For many Calgary families, a child's first birthday is one of the biggest gatherings of the year. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and family friends all come, and the adults holding plates often outnumber the kids. The food has to work for everyone: a proper party spread for the grown-ups, with a few simpler items for the kids.
Deep's Delights is a family-run Indian-fusion catering kitchen in NE Calgary. This post is part of our wider guide to home party catering, and we also cater the celebrations on either side: a Godh Bharai before the baby arrives, and a milestone birthday for the adults in the family.
Why Kids' Birthdays Are Really Family Parties
Most party advice for kids assumes a room full of children. A first or second birthday often looks different: the guest list is built around family, the party runs through lunch or dinner, and most of the people eating are adults who expect a real meal.
That changes how you order. Plan a spread that works as a full meal or a generous appetizer party, then add a few simpler items for the youngest guests. For example, a second birthday at home might pair a Platinum setup, styled around a theme the family chooses, with a menu planned for the whole guest list.
A Menu for the Grown-Ups and the Kids
There are two ways to build a birthday menu with us.
Appetizers and desserts by the item. 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. Popular appetizers include Katori Chaat Cups, Aloo Tikki Sliders, Mini Samosas and Tandoori Chicken Sliders, and popular desserts include Mango Lassi Cheesecake, Lotus Biscoff Mousse, Gulab Jamun Mousse and Rasmalai Cheesecake. Our guide to party appetizers has more ideas.
A mains package. If the party runs through a meal, 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.
Mains include Shahi Paneer, Palak Paneer and Daal Makhani on the vegetarian side, and Butter Chicken and Goat Curry on the non-vegetarian side.
Simple Picks for Younger Guests
We don't make a separate kids' menu, but simpler items such as Fruit Skewers, Custard Cups, Finger Sandwiches and Veggie Spring Rolls sit well beside the favourites. Fruit Skewers and Veggie Spring Rolls come in batches of 50; most other items start at 24 pieces. Sliders and dessert cups are easy to hold too, which helps when guests are eating on their feet. Please choose what suits your youngest guests (Fruit Skewers come on skewers), and ask us about any item when you order.
Theme It: What Platinum and Diamond Add
A delivery arrives ready to set out on your own tables. A styled setup is built at your home or hall and taken down afterwards. 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. 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, with full creative direction.
For a themed birthday, Platinum adds custom decor tailored to your theme and premium display elements; tell us the theme when you book and we'll confirm what we can do. Diamond adds custom branding, premium linens, candles and accent pieces, with full creative direction. If the desserts are the centrepiece, our dessert table guide has more ideas for a styled sweet spread.
Risers, display cubes and printed labels come only with a setup, so they are not part of a delivery or pickup order.
Drinks for Little Guests and Grown-Ups
Our drinks menu has 13 flavours, all alcohol-free, at $6 each with garnish included. For a birthday, look at Mango Shake, Mango Lassi, Pink Rose Milk (Rooh Afza) and Badam Milk, which all contain dairy (Badam Milk also contains almonds), alongside mocktails such as Lychee Lemonade, Mango Mojito and Mint Mojito.
Drinks are added to your food order:
- Pickup or delivery: sealed 12 oz cans; ask us which flavours are available in cans. Our canned mocktails guide explains how they travel with your food.
- Styled setup: poured and styled on site.
A note for parents: 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.
At Home or in a Hall: Delivery, Pickup and Setup
Pickup from our licensed kitchen at Kaladi Kitchens, Unit 10, 1420 40 Ave NE, is always free. Delivery is a timed drop-off to your home or hall, 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
Planning the Display at Home
A setup needs a surface to build on: our risers and display cubes sit on your table. When you book, tell us which surface you have in mind (a dining table, a kitchen island or a folding table), its size, and whether the party is indoors or outdoors. A photo of the space helps too.
Plan for plates, cutlery and napkins as well: you can provide your own, or add them to your order. Premium linens come with Diamond.
Planning a First Birthday Order
- Choose your food. Build appetizers and desserts on our Build Your Own page, or choose a mains package on the Catering Order Form. Both forms let you pick pickup, delivery or a setup, add drinks and list any allergies.
- Confirm. We confirm within 48 hours with a Square invoice, and a 50% deposit locks your date.
- Fine-tune. Changes can be made up to two weeks before the party, and the balance is due one day before. All prices are before GST.
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 Kids' Birthday Catering in Calgary
Can you cater a first birthday at home?
Yes. We deliver across Calgary and nearby towns, pickup from our NE Calgary kitchen is free, and we can style the food at your home with a setup from $750.
Which setup suits a themed birthday?
Platinum, from $1,250, adds custom decor for your theme and premium display elements. Diamond, from $1,500, adds custom branding, premium linens, candles, accent pieces and full creative direction. Gold, from $1,000, adds custom florals and is our most popular setup.
What is the minimum order?
Mains packages start at 24 guests and go up in steps of 12. Appetizers and desserts are ordered by the item. Most items have a 24-piece minimum and go up in steps of 12; a few, such as Fruit Skewers and Veggie Spring Rolls, come in batches of 50.
Can we order drinks the kids will like?
Our menu includes Mango Shake, Mango Lassi, Pink Rose Milk (Rooh Afza) and Badam Milk alongside mocktails such as Lychee Lemonade and Mango Mojito, each $6 with garnish included. Mango Shake, Mango Lassi, Pink Rose Milk and Badam Milk contain dairy, and Badam Milk contains almonds. For pickup or delivery, ask us which flavours are available in cans.
How much do appetizers and desserts cost?
Appetizers start from $18 per 24 pieces and desserts from $76 per 24 pieces, before GST. Most items have a 24-piece minimum and go up in steps of 12; a few, such as Fruit Skewers and Veggie Spring Rolls, come in batches of 50.
What should we know about allergies?
Please tell us about any allergies when you order. Pink Rose Milk, Mango Lassi, Mango Shake and Badam Milk contain dairy, and Badam Milk contains almonds. Our Allergen Information Sheet lists the allergens in 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 Child's Birthday Spread
Build the menu on Build Your Own or choose a mains package on the Catering Order Form, If you're adding a setup, tell us your theme in the notes, and we'll confirm everything within 48 hours.