Canapés
Our canapé catering service is designed for events where guests can move, mingle, and enjoy a continuous flow of food. At Radish Events, we serve restaurant-quality, bite-sized dishes through experienced waitstaff, with chefs on-site to prepare and finish items fresh. Our team manages dietary requirements and service flow throughout the event, ensuring a seamless and well-paced experience from start to finish.
Ideal for:
Corporate networking events, launches and brand activations
Weddings with a relaxed format or limited seating
Cocktail-style events where guests are mingling rather than seated
How it works:
Guests arrive and are greeted with drinks
Canapés are served by our waitstaff over 1–4 hours
Menu rotates between hot and cold items
Optional upgrades (food stations, desserts)
Menu
*GF gluten free | DF dairy free | NF nut free | VG vegetarian | VN vegan
Recommended formats:
Party starters | 4 small canapés (to be added to other formats)
Main event | 5 small canapés + 1 substantial + 1 sweet
Feast Mode | 6 small canapés + 2 substantials + 2 sweet
small canapés
(veg)
Betel leaf, green papaya nest, pineapple jam, vegan nuoc cham-style dressing, crushed peanuts and kaffir lime leaf | GF, Vegan, DF
Watermelon tartare, house-made ponzu dressing, charred corn & wakame, served in crispy pani puri shells | Vegan, NF, DF
Olive, anchovie, guindilla gilda, served on a metal skewer | DF, GF, NF
Seasonal veg rice paper roll, hoisin peanut sauce, shiso leaf, soft herbs | Vegan, DF, GF
Mini tartlets with whipped stracciatella mousse, roasted green olives, smoked oil | Vgt, NF
Creamy bechamel mushrooms croquettes topped with fermented black garlic and chives | Vgt, NF
Our sublime choux pastry filled with whipped goat's chèvre, topped with honey (Blue Mountains) and chives | Vgt, NF
Cacio e pepe tapioca pearl squares, crunchy thin crust, warm cheesy inside, topped with lots of finely grated Pyengana (TAS) cheese and black pepper | GF, Vgt, NF
Crispy corn tostada topped with house guacamole, finely chopped iceberg lettuce, guajillo chilli oil | Vegan, GF, DF
(meat / fish)
Aussie sardines, whipped noisette butter, pickled guindilla, soft herbs, served on puff pastry | NF
King prawn toast (Spencer Gulf), made with our signature focaccia, curly green shallots, sweet & sour chilli jam | DF, NF
Fried crispy chicken bites, marinated in smoked paprika yoghourt, house fermented chilli mayo, saffron pickled daikon | GF, NF
Pasture-raised cured beef carpaccio style, fried rye airy chiacchiere biscuit, dijon custard, house pickles | NF
Sydney's best Falafel (Cheeky Pea), our taramasalata, kelp salad, burnt onion ash | DF, GF, NF
Slightly fried Nduja and caramelised onions on toast, topped with a translucent slice of lardo and fried sage | DF, NF
Kangaroo tartare, roasted macadamia oil dressing, fermented chilli flakes, baby capers, sourdough crostinis garnished with ‘biquinho’ pepper | DF
Zero-waste fish rillettes, smoked in-house with cherry wood, seaweed crackers & watermelon radish | DF, NF, GF
Creamy and full brine Appellation oysters, freshly shucked in-house, paired with upcycled pickled Radish foam, crushed pink pepper skin | GF, DF, NF
substantial canapés
Crispy chicken Katsu sando (Japanese style), white bread, shredded white cabbage, dijon mayo | NF
King prawns (Spencer Gulf) slider, with our lacto-fermented red chilli cocktail sauce, brioche buns, dusted with Australian native pepper berries and davidson plum | NF
Pasture-raised pulled pork sliders, milk bun, coleslaw, house pickles | NF
Tofu slider marinated in floral guajillo chilli pepper & achiote, milk bun, coleslaw, house pickles | Vgt, NF (Vegan upon request)
Ruffle Farm Mushroom risotto (indoor farm local to St Peters), incorporating surplus mushrooms from the farm, sautéed dark greens, Parmigiano pangrattato | Vgt, GF, NF (Vegan upon request)
Soft potato gnocchi hand-shaped at ours, made with dutch cream potatoes, served warm and saucy! Select one:
Cherry tomato passata, NSW Evoo, basil, Pecora Dairy sheep cheese | Vgt, NF
Our bright green upcycled herb pesto, NSW Evoo | Vgt, NF
Our Cheeky friend’s best-in-Sydney falafels - served with roasted cauliflower, velvety hummus, fresh parsley, sliced tomato, tahini sauce, and lacto-fermented chilli | DF, GF, VN, NF
Pasture-raised pork tacos, cooked for 5 hours in a flavourful blend of Mexican guajillo chiles, achiote, zesty orange, and well-hydrated in our favourite beer. Topped with coriander and limes. *Veg alternative: achiote roasted cauliflower | GF, Vegan*, DF, NF
sweet canapés
Our flourless chocolate brownies, toasted walnuts, Murray River salt and wattle seeds sprinkle | GF, Vgt
Freshly baked Choux pastries filled with mandarin & orange mousseline | Vgt, NF
TiramiChoux - our house choux bun, mascarpone cream, spent coffee & wattleseed powder sugar | Vgt, NF
Fresh cannolis, filled with various flavours (ricotta, vanilla, pistachio, chocolate, limone) | Vgt, NF*
Mini maritozzi, filled with various flavours (crema, chocolate, pistachio) | Vgt, NF*
Mini seasonal fruit and cream tart | Vgt, NF
late night snacks
(pastries made in house, can be left onsite without chefs)
Ras el hanout spiced Lamb sausage rolls, made in-house, served with tomato chutney. Veg alt: ricotta and spinach* | NF, VG
Barbacoa style pork empanadas, chimichurri | NF
Seasonal veggie empanadas, chimichurri | NF, VG
(served by our chefs)
Radish hotdog, inspired by Copenhagen vibes, house pickles, crispy onions | DF, NF
Kimchi grilled cheese squares | NF, VG
Popcorn seasoned with our zero-waste veggie powder *add truffle salami +$1 | NF, DF, VN*
Slow roasted lamb shoulder, pulled and served on flat bread, with cumin yoghurt and house pickles | NF *substantial +$4
What’s included:
Menu design tailored to your event and guests
Experienced waitstaff to manage service and guest flow
Chefs on-site to prepare and finish dishes fresh
Full dietary management (including vegan, gluten-free, etc.)
All required equipment for seamless service
FAQ for canapés
Here are some frequently asked questions about our Canapés service. If you’re keen on finding out more about our services and how we can help you with your event, get in touch =)
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This depends on the length and style of your event. For a short event (around 1 hour), we recommend approximately 4 canapés per person. For a standard cocktail-style event (around 2 hours), 6–7 canapés per person is typical. For longer events (up to 3 hours), our “feast-style” approach includes 9–10 canapés per person, with a mix of substantial and sweet items to create a more complete dining experience. It’s also worth noting we always bring around 10% extra buffer for each canapé when we come to an event, so you can be sure you’ll be covered.
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The cost of canapé catering depends on the length of your event, guest numbers, and the level of service required. As a general guide, canapé menus typically start from around $40 per person for food. For a more substantial or longer event, this can go up to around $90 per person. In addition to the food, you’ll need to allow for chefs and waitstaff (usually $10–$15 per person), as well as any equipment required to deliver the service. We tailor each quote based on your event to ensure the right balance of food, staffing, and experience.
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Our canapés are unapologetically bold and chunky. Little finicky canapés that look fancy but taste average are not our thing. We like them vibrant, a bit kooky and packed full of flavour.
We have separated our menu into single-bite canapés, and substantial canapés. Our single-bites are small morsels of goodness, and can be served as an entrée, as a post-ceremony reception at a wedding, or as a sequence for the main event. Pair them with 1 or 2 substantials to have your guests properly fed.
For ease of planning, we have put together our recommended ‘packages’, but our team can help you figure out what the best set up is for you - whether it’s a full canapé service, or paired with our other catering services.
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Just the same as the rest of our menus, our canapés catering is designed with a zero waste mindset, and cooked using ethically sourced ingredients. To learn more about our food philosophy, click here.
Our operation and service of canapés in Sydney is also considered in our CO2 emissions offset program, which is made possible by our partners at OurTrace.
Regarding quantities: our expert team of event coordinators and chefs have many years of experience to draw from when we make our menu suggestions. This means we will offer the quantities we think are the best fit for your type of event and crowd. Our sales team will never try to push for a package that is too much for you, or upsell you on something you don’t need. This way, you get the best service, and we avoid unnecessary food waste.
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We are big believers in producing / cooking most things in house, and outsourcing only to small local producers who are masters in their craft. Luckily, we are surrounded by incredible artisans and small businesses that make amazing products. Some have been at it for many decades, like the Spanish charcuterie experts at La Boqueria, and some are just starting out now, like Sarah and her oat-based vegan cream cheese from Compassion Creamery.
We are committed to supporting this community of like-minded businesses, and shining the light on their products whenever we have them as part of our menus. We are proud to walk hand in hand with them - after all, we’re in this together.