon as possible. If you need to cancel an order, let us know prior to 2:00pm the business day before.

Cancellations after 2:00pm for the next business day delivery incur a charge of 50% of the total amount invoiced.

We are unable to accept cancellations after hours and as such the full amount invoiced will be payable for cancellations after 4:00pm the day prior.

Online orders require credit card details to be entered. Payment will be automatically processed at 3pm the day prior to your order.

For orders via phone or email, once confirmed we will shoot across an invoice via email. Your invoice can be paid via credit card (surcharges apply) or by EFT. All catering orders must be paid by 3pm the day prior to your order.

If you order from us regularly, we are happy to set you up with a credit account with 7 day terms. Please email catering@earlcanteen.com.au for a credit account application form.

Yes, of course!

Please email catering@earlcanteen.com.au so we can find out more about your needs and make a time to come and see you with some EARL goodies to try!

Ask away.

You can email us at catering@earlcanteen.com.au or phone us during our office hours of 8.00am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday on 03 9943 3339.