A first birthday is often the biggest party a young family hosts. Both sides of the family come, along with friends, neighbours and colleagues, and the guest list can pass 50 before the cake is even ordered. Most of the people eating are adults, and many of them expect a proper meal.
Deep's Delights is a family-run Indian-fusion catering kitchen in NE Calgary. This guide covers the big family first birthday: how much food to order, what it costs, and how a styled setup works at home or in a hall. For simpler picks for the youngest guests, see our guide to kids' birthday party catering.
Planning First Birthday Catering in Calgary
Start with three numbers: the date, the guest count and whether the party runs through a meal. A lunch or dinner party calls for a mains package. An afternoon party with cake can be built from appetizers, desserts and drinks.
Then decide how the food arrives. Pickup from our kitchen is free, delivery is a timed drop-off, and a styled setup is built on site and taken down afterwards. Our guide to catering for 50, 100 or 200 guests covers sizing a bigger party in more detail.
A Full Meal: Mains Packages for a First Birthday
Our mains packages start at 24 guests and go up in steps of 12. Every package includes rice, roti, raita and salad.
- Signature: $32 per person vegetarian or $35 non-vegetarian, with 3 appetizers, 2 mains and 2 desserts.
- Grand: $40 or $43, with 4 appetizers, 3 mains, mithai and 2 desserts. Our most popular package.
- Luxe: $56 or $61, with 5 appetizers, 4 mains, mithai and 4 desserts.
Vegetarian mains include Shahi Paneer, Palak Paneer, Malai Kofta and Daal Makhani, and the non-vegetarian side includes Butter Chicken, Chicken Curry and Goat Curry.
An Appetizer and Dessert Party
For an afternoon party, choose each item on our Build Your Own page. Most items have a 24-piece minimum and go up in steps of 12. Appetizers start from $18 per 24 pieces and desserts from $76 per 24 pieces, before GST.
As a guide, we recommend 4 to 6 appetizers, one dessert and one mocktail per guest. Family favourites include Aloo Tikki Sliders, Katori Chaat Cups, Paneer Naan Bites, Mini Samosas and Tandoori Chicken Sliders, with Mango Lassi Cheesecake, Rasmalai Cheesecake or Gulab Jamun Mousse for dessert. Our guide to party appetizers has more ideas.
What a First Birthday Costs in Calgary
Here is what a few first birthday orders come to at our current prices, before GST:
- Signature vegetarian for 48 guests: 48 × $32 = $1,536.
- Grand non-vegetarian for 60 guests: 60 × $43 = $2,580. Add a mocktail for every guest (60 × $6 = $360) for $2,940.
- Appetizer party for 48 guests: 48 each of Aloo Tikki Sliders ($232), Katori Chaat Cups ($216), Paneer Naan Bites ($172) and Mini Samosas ($36), 48 Mango Lassi Cheesecakes ($216) and 48 mocktails ($288), for $1,160.
A styled setup adds from $750 and includes delivery. Without a setup, delivery is $50 in Calgary. Your exact total shows on the order form as you build it, and our Indian catering cost guide explains how pricing works.
Styled Setups for a First Birthday Theme
A setup turns the food into part of the party. Setups are added to a food order and include delivery:
- Silver, from $750: setup and takedown, risers and display cubes, polished serveware, a printed menu and printed labels for each item.
- Gold, from $1,000: everything in Silver plus custom florals to match your theme. Our most popular setup.
- Platinum, from $1,250: adds theme styling for the food display and premium display elements.
- Diamond, from $1,500: adds custom branding, premium linens, candles and accent pieces, with full creative direction.
Our setups style the food table only. Balloons, backdrops and room decor come from a decorator, and we are happy to recommend some. Tell us your colours or theme when you book, and we will carry them through the food display.
Styled setups need about two weeks' notice. Risers, display cubes and printed labels come only with a setup, so they are not part of a delivery or pickup order.
Drinks for the Whole Family
Our drinks menu has 13 flavours, all alcohol-free, at $6 each with garnish included. Families often pick Mango Lassi, Mango Shake or Pink Rose Milk (Rooh Afza) alongside mocktails such as Lychee Lemonade, Mango Mojito and Mint Mojito. Mango Lassi, Mango Shake, Pink Rose Milk and Badam Milk contain dairy, and Badam Milk also contains almonds.
For pickup or delivery, drinks come in sealed 12 oz cans; ask us which flavours are available in cans. With a styled setup, they are poured and styled on site.
At Home or in a Banquet Hall
Pickup from our licensed kitchen at Kaladi Kitchens, Unit 10, 1420 40 Ave NE, is always free. Delivery is a timed drop-off with no setup or service, and the fee depends on the area:
- Calgary, Airdrie, Balzac and Conrich: $50
- Chestermere: $60
- Bearspaw, Springbank and Harmony: $75
- Cochrane, Okotoks and Priddis: $100
- Banff, Canmore and Red Deer: $400
For a hall, tell us the venue, the loading and access details, when we can set up and who the venue contact is. At home, tell us which surface the setup will sit on (a dining table, a kitchen island or a folding table) and its size. Plan for plates, cutlery and napkins too: you can provide your own or add them to your order.
Booking a First Birthday in Calgary
- Choose your food. Pick a mains package on the Catering Order Form, or build appetizers and desserts on Build Your Own. Both forms let you choose pickup, delivery or a setup and add drinks.
- Confirm. We confirm within 48 hours with a Square invoice, and a 50% deposit locks your date. We are taking bookings through May 2028.
- Fine-tune. Changes can be made up to 10 days before the party, and the balance is due one day before. All prices are before GST.
Winter first birthdays often land close to Lohri. If this is also your baby's first Lohri, our Lohri party catering guide covers that celebration too.
Please tell us about any allergies when you order, and check our Allergen Information Sheet for each item. All our food is prepared in a kitchen that handles gluten, nuts and meat. While we do our best to prevent cross-contamination, we are not an allergen-free kitchen and cannot guarantee that cross-contamination will not occur.
Not sure how much to order or which setup suits your theme? Book a call and we will plan it with you.
Frequently Asked Questions About First Birthday Catering in Calgary
How much food do we need for a first birthday?
For an appetizer party, we recommend 4 to 6 appetizers, one dessert and one mocktail per guest. If the party runs through lunch or dinner, a mains package covers the meal per person, with appetizers, mains, desserts, rice, roti, raita and salad included.
How much does first birthday catering cost in Calgary?
As examples before GST: a Signature vegetarian mains package for 48 guests is $1,536, and a Grand non-vegetarian package for 60 guests is $2,580. An appetizer party for 48 with four appetizers, one dessert and one mocktail per guest comes to about $1,160 at our Build Your Own prices. Styled setups start at $750 and include delivery.
Do you decorate the venue?
No. Our setups style the food table: risers, display cubes, serveware, a printed menu and labels, with florals from Gold and theme styling for the food display from Platinum. For balloons, backdrops and room decor, book a decorator, and we are happy to recommend some.
How far ahead should we book a first birthday?
As early as you can, especially for a winter date. A 50% deposit locks your date, styled setups need about two weeks' notice, and changes can be made up to 10 days before the party. We are taking bookings through May 2028.
Can you cater a first birthday in a banquet hall?
Yes. Delivery is a timed drop-off at your home or hall, and a styled setup is built on site and taken down afterwards. When you book, tell us the venue, the access and loading details, the setup time and the venue contact.
What should we know about allergies?
Please tell us about any allergies when you order, and check our Allergen Information Sheet for each item. All our food is prepared in a kitchen that handles gluten, nuts and meat. While we do our best to prevent cross-contamination, we are not an allergen-free kitchen and cannot guarantee that cross-contamination will not occur.
Plan Your Baby's First Birthday Spread
Choose a mains package on the Catering Order Form or build the menu on Build Your Own. If you're adding a setup, tell us your colours or theme in the notes, and we'll confirm everything within 48 hours.