Whether you offer daily office catering to all employees, host a food-focused team meeting once a week, or bring in treats for a company-wide celebration or event, there’s a lot that goes into the process. Office catering is about much more than delivering nourishment; it’s a way to enhance the workplace experience, show that you care for your team members and support your corporate values around sustainability and inclusivity.
Traditional office catering models include a dedicated on-site kitchen that offers a full range of meals. This type of setup is more common in larger companies that have the resources to manage a large kitchen and dining area.
There are several emerging approaches to office catering that make it easier than ever to create a positive culture around food and wellbeing in the workplace. From delivered-in catering to a food aggregator, these options allow you to avoid the cost and hassle of operating a company kitchen and focus on what’s truly important: building a happy and healthy workplace.
When you work with a catering company, they’ll take the stress out of timelines, volume, order details and serving challenges. And they’ll ensure that your food is high-quality and meets your specific dietary needs.
Lunch box catering is the best option for individual offices, as it allows everyone to enjoy their own personalized meal. The right catering company will have zero-waste options that give your staff the perfect combination of a sandwich and salad in one compostable, individually-labeled lunch box. The right mix of foods will also help keep people happy and satisfied throughout the day.
The right drinks are another important component to consider when it comes to office catering. Coffee and tea can provide a caffeine boost during a meeting while water will keep guests well hydrated. If you want to add a little extra sparkle, dessert and drinks can really help lift the mood for an office lunch or event.
For example, a cookie tray or cupcakes can be a great way to celebrate an accomplishment or holiday while finger-food catering like chicken fingers and deviled eggs can be a fun, interactive alternative to a classic buffet.
The final touch on any good catering meal is the right utensils and tableware. A plastic fork and spoon can be a cheap and effective way to go or you can opt for more stylish and sustainable wooden utensils. Having a wide selection of utensils is important to accommodate different tastes and dietary restrictions.
Who Orders Catering for the Office?
Depending on your organization’s structure, the responsibility of ordering catering for office meetings often falls to administrative assistants, office managers or other support staff. In other cases, team leads, project managers and even employees themselves will be tasked with arranging and preparing catering for a specific meeting or event.
The bottom line is that when it comes to office catering, the responsibilities can be overwhelming without the right support. It’s a big task that requires research, planning and sourcing. Plus, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make sure all the orders are placed correctly and that your team is eating delicious food at every meal time.