Abstract: A single caterer or multiple caterers may provide individualized meals for a large number of customers at a number of different institutions. A server computer has individual accounts for each customer, caterer, institution accounts grouping the customers by the institution with which they are affiliated, and an administration account for management functions and kitchen related modules such as preparation sheets. Significantly, with the method of the invention that relationship need not include any food preparation, billing for food, or menu collation, creation or the like by the institution. The kitchen will prepare a monthly menu of options available to the customers, who use individual accounts to access the monthly menu of choices and select menu options for each day and pay the caterer using a payment module. The catering system of the invention then handles payments to the caterers.