The Platters
For tea after the service and smaller gatherings at home. Delivered on boards, ready to put down and share.
- Sandwich and wrap platters
- Savoury snack platters
- Sweet and fruit platters
- Delivered ready to serve
- Boards collected afterwards
Johannesburg & Gauteng
Funeral catering Johannesburg, handled with care
Funeral catering Johannesburg families can arrange in one call: platters for tea after the service, a harvest table for a reception, or a hot buffet for the meal. Delivered to homes, churches and halls, and set up before guests arrive.
3Funeral packages
20+Guests, to several hundred
10 yrsCatering Gauteng
The Harvest Table
A generous table set up at the venue, for receptions where guests arrive and leave over a few hours.
- Savoury and sweet food on one table
- Breads, finger food and fruit
- Set up by our team before guests arrive
- Replenished and cleared
The Buffet
A hot, comforting meal after the service, for larger gatherings and traditional funeral lunches.
- Hot mains with a starch
- Salads and vegetables
- Traditional South African menus available
- Kept hot in chafing dishes
- Delivered or served by our staff
Which funeral package suits the gathering
| Item | Platters | Harvest Table | Buffet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Tea after the service | A reception over a few hours | A meal after the service |
| Typical size | Smaller gatherings | Medium gatherings | Medium to several hundred |
| Food | Cold, to share | Savoury and sweet, to graze | Hot meal with sides |
| Set-up | Delivered on boards | Set up by our team | Set up with chafing dishes |
| Staff | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Tea and coffee | Can be added | Can be added | Can be added |
Packages can be combined, for example platters with tea straight after the service and a buffet for the family meal later.
Arranging funeral catering
We keep it to a few questions and one call back, so the family has one less thing to organise. Short-notice requests can often be accommodated, depending on numbers and the package.
Step oneCall
The date, the venue, roughly how many guests and which package feels right.
Step twoQuote
A clear, itemised quote with nothing added later.
Step threeConfirm
Final numbers and any dietary or cultural requirements.
Step fourThe day
Food delivered and set out before guests arrive, then collected quietly.
When a family is grieving, the food should be the one thing nobody has to think about.
Funeral catering is not event catering with a quieter tone. Timings move with the service, guest numbers are hard to predict, and the family should not be the ones setting out plates. So we keep the choice simple, three packages, and handle the delivery, set-up and collection ourselves.
We cater at homes, churches, halls and memorial venues across Sandton, Randburg, Midrand, Fourways, Rosebank and Johannesburg North, with Pretoria on request, from intimate family gatherings to receptions of several hundred.
Respecting family and cultural traditions
Funerals carry traditions of their own, and the food is often part of them. Tell us what the family expects and we will build the package around it.
Traditional South African funeral meals can be provided with the buffet package, and larger family gatherings can add a spit braai. Vegetarian meals are available in every package. We prepare Halaal-friendly menus on request using Halaal-sourced ingredients where specified. We are not a certified Halaal kitchen and cannot guarantee full separation of preparation areas, so please tell us if certified catering is required.
Allergies and intolerances should be sent in writing before the menu is confirmed. Our kitchen handles nuts, dairy, gluten, egg, soy, sesame, fish and shellfish daily, so we cannot offer an allergen-free environment, but we can prepare and serve affected items separately when we know in advance.
If the gathering needs more
Home receptions often need more than food. These can be added to any package and are quoted separately.
Tea and coffee
A tea and coffee station for guests arriving after the service.
Staff
Waiters to serve and clear, so the family can be with their guests.
Tents and seating
Stretch tents, chairs and tables for receptions at home.
Funeral catering questions families ask
Can you help with short-notice funeral catering?
Often, yes. It depends on the number of guests and the package, so call us and we will tell you straight away what can be done in the time.
Where do you cater funerals?
At family homes, churches, halls and memorial venues across Johannesburg, including Sandton, Randburg, Midrand, Fourways and Rosebank, with Pretoria on request.
How many guests can you cater for?
From intimate family gatherings of around twenty guests to memorial receptions of several hundred. If you are not sure of numbers, we will help you estimate.
Which package should we choose?
Platters suit tea straight after the service. A harvest table suits a reception where guests come and go. A buffet suits a proper meal for the family and guests. Many families combine two.
Can you provide traditional funeral meals?
Yes. Traditional South African menus can be provided with the buffet package, and we will build the menu around the family's customs.
Do we need to set up or clear anything?
No. We deliver and set out the food, and collect boards and equipment afterwards. With staff added, we serve and clear as well.
Can you supply tea, coffee, tents and chairs?
Yes. A tea and coffee station, waiters, stretch tents, chairs and tables can all be added and are itemised on the quote.
Funeral catering Johannesburg families can rely on
Choosing a caterer for a funeral usually happens quickly, at a hard time. What matters is simple: that the food arrives before the guests do, that there is enough, and that nobody in the family has to manage it.
The Imagination Box has catered in Johannesburg for over ten years from a kitchen in Fairland, from funeral teas at home to large memorial receptions. We give one clear quote, deliver and set up before the service ends, and collect afterwards without fuss.
For other gatherings, see our event catering services, platters and buffet catering.
Call us, and we will take it from there
Tell us the date, the venue and roughly how many guests. We will suggest a package and send a clear quote, usually the same day.