Vegan, Vegetarian and Allergy-Aware Catering in Ottawa

The position, stated once

Share dietary preferences and allergy information when you enquire. We plan suitable choices and label the table clearly. For severe or life-threatening allergies we talk through cross-contact before you book, and we cannot guarantee allergen-free preparation on a shared table.

Vegetarian, as a standing rule

At least a third of every table is vegetarian, and it is distributed across the surface in runs so it never ends up grouped in one corner as an afterthought. A guest with restrictions then serves themselves without asking a stranger what is in anything, which is the entire point of the rule. On a grazing table that third spans the rich, fresh, salty and substantial categories, so the vegetarian route through the table is a full meal on its own.

Vegan tables

A fully vegan table is planned as its own composition across the same six categories, so the rich category does the most work: cultured nut and oil-based spreads, marinated and roasted vegetables with real depth, olives and preserved items, and a substantial baked element that eats like a main. The quote names every item so the host sees the whole spread before the date and can circulate it to guests who want to know.

Gluten-aware, and why that word

Gluten-aware items are made without gluten-containing ingredients and labelled with exactly that phrase. A shared commercial kitchen and a shared serving surface make a gluten-free guarantee something OH! will not offer, so the card matches what is true. Every table carries at least one clearly labelled gluten-aware item in the substantial category, because a guest who can only eat crudités has been catered to on paper alone.

Nut-aware planning

Nuts are a visible category on a grazing table and a hidden one in bakery, pesto, dressings and some cheeses. Where a severe nut allergy is on the guest list we plan the menu around it before the quote goes out, which usually means removing the visible nut run entirely and checking the supply chain on the bakery and sauce items. The conversation happens at enquiry, never on the day.

The questions we ask before quoting

These five answers change a menu, and they are easier to give in an email than to improvise while a table is being built.

• Which allergen, and how severe — airborne, contact, or ingestion
• Whether that guest normally eats from a shared surface at all
• Whether a separate portion, plated and covered, would suit them better
• Which preferences are absolute and which are preferences
• Whether any guest is coeliac, since that changes the wording we are willing to use

How the table is labelled

A label earns its place when a guest holding a plate reads it in one second.

• Plain-language item name first, dietary markers second
• The same markers used consistently across the whole surface
• Cards placed physically with the food they describe, never on a master list at one end
• Wording that states what is in an item and stops short of implying allergen-free preparation
• Severe allergy information collected before menu planning, never on the day

Where the food is prepared

OH! is a service-area business in Ottawa. Food is prepared in a rented commercial kitchen in Ottawa, then delivered and composed on the table in your space. There is no storefront and no public address. It is a shared commercial kitchen, which is the reason the cross-contact conversation happens before you book.

Halal and kosher

OH! cannot make either claim today. Halal preparation needs a verified supplier chain and a documented handling practice; kosher needs supervision of a kitchen OH! rents. Neither exists here, so neither appears on a quote or on this site. Where either requirement is firm, a caterer certified for it is the right call and we will say so on the phone in the first minute.

Individual portions as an alternative

Where the shared surface is the problem, individual graze cups or a plated covered portion solve it cleanly. Each is made as its own batch, labelled with the guest name where you want it, and set aside from the main display. This is quoted as part of the same event, so it changes the menu without changing how the booking works.

Costs and terms

Dietary planning is part of the quote and carries no surcharge. Styled tables start at $42 per guest, plus applicable taxes, and the working range runs $42–$65 per guest, with the top of it being tables that replace a meal. Your quote is built from four things: guest count, table format, how long the event runs and the setup the room needs, and it separates food, styling and delivery so each part of the number is visible. The event minimum is $600 before delivery and taxes. Delivery and on-site styling are $45 within 25 km. Past that, the charge is quoted for your address before you book.