Caterers are on almost every event, handling food, open flames, hot equipment and often alcohol. That combination is why venues require solid insurance from them. This page covers what a venue should require — and what a caterer needs to buy and provide.
What venues typically require from caterers
| Coverage | Typical requirement | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial general liability | $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate | Always |
| Additional insured | Venue named on the GL policy | Always |
| Liquor liability | Required | If serving alcohol |
| Workers' compensation | Required | If the caterer has employees |
| Auto liability | Required | If delivering with vehicles |
These are common requirements, not advice — venues set their own with a broker. See the full vendor insurance requirements.
For the venue: what to check
When a caterer's certificate arrives, confirm the general liability limits meet your floor, the policy dates cover the event, and your venue is named as additional insured (not just certificate holder). If they're serving alcohol, make sure there's a liquor liability line — a catering certificate with general liability but no liquor line is a common gap. See liquor liability for weddings and events.
For the caterer: what to buy and send
If you cater regularly, you likely already carry a commercial general liability policy; you just need your agent to issue a certificate of insurance that names the venue as additional insured and covers the event date. If you serve alcohol, confirm your policy includes liquor liability.
Single-event catering insurance
Caterers who only work occasionally don't necessarily need a full annual policy. Single-event or short-term catering insurance covers a specific date and can name the venue as additional insured — a practical option for a home-based or part-time caterer doing one wedding.
What this means for your venue
Caterers carry more risk than most vendors, so their certificate is worth reading carefully: limits, dates, additional insured, and liquor liability if alcohol is involved. Doing that for every caterer, every event, is exactly what VenueCOI automates — and it knows a caterer serving alcohol needs a liquor line, so it flags a certificate that's missing one. You can also check a caterer's COI free.