Catering for Lenten Fasting Requirements

Caterers who have not worked with parishes before will not know that a Friday in Lent changes the menu, and most will not ask. Put the liturgical calendar in the brief, not in the follow-up call.

Name the dates, not the rule. 'No meat on 20 February, 27 February, 6 March' is actionable; 'we observe Lent' is not.

Flag broth and fat separately. Vegetable-looking dishes made with chicken stock or bacon fat are the most common accidental violation on a catered parish menu.

Baked or fried fish, pasta with marinara, cheese-based casseroles, and hearty bean soups scale well and hold temperature through a service window.

For recurring programs, ask the caterer to build a rotating Lenten cycle once. It saves a negotiation every February.