The keys are yours, the boxes are mostly unpacked, and everyone you know wants the tour. A housewarming is a chance to thank the people who helped you get here and to show off the new place. It is also a party hosted in a kitchen you have barely cooked in.
Deep's Delights is a family-run Indian-fusion caterer in Calgary. We cook in a licensed commercial kitchen in NE Calgary and bring party food to homes across the city and the towns around it. This guide covers housewarming catering, from food that works during a house tour to styled setups, mocktails and delivery. For catering any celebration at your place, see our guide to home party catering.
Why a Housewarming Is the Party Not to Cook For
A housewarming has its own rhythm. Guests arrive in waves, wander from room to room and gather in the kitchen to talk. You are giving tours, not plating. And a new kitchen is rarely ready for a crowd: the good platters are still in a box, the pantry is half stocked, and the oven is one you are still getting to know.
A good spread does more than feed people: the food becomes part of the welcome.
Food That Works While Guests Tour the House
Finger food is the natural fit. Guests can hold a plate in one hand and point out the view with the other, and nobody has to wait for dinner. On our Build Your Own form, appetizers and desserts are ordered by the piece, with a 24-piece minimum for most items, in steps of 12. Appetizers start from $18 per 24 pieces and desserts from $76 per 24.
Popular picks that are easy to eat standing up include Katori Chaat Cups, Aloo Tikki Sliders, Mini Samosas and Tandoori Chicken Sliders, with Mango Lassi Cheesecake, Lotus Biscoff Mousse, Gulab Jamun Mousse and Rasmalai Cheesecake to finish. Our guide to Indian appetizers for parties has more ideas.
With pickup or delivery, cold items such as chaat cups and dessert cups come in the same individual cups you see in our photos, and warm items such as sliders and samosas come in tin warming trays with clear covers. The platters, risers and labels in our photos come with a styled setup. Hosting in summer? Our backyard and garden party guide covers food for the deck and lawn.
When the Housewarming Is Also a Pooja or Path
Some families pair a housewarming with a griha pravesh or a path. If yours will, every mains package comes in a vegetarian version: Signature at $32, Grand at $40 and Luxe at $56 per person, each with rice, roti, raita and salad. Vegetarian here means no meat or fish. Some vegetarian items contain egg, so please check our Allergen Information Sheet as you choose. You can compare the packages on our mains packages page.
Our dishes are made to our standard recipes, so please share any religious food requirements before you order and we will tell you plainly which items fit.
Make the First Impression: Styled Setups in a New Home
A styled setup turns your kitchen island into the first stop on the tour. Setups are added to your food order, and every setup includes 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: adds custom florals. Our most popular setup.
- Platinum, from $1,250: adds custom decor tailored to your theme and premium display elements.
- Diamond, from $1,500: adds custom branding, premium linens, candles and accent pieces, and full creative direction.
If desserts are the star, our dessert table guide shows how a sweet display comes together. Risers, display cubes and printed labels come with setups only. When you book a setup in your new home, we settle a few details with you:
- The surface. The display sits on your kitchen island or a table, so tell us which one and roughly how big it is.
- Plates, cutlery, napkins and linens. You can provide your own plates, cutlery and napkins, or add them to your order. Premium linens come with Diamond.
- Timing. We agree with you on what time we arrive to set up and when we collect our display pieces.
Mocktails for a Housewarming
Every housewarming needs a toast to the new place. Our mocktails are $6 each, garnish included, and are added to your catering order. With pickup or delivery they come in sealed 12 oz cans; ask us which flavours are available in cans, and see our canned mocktails guide for how they arrive. With a styled setup, they are poured and styled on site as part of your display.
From our 13 flavours, a few housewarming picks: Lychee Lemonade or Mango Mojito for something bright, Pink Rose Milk (Rooh Afza) or Badam Milk for guests who love the classics, and Nila Jharna (Blue Waterfall) or Jamuni Spritz for colour on the table.
All of our mocktails are alcohol-free. Pink Rose Milk, Mango Lassi, Mango Shake and Badam Milk contain dairy, and Badam Milk contains almonds. Please check our Allergen Information Sheet before you order. 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.
Delivery to New Communities Around Calgary
A new home often means a new neighbourhood on the edge of the city or in one of the towns around it. Delivery to Airdrie, Balzac and Conrich costs the same $50 as anywhere in Calgary.
- Calgary, Airdrie, Balzac and Conrich: $50
- Chestermere: $60
- Bearspaw, Springbank and Harmony: $75
- Cochrane, Okotoks and Priddis: $100
- Banff, Canmore and Red Deer: $400
Pickup from our kitchen at Kaladi Kitchens, Unit 10, 1420 40 Ave NE is free.
How to Order Housewarming Catering
- Build your menu on Build Your Own, or choose a mains package on the Catering Order Form.
- We confirm within 48 hours with a Square invoice.
- A 50% deposit locks your date.
- Changes can be made up to two weeks before your housewarming, and the balance is due one day before.
All prices are before GST. Want to talk it through first? Book a call with us.
Frequently Asked Questions About Housewarming Catering in Calgary
Can you cater a housewarming for 24 guests?
Yes. Mains packages start at 24 guests and go up in steps of 12. Appetizers and desserts are ordered by the item, with a 24-piece minimum for most items, also in steps of 12.
Do you offer vegetarian menus?
Yes. Every mains package comes in a vegetarian version: Signature at $32, Grand at $40 and Luxe at $56 per person, before GST. Each includes rice, roti, raita and salad. Some vegetarian items contain egg, so please check our Allergen Information Sheet.
Will you set up the food for us?
Setup and takedown come with our styled setups. Silver, from $750, also includes risers and display cubes, polished serveware, a printed menu and printed labels, and every setup includes delivery.
How much is delivery to Airdrie or Chestermere?
Delivery is $50 to Airdrie, the same as Calgary, Balzac and Conrich, and $60 to Chestermere. Pickup from our NE Calgary kitchen is free.
Can we add mocktails?
Yes. Mocktails are $6 each, garnish included, and are added to your catering order. With pickup or delivery they come in sealed 12 oz cans; with a styled setup they are poured and styled on site.
Show Off the New Place
You did the hard part when you moved in; let the food be the easy part. Build your housewarming menu on Build Your Own or choose a mains package on the Catering Order Form, and our family kitchen will take care of the food.