Frequently Asked Questions

• How far in advance should we book?

  The sooner the better! Our calendar is filling up quickly and we cannot wait to work with you.

• Is Burnham's Clambake fully insured?

  Burnham's Clambake is fully insured and is fully licensed in Massachusetts. Individual towns may have varying license requirements which we can discuss in advance of your event.

• Does Burnham's Clambake make having a catered event easy?

  Burnham's Clambake makes catering your event Easy Peasy and Fun! Here are some answers on getting started.

  Date Confirmation

  In order for us to save a date for your event we ask that you complete our online Get A Quote form or call the sales office to make sure we can accommodate you. Upon receiving your request and you have selected a menu; we will send you our agreement and ask that you complete the contract and return it to us with your deposit.

  We require a minimum $1,000.00 non-refundable deposit with the exception of larger groups we will take on a case by case basis. We ask that payments be made using cash, check or credit card. Once your contract and deposit have been received, we will consider the date saved and you will receive a confirmation email reiterating your date, estimated head count, as well as your proposed site. If we do not hear from you as your date approaches, we will contact you 14 days prior to your serve date and ask that you have a final head count with the appropriate entrée selections for each of your guests. The balance will be due 14 days prior to your outing unless prior arrangements are agreed upon.

  Serve Time

  When choosing a serve time we ask that you be as conscientious of that time as possible. If you are planning to have cocktails, we suggest that you select a serve time that is a minimum of (1) one hour after the planned arrival of your guests. Our goal is to provide our customers with the very best product possible and, to this end, we ask that you be cognizant of the serve time that you have selected.

  The Day Of

  You can plan on our staff arriving with everything necessary to efficiently prepare, serve, and clean up (including trash removal) approximately (1 1/2) one and half hour prior to the selected serve time. We ask that you make every effort to save space for our vehicles as close to your desired site as possible and that a pathway from the designated parking area to the serving area be kept clear. When selecting a serving area please look for a spot that will be convenient for our staff to set up serving tables and cooking equipment. In addition, if you are planning on having us serve after dusk, a lighting arrangement would be greatly appreciated.

  Clean-up

  Once the meal has been served, we will begin removing the rubbish that is associated with the meal; we will do our best to leave the site as we found it. At this point we ask that you be prepared to remit the remainder of your bill and any gratuity you see fit unless both client and contractor have agreed upon prior arrangements.

• How will the meal be served?

  Our meals are served buffet style in separate courses. Generally speaking, chowder & steamers will be served first, followed by corn and the entrée will come shortly thereafter.

• What is Burnham’s Clambake rainy day policy?

  You may postpone your clambake if you notify us at least (24) twenty-four hours in advance of the event. Otherwise, we will come prepared to serve rain or shine, if you choose to hold your event in the rain, you must provide covering for the servers while they are cooking (such as a garage overhang or a separate tent) and a space for two serving tables near the space where you plan to serve your guests. Postponed meals will be served on a date and time that are mutually agreeable to both client and contractor, we cannot guarantee a Saturday rain date June through September.

• What about a serving time?

  Please do not confuse the serving time with the arrival time of your guests. If you are planning to have cocktails, we suggest a serving time of 1 hour after the arrival time of your guests. It is important to provide our staff with the correct serving time so that our crew can have your food properly prepared and hot when you want it.

• Do you offer a full bar?

  Absolutely! We can customize offering to suit your event.

• What does Burnham's Clambake supply for our event?

  Great food and courteous staff, our own serving tables covered with white linen, all utensils, paper products, wet naps, lobster bibs, seafood picks and rubbish barrels with plastic liners including rubbish removal. We do not supply tables & chairs for guest seating.

• What do we need to provide for our event?

  A suitable event site, tenting (if needed), tables, chairs, beverages and hungry guests who want to really enjoy themselves. Soda, iced tea, lemonade and bottle water are available at an additional cost. Burnham's Clambake is fully licensed to serve alcoholic beverages.

• Do you supply tents, tables, chairs, linens or place settings?

  We do not supply these but we work with several companies who can assist you.

• What happens if our headcount is off?

  Please do your very best not to let this happen. However, we do bring extra entrée servings and we will do our best to accommodate those who are unexpected, within reason. We will require fourteen day’s notice for a guaranteed number of guests. The number may be increased but not decreased after that date. The menu selections must be confirmed ten days in advance. Additions, but not deletions, can be made up until 24 hours before the event

• How long will it take to be served?

  Our goal is that no one waits in line more than 15 minutes whether you have 100 or 1000 in your group. Serving time is approximately an hour and half if you require extended serve additional fees could apply and agreed upon prior to event.

• Will "seconds" be available?

  We normally offer seconds on all items except lobster, steak and chicken.

• What should we look for when choosing a “site”?

  We pride ourselves on being able to cook and serve wherever you like. However, the following circumstances would be ideal:

  1. A minimum 10’x10’ stable, fire retardant surface (preferably dirt, tar, or concrete) that is roughly 10 or more feet away from a house or trees on which we can set up our steamers.
  2. A flat area larger enough to accommodate our serving and condiment tables
• Can't I just host my own clambake or barbecue?

  Clambakes and barbeques are two of the most popular catered events in New England. While it is certainly possible to put together your own clambake or BBQ, some things are best left to the professionals and the experts.

  Burnhman’s has been handling catered events for decades, and we can take away all of the pressure of prep work, cooking, serving, and cleaning up so that you are free to enjoy your catered event with your guests.

  To learn more about Burnham’s Catering, fill in our Get A Quote online form or call us at 978-252-4400 and leave everything to us!