Are you looking to host a lunch event at your office? Good for you! Office lunches are great because they’re relatively easy to plan and cater for, and they provide an opportunity to relax with co-workers. However, planning an office lunch event isn’t quite as simple as ordering take-out from a local restaurant.
There are many factors that go into making sure everything goes smoothly on the day of your event. You need to consider what kind of food you’re serving, how much food you should order, budgeting for the event (and all its components), and so on – all before even considering what kind of venue would be best suited for your needs!
If there’s one thing we’ve learned in our years of corporate catering in Melbourne, it’s that every type of business has different requirements when it comes down to scheduling lunches or dinners. But if we can learn from one another through sharing our experiences then we can make our corporate catering experiences better than they ever were before. Following are some of the things you need to consider to make your office lunch event.
Put together a budget
The first thing you need to do is determine how much money you can spend on food, drinks and other expenses. Determine the number of attendees against the total budget to work out a budget per attendee, this will make it easy as caterers often provide packages based on a per-head cost.
Look for a vendor that has a wide selection of dishes
The number of dishes you serve is an important consideration when planning your office lunch event. A wide selection of dishes gives guests a variety of options to choose from, and it’s also good for people with dietary restrictions. If you have vegans working in the office, or if there are other common allergies like gluten intolerance, having several options will be helpful when catering to their needs.
Choose an appropriate meal
Choosing the right meal is crucial to catering a successful office lunch event. You want to select something that is easy to eat, but also tasty and healthy. This can be tricky because not everyone likes the same foods! For example, if you choose a chicken salad sandwich as your lunch option, some people may enjoy it while others may not like it at all. However, there are some meals that are guaranteed crowd-pleasers that you should consider for your next corporate meal.
You should keep in mind that most people do not want anything too heavy or spicy during lunchtime. Additionally, make sure that your dish has plenty of protein (such as chicken) or fibre (such as falafels). You can also try adding fresh salads if you want something lighter but still filling enough so people won’t feel hungry afterwards!
Consider dietary restrictions
After you’ve decided on the type of food and drink you’re going to offer, it’s time to consider dietary restrictions. There’s nothing worse than having a guest at an event where the catering doesn’t have something that works for their diet. If you are catering for vegetarians or vegans, make sure your menu has plenty of options for them. It may also be helpful to have some non-meat dishes available as well—especially if there will be guests who aren’t strictly vegetarian but don’t eat meat either (e.g., those who follow pescetarianism). If you are catering for someone with food allergies, make sure you let the caterers know.
Choose food that is healthy and tasty, and easy to serve
With the rise of health-conscious diets, it’s tempting to opt for a boring salad or sandwich. But with a little creativity, you can cater food that is both healthy, tasty and fun. If your guests have their hands full at work all day (and let’s face it—they do), they’re going to be glad that you’ve chosen something easy for them to eat. A few examples: assorted mini bowls or baos are top picks from our regular catering clients.
A successful office lunch event is one where everybody has full bellies, has a nice time and things go smoothly. Happy planning!
If you are looking for delicious, wholesome food that nourishes and energises without compromising flavour, taste or satisfaction, get in touch with us at Nosh.
For all your catering needs, please call us today on 03 9670 1529 or email us for more information.
