Vegetarian Catering Sydney: Patagonia and Classic at Every Table

What is the best vegetarian catering option in Sydney?

The best vegetarian catering in Sydney is the option your meat-eating guests want to steal off the vegetarian plate. That is the test. If the plant-based food is a parallel menu that only the vegetarians touch, you have created two events at one table.

Argentum solves this with two empanadas that vegetarians and vegans actively choose, and meat-eaters reach for without realising. Patagonia uses a green dough coloured with spinach and parsley, filled with mushroom, spinach, kale, carrot, garlic, onion and potato cheese. It is fully vegan. The Classic is a four-cheese vegetarian empanada built around mozzarella, with the same golden dough as the rest of the range.

Both are baked or fried (in beef tallow only on the meat empanadas; vegetarian options are kept separate) on the day, served warm, and look identical on the platter to the Carnivore, The Athlete and Habibi Yalla. No separate trays. No "vegetarian table" in the corner.

Are there vegan catering options at Argentum?

Yes. Patagonia is fully vegan: vegan dough (no egg, no dairy), vegan filling, vegan cooking method. It is the only empanada in the range that carries a different dough colour, which makes it visually obvious to vegan guests at a buffet.

If your event needs a vegan-only menu, Patagonia can be ordered as a stand-alone pack of 12 or scaled into a Party Box or catering quantity. For mixed events, see the next section.

If you want a deeper look at the plant-based product itself outside of catering, see Vegan empanadas: a delicious plant-based twist.

How do you cater for a mixed vegetarian/non-vegetarian group?

The rule we use for mixed-diet catering: build the order around the meat-eaters, then layer vegetarian and vegan options at 30 to 40% of total volume. Most Sydney offices and events skew this way, and it leaves enough plant-based food for vegetarian guests to eat freely without rationing.

A working split for 50 guests, three empanadas per head (150 total):

• 60 meat empanadas across Carnivore, The Athlete and Habibi Yalla
• 50 Classic (vegetarian, four-cheese)
• 40 Patagonia (vegan, green dough)

That gives every guest at least one of each plant-based option, while still feeding meat-eaters two meat empanadas each. For 100-guest events, see catering for 100 people in Sydney. For 50-guest planning, see catering for 50 people.

How many vegetarian empanadas per guest for a mixed event?

Plan for 1.5 to 2 vegetarian or vegan empanadas per guest, regardless of how many of your guests are actually vegetarian. The reason is overflow: meat-eaters will eat Patagonia and Classic if they like the look of them, and most do. Under-ordering plant-based food at a mixed event leaves vegetarian guests with one empanada while everyone else has three.

Guests	Total empanadas	Vegetarian + vegan share	Meat share
20	60	24 (40%)	36
50	150	60 (40%)	90
100	300	120 (40%)	180
150	450	180 (40%)	270

If your guest list is more than 30% vegetarian or vegan, flip the ratio: 60% plant-based, 40% meat.

What is in the Patagonia vegan empanada?

Patagonia is the most ingredient-dense empanada in the Argentum range. The filling combines mushroom, spinach, kale, carrot, garlic, onion and a potato cheese base that holds the vegetables together without dairy. The dough is folded with spinach and parsley, which gives it the distinctive green colour and a subtle herb finish.

It is fully vegan. No egg wash, no dairy, no animal-derived ingredients. The baking process uses olive oil rather than beef tallow for the vegetarian options, kept separate from the meat empanadas during cooking.

Approximate macros (estimated, not lab-tested): roughly 11 to 13g protein per piece, depending on size. Always treat empanada macros as approximate.

What is in the Classic vegetarian empanada?

The Classic is the four-cheese vegetarian option: mozzarella, with a blend of complementary cheeses, baked into the golden Argentinian dough. No meat. No olives. No surprises for guests with simple palates.

This is the empanada that converts sceptical vegetarian guests at corporate events. It looks like every other empanada on the platter, which means a vegetarian guest does not have to flag down a staff member to ask which one is theirs. They just take three from the tray, same as everyone else.

Can Argentum do gluten-free vegetarian catering?

Gluten-free empanadas are available by request, on large catering orders, with a week's notice. This is not a standard retail option. If your event has gluten-free vegetarian or vegan guests, please flag it when you enquire so the kitchen can prep a separate dough batch in the same window as your main order.

The gluten-free dough is made with a tested flour blend that holds shape when baked. It is filled with the same Patagonia or Classic fillings, so the eating experience is consistent with the rest of the platter.

What about halal vegetarian options?

Argentum offers a halal option on catering, by request, with a week's notice. Vegan and halal options are included in the catering range for mixed-diet events. Patagonia is naturally suitable as a vegan option for halal guests who want a plant-based pick. The Classic is vegetarian and the cheese is sourced to be halal-compatible when the halal option is requested at order.

For dedicated halal events, including the meat empanadas prepared to halal specifications, see halal catering Sydney.

How far in advance for vegetarian catering Sydney?

Standard catering: 3 to 5 business days for orders up to 100 guests. The kitchen makes empanadas to order, so we batch your event's volume on a single day to keep the dough and filling at peak texture.

For larger events (150-plus guests), weddings, or any order that needs gluten-free or halal: a full week's notice, longer if possible. Weddings book out 4 to 8 weeks ahead in peak season. See wedding catering Sydney planning guide.

"We had 60 guests and roughly a third were vegetarian. The Patagonia disappeared first. People kept asking which one had the green dough." Sydney corporate event host (paraphrased from catering feedback)

Vegetarian lunchbox catering for offices

Smaller weekly office orders work well in the Classic pack of 12 or mixed boxes. For lunchbox-style catering at desks (no plating, no warming), the empanadas can be served at room temperature, which keeps the dough texture for 30 to 45 minutes after baking. See vegan lunchbox ideas Sydney.

Why two vegetarian flavours, not five

Some catering brands run six or eight vegetarian SKUs and call it a strength. Argentum runs two, deliberately. The reason is volume and consistency. Patagonia is the most ingredient-dense empanada in the kitchen, and the dough is a separate batch from the standard golden dough. Running two excellent plant-based options at scale is more useful for a Sydney corporate event than running five mediocre ones.

The pair covers the two real catering needs: vegan (Patagonia) and vegetarian-with-cheese (Classic). Between them, every plant-based dietary preference at a Sydney corporate event is handled, from strict vegans to lacto-vegetarians to flexitarians who simply prefer a meatless option.

Pricing vegetarian catering in Sydney

The same pricing applies to vegetarian and meat options. There is no plant-based premium or discount. Patagonia and Classic are priced identically to the Carnivore, The Athlete and Habibi Yalla.

• Chef's Box: $85, our minimum order, mixed flavours possible
• Family Box: $132 (or $122 on subscribe), 30 empanadas, fits a small office lunch
• Party Box: $279 to $319, 60 empanadas, fits 20 to 30 guests at a Sydney event
• Corporate Box: $499, the standard catering format for office events of 40 to 60 guests

For corporate ordering with invoicing and lead times, see empanadas catering.

FAQ

Is Patagonia vegan or just vegetarian?

Patagonia is fully vegan. The dough contains no egg or dairy, and the filling is plant-based throughout.

Can I order an all-vegetarian catering platter?

Yes. Order Patagonia and Classic in any ratio. Most all-vegetarian events use a 50/50 split.

Do meat-eaters actually eat the vegetarian empanadas?

At mixed events, Patagonia is typically the second-fastest empanada off the platter after Carnivore. The Classic disappears almost as fast.

What is the minimum order for vegetarian catering in Sydney?

The minimum order is $85, which is the Chef's Box. Most catering orders start at a Party Box (60 empanadas, $279) or scale up.

Can vegetarian empanadas be served cold?

They are best served warm. For lunchbox style at room temperature, eat within 30 to 45 minutes of baking.

Do vegetarian empanadas freeze well?

Yes. Both Patagonia and Classic freeze at -18C for up to 6 months and bake from frozen in under 25 minutes.

Can I get a tasting before booking a big event?

Yes. Most catering clients order a Chef's Box or Party Box first to taste the range. Get in touch to arrange one.

How do I book vegetarian catering for an event?

Use the contact form with date, guest count, and dietary mix. Pedro confirms within one business day.