AVOID using Crown Catering

Last week, we were married. It was FANTASTIC!!!! The day was perfect! So was the weather and EVERYTHING!
There was just one little thing that seemed to want to put a 'spanner in the works' and that was the so-called professional company Crown Catering.
Its a Sydney based company and I feel it is my duty to let everyone know what happened to us whilst using this company as we don't want it to happen to others.
So here is my Testimonial:

Pre Wedding:

We had organised for all cutlery, glasses and plates to be delivered up before the wedding. Crown Catering informed me that this would be a $100 delivery fee. Sure, I thought, after all, it is my wedding and I want things to go smoothly. Deliveries are made monday-friday and I'd hear from them in the week to know when they would be delivered.

I would just like to add, Crown Catering demands that they have FULL payment 3 days prior to the function. Which ofcourse, I was early with my FULL payment as I didn't want any hiccups.

On the thursday prior to the saturday wedding, I was getting a little concerned that I hadn't heard from them. I called three times throughout the day, only to be told that the person I was speaking to was unable to help me but they took my name and number and they'd get someont to get back to me asap.

Friday. Okay, I was worried now! I called Crown Catering at 9am, 10am & 11am. Oh, they took my name and would get someone to call. Eventually Matt got through to someone in the afternoon, only to be informed that it would not be delivered as it was not on the delivery list! I paid $100 already!!! So, after a lot of telephoning around my brother kindy offered to DRIVE the 2 hour drive to Sydney to pick all the dishes up! He arrived. Oh, the warehouse wasn't ready yet (approx 4:30pm by this time). Eventually the unenthuiastic staff members filled his car for him to drive back up to the mountains for another 2 hour drive in PEAK HOUR!

Oh well, we thought, at least we have everything before the wedding!! We stayed positive even when having to wash and polish all 80 wine glasses and 80 sparkling wine glasses, as we were given new ones that were still un washed!

Wedding:

Chef turns up in his old bomb of a station wagon car, windows wound down as I think its a model that existed before airconditioning was even invented! And ta da, all our food is in this car! It has been since he left Sydney for the 2 hour drive up. I didn't think about it at the time, but I'm sure the health authorities aren't approving of that amount (enough to feed 87 people) of food should be transported without refridgeration!?

Wedding goes well. My Dad, being the sticky beak that he is, goes and looks at the meat roasting on the spit and nearly had a cardiac arrest when he see's the TINY bit of meat roasting away.
"Mate!" he says to the chef, "This is the meat? You cant be serious! There is only about 3kg of meat there. It won't feed 90 people!!!".
"Don't worry", replies the chef. "i've got more pre-cooked meat that I brought up with me from Sydney.

Hmmmmmmm. Why didn't it click with me yet????!!!

Then came time for desserts. We had ordered fruit platters with cream and Pavlovas. Mmmmm!! Oh wait! The pavlovas never showed up!
Oh and I hope you didn't feel like a cup of tea or coffee at my wedding, as even though we PAID for china tea cups and PAID to hire an urn from Crown Catering, these things NEVER turned up!!!!

Never the less, we still all had a wonderful time and had fun! fun! fun! I loved our wedding!!!

Post Wedding:

Without getting into too much description.... 30. yes, THIRTY people fell ill. Mostly on the monday. With vomiting and dirroreah!!!! Food poisoning?? Well thats what my doctor told me! Thats what our friend that ended up in HOSPITAL was also told. And I tell you what, I was so upset to see Liberty (only 17 months old) vomiting uncontrollably eleven times on monday night. Yep, she ate the food.

Oh and our honeymoon?? Well, with Matt, Libby and I not being able to be too far from the toilet at anytime, sadly, we have had to cancel.

I contacted Crown Catering, I've been told that oh, thats never happened before (which bloody bit???!), and can she have it in writing. So I wrote... 8 days later, I haven't heard back. Nothing. Nada!

So, if you are thinking about using a caterer for any occasion, be it a wedding, christmas party, etc etc.
I warn you from experience. DO.NOT.USE. Crown Catering.

Edited To Add: I forgot to mention... all their dirty plates, cutlery, glasses etc are still sitting in the shed on my parents property waiting to be picked up!!! They promised me it would be picked up yesterday. Uhm, yeah, well that didn't happen!