High Tea Catering Made Easy
High Tea Catering Sydney
Beautifully handcrafted high tea catering Sydney wide, for baby showers, bridal showers, kitchen teas, birthdays, weddings, corporate events and everything in between. You invite the guests, we’ll take care of the rest.
♥ More than 20 years specialising in high tea celebrations
♥ Handcrafted catering with gorgeous vintage crockery hire
♥ Options for small gatherings and larger Sydney events
♥ 5-Star Google Reviews
Why High Tea Works So Beautifully
A high tea gives people something many celebrations are missing: permission to slow down, sit together and talk.
It feels special without feeling stiff. The table can be elegant, colourful, romantic or delightfully mismatched. Guests can mingle over savouries, return for a scone and stay for one more cup of tea – or something with bubbles in it.
Baby Shower
Feels warm and thoughtful
Bridal Shower
Relaxed enough for stories and laughter
Milestone Birthday
Feel generous and personal
Corporate Event
Makes guests feel properly looked after
Most importantly, high tea brings the food, styling and atmosphere together ♥
The Confidence Difference
Anyone can deliver a box of sandwiches. What you need for an important celebration is the confidence that the food will feel generous, the details will make sense and somebody experienced has considered the things that have not yet made it onto your list.
How much food will you need? Which menu works for the time of day? What happens with dietary requirements? Will the crockery match? Who is bringing the serving platters? Is the cake knife quietly sitting in someone else’s kitchen drawer?
These are not silly questions. They are the reason organising a celebration can become exhausting long before anybody arrives.
More than high tea catering
The Vintage Kitchen is a high tea specialist. We can help you bring together handcrafted food, vintage crockery, thoughtful presentation and the right level of practical support for the way you want to host.
Some customers need catering ready to collect. Some want delivery as well. Others would quite happily hand over the whole blooming lot and arrive to a beautifully set table. We will explain the choices clearly, recommend a sensible option and never expect you to become fluent in cake-stand logistics before requesting a quote.
20+ years of knowing what matters
After more than two decades creating high tea celebrations across Sydney, we know the smallest details often make the biggest difference: allowing enough food, confirming dietary information, understanding how long setup really takes and remembering the extra teaspoons.
Experience does not mean making a fuss about ourselves. It means making less fuss for you.
Full Service High Tea Catering Packages
Best for hosts who want the celebration to look beautifully pulled together without spending the day building it.
Cheshire Cat
$52pp
Min 30 guests
- 6 choices of food pp
- 1 scone with jam + cream
- 1 finger sandwich
- 2 sweet items
- 2 savoury items
- Teas + milk + sugar cubes
- Carnaby St tableware
- White tablecloths + napery
- Hot water urn
- Menu per table
- Delivery 20kms of 2076
- Set up + pack down + washing up
Most Popular
Mad Hatter
$63pp
Min 18 guests
- 8 choices of food pp
- 1 scone with jam + cream
- 1 finger sandwich
- 3 sweet items
- 3 savoury items
- Teas + milk + sugar cubes
- Carnaby St tableware
- Crystal cut flutes
- White tablecloths + napery
- Hot water urn
- Menu per table
- Delivery 20kms of 2076
- Set up + pack down + washing up
Queen of Tarts
$73pp
Min 18 guests
- 10 choices of food pp
- 1 scone with jam + cream
- 2 finger sandwich
- 3 sweet items
- 4 savoury items
- Teas + milk + sugar cubes
- Carnaby St tableware
- Crystal cut flutes
- Crystal cut tumblers
- Crystal cut drink dispenser
- White tablecloths + napery
- Hot water urn
- Menu per table
- Delivery 20kms of 2076
- Set up + pack down + washing up
DIY High Tea Catering Packages
Best for the capable host who enjoys the creative side and would like beautiful food and coordinated crockery without paying for a full setup service.
Alice
$38pp
Min 30 guests
- 5 choices of food pp
- 1 scone
- 1 finger sandwich
- 2 sweet items
- 1 savoury items
- Carnaby St tableware
- Does not include set up, pack down, washing
- Additional food may be added at a cost of $3.50 per sweet/ $2.50 per savoury
- Pick up from Normanhurst. Delivery may be added according to delivery suburb at time of quote
Most Popular
White Rabbit
$44pp
Min 30 guests
- 7 choices of food pp
- 1 scone
- 1 finger sandwich
- 2 sweet items
- 3 savoury items
- Carnaby St tableware
- Does not include set up, pack down or washing up
- Additional food may be added at a cost of $3.50 per sweet/ $2.50 per savoury
- Pick up from Normanhurst. Delivery may be added according to delivery suburb at time of quote
March Hare
$50pp
Min 30 guests
- 9 choices of food pp
- 1 scone
- 1 finger sandwich
- 3 sweet items
- 4 savoury items
- Carnaby St tableware
- Does not include set up, pack down, washing
- Additional food may be added at a cost of $3.50 per sweet/ $2.50 per savoury
- Pick up from Normanhurst. Delivery may be added according to delivery suburb at time of quote
High Tea Catering for Small Groups
An intimate guest list should not mean settling for a sad supermarket platter. Our small group option is designed for gatherings of 10-17 guests, giving smaller celebrations access to beautiful high tea food and coordinated tableware without needing to meet standard package minimums.
Looking Glass
$75pp
Min 10-17 guests
- 6 choices of food pp
- 1 scone with jam + cream
- 1 finger sandwich
- 2 sweet items
- 2 savoury items
- Teas
- Carnaby St tableware
- White tablecloths + napery
- Delivery 10kms of 2076 morning of event. Collection of tableware next day (Monday for weekend bookings)
- Additional food may be added at a cost of $3.50 per sweet/ $2.50 per savoury
From our Kitchen to Your Table
High Tea Catering, Handled With Care
What’s Included With Our High Tea Catering?
Your exact inclusions will depend on the package you choose, but every booking is designed around the same goal: a high tea that feels abundant, thoughtful and easy to understand.
Handcrafted high tea catering
Choose from a menu of finger sandwiches, savoury bites, scones and petite sweets. Package structure determines the number of selections and pieces included per person, while your quote confirms exactly what your guests will receive.
A well-balanced menu
A good high tea is not twelve sweet things and a decorative cucumber sandwich fighting for survival. We help create a sensible balance of savoury, sweet and scones so the spread feels generous and guests can enjoy a proper selection.
Gorgeous vintage crockery
Selected packages include coordinated vintage tableware. Other bookings can be paired with crockery hire or upgraded with additional teacups, plates, stands, glassware, serving pieces and practical extras, subject to availability.
Clear quantity guidance
No host wants guests quietly calculating whether they are allowed a second tart. We explain the number of food choices included and can advise when extra pieces may be sensible based on the time, duration and style of your event.
Delivery, setup and pack down options
Depending on the package, you may collect from Normanhurst, add delivery or choose a full-service option with professional setup, pack down and off-site washing. Your quote will confirm the service area, timing, access requirements and fees.
Dietary planning
Tell us about dietary requirements before finalising your menu. We will explain the suitable options, any preparation limitations and applicable charges honestly, so you can make an informed decision for your guests.
Friendly, experienced guidance
You do not have to work out every detail alone. We can help you understand package differences, menu quantities, tableware choices and the practical information needed for delivery or setup.
“One clear quote. One experienced point of contact. Far fewer things rattling around in your head at 2am.”
High Tea Catering That Tastes as Good as It Looks
High tea should never be all style and no substance. The table may earn the first compliment, but the food needs to earn the second helping.
Our menus bring together familiar favourites and thoughtfully prepared bites that work beautifully for social celebrations. Depending on the package and current menu, your selection may include finger sandwiches, savoury pastries or tartlets, freshly baked-style scones with accompaniments, petite cakes, slices, tarts and other sweet treats.
High Tea Sandwiches
Small enough to eat neatly, substantial enough to matter. Sandwich choices help anchor the menu and provide the familiar high tea moment guests expect.
Petite Sweets
Cakes, slices, tarts and other small sweets create colour, variety and the very understandable urge to photograph the table before anybody touches it.
Golden Savouries
Hot savoury selections add variety and satisfy tummies, particularly for lunchtime events when high tea is the main meal rather than an afternoon treat.
Fluffy Scones
A high tea without a scone would raise eyebrows. Our scones are baked fresh the morning of your event to ensure maximum scrumptious-ness.
How much food do you need?
The answer depends on whether high tea is replacing lunch, how long the celebration runs, the mix of adults and children and whether you are serving cake, drinks or other food as well.
As a practical rule, tell us what time guests are arriving and whether this is their main meal. We can then guide you towards a package and any additional pieces that make sense. More food is not always better, but enough food is non-negotiable.
Gorgeous Vintage Crockery
Guests start forming an impression before the first sandwich has disappeared. The teacups, cake stands, plates, linens and serving pieces create the setting for everything that follows.
The Vintage Kitchen’s collection has been built over many years and includes coordinated vintage china, glassware, cutlery, cake stands and serving pieces. Selected catering packages include a defined tableware collection, while alternative crockery styles or additional pieces may be available as upgrades or separate hire.
Will everything match?
Vintage does not have to mean random. The aim is a table that feels collected, warm and cohesive – not as though three unrelated cupboards had an argument. Package tableware is coordinated, and any approved upgrades are selected to work with the overall look.
Can you hire crockery without catering?
Yes. Hosts using their own food, another caterer or a venue menu can explore crockery hire packages, tableware hire and individual pieces separately.
Can catering and crockery be combined?
Yes. Combining the food and tableware through The Vintage Kitchen can simplify the planning process and give the table a more unified feel. The exact crockery included depends on your selected catering package.
Setting Up Your High Tea
The food is only one part of the day. It also has to arrive, be unpacked, presented and eventually cleared away. The right service depends on whether you enjoy that part or would prefer it to happen while you are doing something far more important, such as getting dressed in peace.
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Select Package
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Delivery
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Set Up
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Pack Down
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Washing Up
Select Package
Select the high tea catering package that best suits your needs. We’ll discuss all the important details and book in your date.
Delivery
Our full service high tea catering packages include delivery within 20kms of our Normanhurst base. Small group packages include 10kms but don’t worry, we do deliver outside of these radiuses! We’ll include any additional delivery fees in your quote so that you have all the important details to make your decision.
Set Up
Full service packages include setup before guests arrive. The team needs suitable venue access, adequate preparation time (generally two hours) and tables ready in position. The final setup style – seated place settings, buffet presentation or another approved format will be confirmed at the time of booking.
Pack Down
Where included, we return after the agreed event period to pack down your high tea so that you won’t need to lift a finger.
Washing Up
Our full service high tea packages include washing up so you can put up your feet and polish off the last of the champagne rather than face a sink of vintage teacups.
The secret of a successful high tea? Delicious food, gorgeous vintage crockery and somebody else washing the teacups!
Dietary Requirements, Handled Honestly
A note about allergies and cross-contact
Dietary preference, intolerance and medically diagnosed allergy are not the same thing. Because our food is prepared in an environment where allergens may be present, customers must disclose requirements clearly and review the final written advice before booking. We will never promise an allergy standard or coeliac-safe preparation unless the business can formally support and verify that claim. We believe that honest limitations build more trust than a vague promise to cater for everything. We would rather explain exactly what is possible than leave a host or guest making assumptions on the day.
High Tea Catering for Your Celebration
High tea is wonderfully adaptable. The menu and crockery create a recognisable experience, while the colours, setting and little personal touches make it yours.
Bridal Shower
Send the bride-to-be off in style with catering made for storytelling, gift opening and a glass of something bubbly among close friends.
Baby Shower
Celebrate the parent-to-be with a table full of dainty sandwiches, fresh scones and curated vintage china, styled for nostalgic conversation and plenty of photos.
Birthday Party
Mark a milestone with a spread that favours good conversation over a dance floor, complete with scrumptious sweets and a table worth lingering at.
Wedding
A softer, more personal alternative to a formal reception, suited to intimate weddings, post ceremony gatherings and daytime celebrations.
Hens Day
Trade the standard hens night chaos for something the whole group can actually enjoy together, with a high tea spread built for photos, laughter and a toast to the bride-to-be.
Mother's Day
Treat mum to a proper celebration rather than a rushed brunch booking, with a table full of pretty sweets, fresh scones and vintage china she’ll actually want to photograph.
Corporate
Impress clients or thank your team with catering that feels considered rather than routine, with none of the usual conference room sandwiches.
Something Else...
A high tea event is a wonderful way to celebrate any occasion. Drop us a line to discuss bringing a touch of high tea sparkle to your event.
How Our High Tea Catering Works
Every step from date in the diary to kettle on.
You do not need every decision finalised before you enquire.
A date, suburb, estimated guest number and rough idea of what you’d like are enough to get started.
Tell us about your celebration
Share your event date, approximate time, location, guest numbers, occasion and the package or level of help you are considering for your high tea. Mention known dietary requirements and whether the venue has access or timing restrictions.
We check availability and prepare a quote
We will review the information, confirm whether the date and location can be serviced and send a personalised quote setting out the relevant package, inclusions and additional fees.
Secure the booking
Your booking is confirmed once the required acceptance and deposit steps are complete under the current terms. You will then receive guidance on the next decisions and deadlines.
Choose the menu and final details
High tea menu selections, dietary information, guest numbers, tableware upgrades, timings and access details are finalised according to the booking schedule. We will tell you what we need and when we need it.
Enjoy the celebration
Depending on your package, you collect the catering, receive a delivery or welcome the team for setup. Then comes the bit all the planning was for: sitting down, celebrating and accepting compliments with appropriate modesty.
High Tea Planning Advice
1. Decide whether high tea is the meal or the moment between meals
A 10.30am celebration, a 1pm lunch replacement and a 3pm afternoon tea do not create the same appetite. Tell us the timing so quantity advice reflects how guests are likely to eat.
2. Confirm the venue before choosing the service level
Check access times, parking, stairs, loading areas, kitchen or water access, table availability and pack-down deadlines. A beautiful package still needs enough time and space to become a beautiful table.
3. Be realistic about DIY setup
DIY can be fun and budget-friendly, but allow time for transport, unpacking, tablecloths, crockery placement, food presentation and the inevitable last-minute interruption. Delegate the job or choose more support if you want to be dressed and calm when guests arrive.
4. Collect dietary information early
Ask guests for requirements with the RSVP rather than discovering them two days before the event. Provide the exact information to us by the stated deadline and avoid making your own assumptions about allergies.
5. Do not forget the non-food details
Think about tables, chairs, tablecloth sizes, napkins, water, service, rubbish, refrigeration, serving utensils and what the venue already provides. The cake knife has developed a reputation on this website for a reason.
6. Leave enough time for photographs – and for eating
Guests will want to admire the table, take photos and greet each other before the food disappears. Build that into the schedule rather than expecting everyone to sit and eat the second they arrive.
What Our High Tea Hosts Say
A beautiful table means very little if the food falls flat. Our favourite reviews talk about exactly that: scones that vanished within minutes, a high tea spread generous enough that nobody left hungry, and presentation that had guests reaching for their phones before their forks.
“We used the vintage kitchen for my baby shower. Everything about it was amazing and stress free, the girls came in and set up the tables exquisitely. My guests raved about the food and how beautiful the crockery was.”
Jessica
“My partner booked The Vintage Kitchen for a high tea for a friend’s birthday party and we were thrilled with the beautiful set up and quality of the food for such a competitive price. Will be recommending The Vintage Kitchen to friends and family for future events!”
Nick
High Tea Catering FAQ
These are the questions Sydney hosts most often ask before booking their high tea catering package. Detailed package terms and the final personalised quote always take precedence where event requirements differ.
Options are available for intimate groups and larger events. Small group packages currently cover 10-17 guests, while standard package minimums vary. We can cater for up to 200 pax. Please refer to package minimums before requesting a quote.
As soon as your date is confirmed is best, particularly for weekends and popular celebration periods. Last minute enquiries are still welcome and will be accommodated wherever possible.
Yes, subject to the selected service, delivery area, venue access and operational requirements. High tea catering can work in homes, gardens, workplaces and event venues when the practical details are planned properly.
Waitstaff may be available as an optional extra for full service bookings. If you would like a waiter present for the duration of your event the fee is $200 for a standard 3 hour event and $60 per hour thereafter. We recommend one staff member per 30 guests.
Inclusions depend on your chosen package. Options include a set number of food selections per person, scones, luxury teas and condiments, coordinated vintage tableware, delivery, setup, pack down and off-site washing. The package page and your quote will confirm exactly what is included.
Package quantities are structured per person, but the right level depends on the event time, duration and whether high tea is the main meal. Tell us those details and we can advise whether a standard package or additional pieces are sensible.
Menu selections can be made from the choices available for your package and booking period. The number of finger sandwiches, savouries and sweets you may select depends on that package. Availability and seasonal changes may apply. Additional items may be added and are charged on a per piece basis.
We can accommodate several common dietary requirements within the current menu capabilities. Requirements must be disclosed in advance, and surcharges or limitations may apply. Please read the dietary catering page and discuss medically significant allergies directly before booking.
Yes, our catering packages include gorgeous vintage crockery. Additional pieces may be available as upgrades or separate hire. Check the package inclusions for the exact tableware supplied.
We do not offer a catering only package. All of our high tea catering packages include vintage crockery hire.
Delivery availability and cost depend on your suburb, package and event requirements. Some packages include delivery within a stated distance and others offer delivery as an extra. Include your suburb with the enquiry for confirmation for an accurate quote.
Setup is included in applicable full service packages but not in standard DIY or delivery-only options. Your quote will clearly state whether setup, pack down and washing are included.
For full service bookings that include pack down, the team returns at the agreed time to pack supplied items and wash them off site. DIY and other hire arrangements have their own return requirements, which will be confirmed in when booking.
Let’s Talk High Tea Catering
We would love to help make your special event feel beautiful, generous and wonderfully manageable with our high tea catering service. Tell us your date, suburb, estimated guest numbers and occasion and we’ll prepare a personalised quote with the details clearly set out.
You provide the guest list, we’ll take care of the fiddly bits.