How Catering Orders Behave When Bookings Change or Are Cancelled

Written By Natalia Povrozniak (Administrator)

Updated on October 20th, 2026

Table of Contents

Space booking updates Timing changes Catering state and progress at the time of update System behaviour Creating catering orders Creating catering before preparation starts and before menu cut‑off Creating catering before preparation starts but after menu cut‑off Creating catering after preparation has started, but before menu cut‑off Creating catering after preparation has started and after menu cut‑off Creating catering after cut‑off with override permission Updating bookings (no cancellation) Updating only minor details (for example, booking name, description, or attendance) Updating booking start time Moving bookings to another space Moving to another space in the same building or floor Moving to another space in the same building or floor after preparation has started Moving to a different floor Moving to a different building Cancelling a booking Cancelling a catering order

This article explains what happens to catering orders when you create them or update, move, or cancel a booking. The outcome depends on three things:

Timing: whether the menu cut-off has passed and whether preparation of the catering items has started.
Order progress: the order's status when the change is made, for example Pending Approval, Approved or Ready for Prep.
Your permissions and settings: whether you have the Ignore Cut-Off permission, and whether your organisation uses the Always Approve Catering Orders setting.

These rules apply to anyone who can create and update catering orders.

Space booking updates

To booking name
To booking description
To booking attendance
To booking start and/or end time to be before or after the start of the preparation time for the earliest catering item
Location changes
- Moving a booking within the same building within the same floor
- Moving a booking within the same building to a different floor
- Moving a booking to a different building
- Moving to:
  - A space with the same catering menu
  - A space without the same catering menu

Timing changes

Maximum preparation time for a set of selected catering items
Catering menu cut‑off time
Orders created:
- Before the earliest catering item preparation starts
- After the preparation starts
- Before catering menu cut‑off
- After catering menu cut‑off
- Exactly at preparation boundaries
- Very close to service time

Catering state and progress at the time of update

Orders that have:
- Not started preparation
- Started preparation
- Reached later preparation or completion stages
Orders in different lifecycle states (approved, pending review, ready for prep, completed)
Service time of the catering order to be before or after the start of the preparation time for earliest catering item

System behaviour

Catering status is re‑evaluated automatically after booking changes
The system keeps unavailable catering item in the order but highlights in red for the reference
The system warns if the order will be cancelled after the update and explains why
The system allows moving the booking to any other space depending on set criteria. The system validates the menu availability in the updated space after the change is made. Organisation's catering teams can help resolve issues with catering order status changes or other issues.

Creating catering orders

If catering order is created leaving enough time to prepare all included catering items and the menu cut‑off is in the future, the order is created successfully.

Even though there's enough time for preparation and it has not started, the system prevents creation once the menu cut‑off time has passed.

If catering preparation has already started, the system will not allow a new catering order, even if the menu cut‑off has not yet passed. Remove the item that needs more time for preparation to create the catering order.

When both catering preparation has started and the menu cut‑off has passed, the order cannot be created.

Creating catering after cut‑off with override permission

If the user has permission to ignore the menu cut‑off, the catering order is created, even though the cut‑off time has passed.

Updating bookings (no cancellation)

Updating only minor details (for example, booking name, description, or attendance)

Minor changes do not affect catering. The catering order and its status remain unchanged for:

Approved catering orders
Orders Pending Approval
Update happening before or after the catering menu cut-off time

When changing the number of attendees, automated catering orders are updated accordingly: number of items is multiplied by the the updated number of attendees.

Updating booking start time

If the updated time still occurs before preparation begins and before the menu cut-off, no catering status change occurs: Approved or Pending Approval as it was before the change.

If the updated time still occurs before preparation begins and after the menu cut-off, no catering status change occurs: Approved or Pending Approval as it was before the change.

If the booking start time moves the catering inside or outside of the preparation time (after the earliest preparation has begun), the catering order is marked as “Cancellation Pending”. The only orders that are not cancelled are the ones in the status Ready for Prep or Completed. Any other order is cancelled.

Moving bookings to another space

Moving to another space in the same building or floor

Without the same menu:
- Before the preparation starts: catering order moves to the Cancelled - No Charge status.
- After the preparation starts: catering order moves to the Cancellation Pending status.
With the same menu:
- Before preparation, the catering order remains unchanged: Approved or Pending Approval.

Moving to another space in the same building or floor after preparation has started

The catering order remains unchanged if the new space has the same menu.

The catering order moves to Cancellation Pending if the menu is not available in the new space.

Moving to a different floor

If the booking is moved to a different floor where the same menu is not available, the catering order is cancelled.

If the booking is moved to a different floor, the same menu is available in the new space, and if it's before the start of preparation of items, the catering order stays in the initial status: Approved or Pending Approval.

Moving to a different building

When you move a booking to another building, its catering order doesn't move with it. The order is cancelled, even if the same menu is available in the new building. Whether you may be charged depends on whether preparation has started:

Before preparation starts: the order is cancelled with the Cancelled – No Charge status.
After preparation starts: the order is cancelled with the Cancellation Pending status. The catering team reviews it and decides whether you are charged.

This applies to orders that are Pending Approval or Approved, whether the menu cut-off has passed or not. The Ignore Cut-Off permission doesn't change it.

Orders that are already past Approved, for example Ready for Prep, are not cancelled automatically. Contact the catering team about these.

To have catering in the new building, create a new catering order there. The new building's menu cut-off and preparation times apply.

Cancelling a booking

Cancelling before preparation starts
- The booking and catering are cancelled with no charge.
Cancelling after preparation has started
- The catering order is set to “Cancellation Pending” for review.

Cancelling a catering order

If cancelling before preparation starts, order is cancelled with the status Cancellation No Charge.
If cancelling after preparation starts, order is cancelled with the status Cancellation Pending. The responsible team will decide if you should be charged.
If the person cancelling has the IgnoreCutOff permission, they will decide the following catering order status.