Shiva Catering
Shiva Catering in Lakewood NJ
A shiva is not planned the way a simcha is planned. The call comes, the house fills, and somebody has to feed everyone who walks in. We staff shiva meals and shiva gatherings with short-notice availability, because the notice is the problem, not the event.
About this event
The rules around shiva meals are specific, and the people who host them know them well. What they need is help with the practical side: someone to cook, someone to serve, someone to clear and clean, and somebody who can step in at short notice without asking a dozen questions first.
We keep a small number of crews available for same-day and next-day bookings in the Lakewood area. When a family calls in the morning, we can often have a crew at their door that evening.
What we provide on site
Our shiva crew handles the cooking and the kitchen, the service of the meal, the drinks, the clearing and the cleanup of the room afterwards. Families hosting a shiva at home are usually in a spare room or a kitchen, so the crew works in a space that is smaller than a hall and keeps the rest of the house usable.
Our crews are Shomer Shabbos and work under KCL supervision, which is the part that matters most here: a shiva home has its own religious observers, its own kashrut and its own schedule, and our crew works within all of it.
- Kitchen help for cooking and for the dishes afterwards
- Waiters for the guests who come and go through the evening
- Cleanup of the service area and the kitchen at the end of the night
- Same-day and next-day availability in the Lakewood area
How it works with your caterer
Some families use their own caterer for shiva meals and some need help in the kitchen instead. Both work. If a caterer is involved, we coordinate with them in the same way we do for any event, so the kitchen and the service run on one plan.
Where there is no caterer, our kitchen help cooks to the family's own instructions and to the menu the family has in mind, including the dishes customarily served at a shiva.
Pricing notes
Shiva staffing is quoted per event, per hour or as a package across the days of the shiva, depending on how the family wants it set up. Because shiva bookings are often made at short notice, we quote quickly and in writing, with the hours itemised.
Where the work spans several consecutive days, a package quote is usually easier for the family to budget against.
FAQ
Are you available for shiva at short notice?
Yes. We keep crews available for same-day and next-day bookings in the Lakewood area because that is how shiva meals usually happen. Call us as early as you can and we will tell you honestly whether we can cover the evening.
Can your staff cook for a shiva meal?
Yes. Our kitchen help can prepare and cook the meal to the family's instructions, handle the dishes and leave the house clean. If your family has its own caterer, we can also provide service staff and kitchen help alongside them.
Are your staff Shomer Shabbos and kosher supervised?
Yes. All of our staff are Shomer Shabbos and work under the supervision of the Kashrus Council of Lakewood. A shiva home keeps its own religious practice, and our crew works within it without needing to be reminded on the day.
Can we book staff for several days of a shiva?
Yes, and it is often the simplest option. We quote a package across the days so the family knows the cost in advance, and we keep the same crew coming back so they become part of the routine rather than a new face every evening.
Ready to book?
Send us the date, the venue, the guest count and the hours. We will come back with the crew that fits this event and a quote itemised by role and by hour.