Lebanese Catering in Pickering: How to Plan the Right Menu for Your Event

Planning food for an event sounds simple until you have to choose dishes that work for different tastes, dietary needs, event sizes, and serving styles.

That is where Lebanese catering makes the decision easier.

Grilled meats, fresh mezze, bakery favorites, vegetarian dishes, halal options, and Lebanese sweets can all be included on a well-planned Lebanese catering menu without becoming monotonous. 

Selecting the ideal menu for your guests is crucial whether you are organizing a wedding, business meeting, birthday, family celebration, Eid event, or private party in Pickering or in the GTA. 

This guide answers a practical customer question:

What should you order when planning Lebanese catering in Pickering?

It focuses on:

• How to structure a Lebanese catering menu
• Which food categories work well together
• How to plan around vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free requirements
• How to approach catering for corporate events, weddings, family celebrations, and larger gatherings
• How far ahead to contact a Lebanese caterer
• Where to find El Gourmet’s catering and ordering options

The goal is not to provide a fixed menu or invented serving quantities. Your final selection should be based on guest count, event format, preferences, and budget.

For a successful Lebanese catering menu in Pickering:

• Start with the main dishes: Choose grilled favourites such as shawarma, kafta, and kebab, depending on your event and guests.
• Balance the mains with mezze: Hummus, salads, vegetables, and other Lebanese sides add freshness and variety.
• Include bakery and sweets: Fresh Lebanese breads, manakeesh, fatayer, pastries, and desserts can round out the meal.
• Plan for dietary needs early: Naturally vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available in Lebanese cuisine, and caterers can meet certain needs if they are informed beforehand. 
• Match the menu to the occasion: Corporate lunches, weddings, birthdays, family celebrations, and larger events may require different combinations and serving formats.
• Book early for larger events: El Gourmet recommends 5-7 business days for standard catering and 3-4 weeks ideally for weddings and events with 100+ guests.

Choosing a caterer is only one part of planning an event. 

Whether the food will be palatable to those seated around the table is the more important question.

A menu with solely substantial main courses may seem out of proportion.Customers might not know what to choose if the menu has too many unusual options.  Additionally, planning becomes even more crucial when an event has a huge guest list, corporate attendance, children, vegetarian guests, or dietary requirements.

Lebanese food is very helpful for gatherings because it is inherently varied.

Guests can choose from grilled meats, fresh salads, dips, vegetables, breads, savoury pastries, and desserts. El Gourmet also combines Lebanese dining with an artisan bakery, grocery market, patisserie, and certified halal meat selection.

For event planners in Pickering, this creates an opportunity to build a menu around the occasion rather than forcing every event into the same format.

Balance is typically more important for a successful catering menu than maximum diversity. 

Think about the menu in five parts:

• Main dishes: The centre of the meal
• Mezze and salads: Freshness, texture, and variety
• Bread and bakery: Practical accompaniments and savoury options
• Desserts: A natural finish to the meal
• Dietary alternatives: Options that allow more guests to eat comfortably

This approach makes the menu easier to understand and easier to discuss with your caterer.

The important question is not, “How many dishes can we order?”

It is:

“What combination gives our guests a satisfying and varied meal?”

The main dishes establish the direction of the meal.

El Gourmet’s catering and corporate catering offerings include Lebanese grilled favourites such as shawarma, kafta, and kebab, with additional grill options available depending on the event.

Consider grilled favourites

Depending on the occasion, a menu can be built around:

• Chicken or beef shawarma
• Kafta
• Kebab
• Other grilled selections
• Custom grill options for specific events

Grilled Lebanese dishes provide familiar, substantial choices for guests while still delivering the flavour and character of Lebanese cuisine.

You could desire a simple, easy-to-serve cuisine for a business lunch. 

For a wedding or celebration, you may want greater variety.

The best combination depends on the guest list and event format.

A Lebanese catering menu should not rely entirely on grilled food.

Fresh mezze and salads provide contrast and make the meal feel more complete.

Consider including categories such as:

• Hummus
• Fresh salads
• Vegetable dishes
• Lebanese mezze
• Dips and accompaniments

El Gourmet’s corporate catering offering specifically includes salads and a vegetable-focused selection alongside its grill options.

Mezze gives guests more flexibility.

Someone who wants a lighter meal can focus on salads and vegetables. Another guest can combine mezze with grilled meat. This makes the catering experience work for a broader range of preferences.

The fact that the dinner doesn’t have to end with the main dish is one benefit of selecting a Lebanese restaurant with an on-site bakery and patisserie.

Lebanese candies and artisan bakery goods are highlighted in El Gourmet’s catering information. Cheese manakeesh, lahmoujain, fatayer, and kunafa are among its corporate catering offerings. 

Depending on your event, consider:

• Manakeesh
• Fatayer
• Lahmoujain
• Fresh Lebanese bread
• Other savoury bakery selections

El Gourmet’s patisserie includes Lebanese sweets and pastries such as maamoul, cookies, cakes, éclairs, and other desserts.

Lebanese candies can bring a unique touch to a celebration meal without the need for a separate dessert supplier.

It is best to talk about dietary needs prior to the event rather than after visitors arrive.

Many dishes are inherently vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free, according to El Gourmet, and caterers can meet dietary needs if they are informed beforehand. 

Before ordering, confirm:

• Vegetarian requirements
• Vegan requirements
• Gluten-free requirements
• Food allergies
• Halal requirements
• Any guest-specific restrictions

El Gourmet describes its meat as certified Halal and sourced from trusted local farms. Certification is displayed in-store and can be made available on request.

Give the caterer the dietary requirements as soon as you can for a larger event so that the food can be prepared appropriately. 

Corporate Catering

• Board lunches
• Meetings
• Conferences
• AGMs
• Product launches
• Office gatherings

Weddings and Large Celebrations

Family Celebrations and Parties

Timing depends on the event.

El Gourmet recommends:

• Standard catering: 5-7 business days
• Weddings and events with 100+ guests: 3-4 weeks ideally

According to the catering staff, questions are answered within a day. 

For a busy event date, contacting the caterer earlier gives you more time to discuss:

• Guest numbers
• Menu preferences
• Dietary requirements
• Budget
• Delivery arrangements
• Event timing

El Gourmet combines several parts of the Lebanese food experience under one business.

Its Pickering location at 1550 Kingston Road brings together:

• Lebanese restaurant dining
• Certified halal meats
• Fresh Lebanese bakery
• Imported Middle Eastern groceries
• Patisserie and Lebanese sweets
• Catering
• Online ordering

The business traces its restaurant tradition to 1989 and opened its Pickering flagship in 2023.

Because the same company offers grilled meals, baked goods, desserts, and other Lebanese food categories, this combination can make menu planning easier for catering clients.

For readers ready to take the next step:

• Catering: https://elgourmet.ca/catering-quote
• Services and menu categories: https://elgourmet.ca/services/
• Contact: https://elgourmet.ca/contact/
• Order online: https://elgourmet.bycalibre.ca/location

• What is included in Lebanese catering?
  It depends on the event and the menu selected. Lebanese catering can include grilled meats, shawarma, kafta, kebab, mezze, salads, vegetables, bakery items, breads, pastries, and Lebanese desserts.
• Does El Gourmet offer halal catering in Pickering?
  Yes. El Gourmet states that its meat is 100% AAA-graded Halal and certified.
• Can Lebanese catering accommodate vegetarian guests?
  Yes. El Gourmet notes that many dishes are naturally vegetarian and vegan. When making catering arrangements, dietary needs should be discussed. 
• Can catering accommodate gluten-free requirements?
  Many foods are inherently gluten-free, according to El Gourmet, and dietary needs can be handled if they are communicated beforehand. 
• Does El Gourmet provide corporate catering?
  Yes. Its corporate catering service covers meetings, conferences, AGMs, product launches, office catering, and customized events.
• Does El Gourmet cater weddings?
  Yes. El Gourmet offers wedding catering and suggests that large parties with more than 100 people take three to four weeks to prepare. 
• How early should I order Lebanese catering?
  For standard catering, El Gourmet recommends 5-7 business days. Weddings and larger events should ideally be arranged 3-4 weeks ahead.
• Can the catering menu be customized?
  According to El Gourmet’s corporate catering material, menus can be tailored based on the number of guests and each guest’s budget. 
• Does El Gourmet deliver catering across the GTA?
  El Gourmet states that catering and large market orders can be delivered across the GTA by arrangement.
• Where is El Gourmet located?
  El Gourmet’s Pickering location is at 1550 Kingston Road, Pickering, Ontario.

The largest Lebanese catering menu isn’t always the best. 

It is the menu that fits the event.

Start with the main dishes. Add fresh mezze and salads for balance. Include Lebanese bakery items and sweets where they suit the occasion. Then account for dietary requirements before finalizing the order.

For corporate events, keep the menu practical and easy to serve. Give yourself additional time to organize for weddings and bigger events. Build diversity around your visitors’ tastes for family get-togethers. 

If you are planning an event in Pickering or elsewhere in the GTA, El Gourmet can help you build a catering menu around your guest count, event type, dietary requirements, and budget.

Ready to plan the menu?

Request a catering quote from El Gourmet and discuss your event requirements with the catering team.

Booking / Catering Link:
Request Catering Quote from El Gourmet

You can also contact the team directly for catering, large orders, and delivery arrangements.
Contact El Gourmet

• El Gourmet Catering
• El Gourmet Services and Food Categories
• El Gourmet Contact Page
• El Gourmet Home Page and Pickering Location
• El Gourmet Lebanese Food Guide

• Government food-safety guidance
  https://www.foodsafety.ca/laws-requirements/by-location/ontario
• Durham Region – Food Safety, Most important local source
  Region of Durham
  Durham Region – Food Safety
• Ontario Regulation 493/17 – Food Premises
  Ontario
  Ontario Regulation 493/17 – Food Premises
• Ontario – Food Handler Training and Certification
  Ontario
  Ontario – Food Handler Training and Certification
• Canadian allergen information
  https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/food-safety/food-allergies-intolerances/food-allergies.html

• Local event and venue resources
  • City of Pickering Plan Your Event
    City of Pickering – Plan Your Event
  • City of Pickering – Venue Rentals
    City of Pickering – Venue Rentals
  • City of Pickering – Community Spaces & Rentals
    City of Pickering -Community Spaces & Rentals
  • City of Pickering – Festivals & Events
  •  City of Pickering – Festivals & Events
  • City of Pickering – Upcoming Events & Festivals
    City of Pickering -Upcoming Events & Festivals
• Halal certification information where relevant
  https://halalmontreal.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=general&utm_term=english&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=15248482279&gbraid=0AAAAACfY8F2tP6HE5da5uoi5yiP37tS2j&gclid=CjwKCAjw25fWBhAVEiwAMopNjucOeYKA0vwmZr5AHGlGEC_3kqv8ytlJ0JP-nTbxMG7N-oIGWB211xoC1tkQAvD_BwE