Partyvogel Catering

Partyvogel Catering is a catering business in Schaffhausen run by Harry and Babu Waldvogel, who started it, in the site's words, "ganz klein" (very small) in 1992. It caters "in und um Schaffhausen" (in and around Schaffhausen), names weddings alongside birthdays and business events, and is built around a house specialty: Harry's grilled skewer, grilled live over beechwood, which he devised in 2003.

The homepage describes the business in a few short claims: regional, handmade food from its Schaffhausen kitchen, a team that cooks, delivers and serves "Hand in Hand", and "Echt frisch", real freshness. The homepage sets out its case under 3 headings: "Echte Gastlichkeit" (real hospitality, with passion and a friendly, open manner), "Echter Geschmack" (real taste, starting from regional, quality ingredients) and "Echt frisch". The about page tells the short history: Babu with her eye for presentation, Harry the meat expert, a skewer invented in 2003, and a business that started as a party service and now calls itself catering. The page says the two became hosts known well beyond the town for honest, unpretentious catering from Schaffhausen.

The wedding offer

The offer page frames every event the same way: "Für 20 bis 250 Personen. Darf es ein unkompliziertes Menü sein, kochen wir auch für 800 Gäste gross auf." In English: for 20 to 250 people, and if the menu is a simple one, they will cook for as many as 800 guests. For weddings, apéros are named specifically: "Apéros und Apéro Riche zum Auftakt von Kundenanlass oder Hochzeit", apéros to open a customer event or a wedding, with platters and finger food arranged for the occasion.

There are 2 ways to book:

• Tutto. Catering from A to Z. Partyvogel thinks of everything, delivers the food and serves on site. It is also available as a buffet.
• Pick up. For hosts without time to cook, Partyvogel puts everything together, and the client collects the food and the tableware from the kitchen.

For most weddings, Tutto is the relevant mode. Pick up can suit a small, informal celebration at home or a second-day brunch or barbecue for family.

What is on the menu

The offer page describes several menu styles, and a flyer and menu suggestions are linked as downloads.

• Classics. The page names ham baked in bread dough (Beinschinken im Brotteig), veal ragout "nach Grossmutters Art" (grandmother's style) and a spicy pumpkin soup as a starter, and says there is a wide choice of starters, main courses and desserts.
• Grill platters for summer parties. Hearty cuts of meat grilled fresh by Harry, whom the page calls the "Chefbrutzler", the chief sizzler. The page recommends them for celebrations outdoors.
• Party buffet. Fresh vegetables, quality meat and homemade sauces are delivered as building blocks, and guests build their own burgers.
• The grill skewer. "Das sind 100 % Leidenschaft und 100 % Fleisch am Grillspiess" (100 % passion and 100 % meat on the skewer). Each guest forks off what they like, from veal, lamb, chicken or vegetables, grilled live over beechwood. The page claims it is the best grilled skewer far and wide.
• Desserts. Fresh fruit desserts, mousse and sheet cakes.

The homepage adds that, in season, there is fresh smoked salmon and bacon straight from "Harries Rauchofen", Harry's own smoker.

Sourcing and suppliers

The offer page states where the ingredients come from. Chicken, beef, lamb, pork, turkey, hare, game and trout are bought in Switzerland and, where possible, from the region. For shrimp (Vietnam), salmon (Scotland), seafood (EU) and other fish, the business says it looks for sustainable farms. Local seasonal vegetables and fruit are named as important.

The page names 3 partners: Niedermann Metzgerei in Uhwiesen for meat, Kundelfingerhof in Diessenhofen for trout, and Oceanis Schaffhausen for fish and seafood. The homepage puts the principle in one line: "Wir setzen auf frische Produkte, die wir frisch verarbeiten" (we rely on fresh products, which we prepare fresh).

Equipment, staff and venues

Partyvogel takes care of more than food. Tableware, a tent and furniture can be rented and delivered to the venue with the meal, and the business says it will also organize professional cooks and service staff for the event. For a couple marrying in a barn or a hall with nothing in it, that means one supplier for food, crockery, furniture and even the tent.

Venues are another area where the site offers help. The page says that, through the more than 150 events it looks after every year, the team knows many event locations in the region, "Ob Scheune Industriehalle oder Waldhütte" (barn, industrial hall or forest hut), and invites clients to ask. It also sells supporting programs with catering, naming curling in the IWC Arena in Schaffhausen and pétanque at the Pétanque-Club Herblingen, which could fill the afternoon for guests on a wedding weekend.

What the site leaves open

• Prices. None are published. The page offers a non-binding quote (Unverbindliches Angebot), prepared after a conversation.
• Language. The site is German only and does not mention English.
• Dietary needs. A vegetable skewer is on the menu and the page says it responds to very different wishes, but there is no statement on allergies, vegan menus or other diets. Ask directly.
• Area. The site names Schaffhausen and its surroundings, not a radius or a list of towns.
• Terms. Deposit, cancellation and booking lead time are not stated.

Contact is at Dützebüelstrasse 6, 8207 Schaffhausen, by phone on +41 79 295 99 43 or by email at info@partyvogel-catering.ch.

Who it suits

Partyvogel suits couples marrying in and around Schaffhausen who want generous, regional food with some theater: skewers grilled live over beechwood, grill platters for a summer evening outdoors, or a burger buffet for a relaxed party. The range from 20 to 250 guests covers most weddings, and the stated ability to cook for up to 800 helps with a very large celebration if the menu is kept simple. The rental of tents, furniture and tableware, and the help with finding a barn or forest hut, make it a practical choice for a wedding outside a classic venue.

It suits less well a couple planning in English only or looking for fine-dining plates, since the site's language and tone are German and homely. The couple who picks it is buying the two owners' long experience, Harry at the grill and Babu at the presentation, and a menu that leans toward meat, with a vegetable skewer for guests who eat none.