Introduction
Hosting a corporate event is a lot of work. The more mouths you have to feed, the more stressful it can be, and if the food isn’t good then it doesn’t reflect well on you. If you want your event to go as smoothly as possible, then you need to hire a quality caterer. The question is: what sort of service is right for a corporate event?
Enter: The Buffet
Here are 4 fab reason why buffets work for corporate events
- Great for networking – Buffets provide a great opportunity for guests to mingle while serving themselves. Guests aren’t restricted to their tables as they wait for their meals, creating an easy-going atmosphere perfect for networking.
- More variety – Rather than being restricted to a limited number of preselected meals, a buffet can offer a wide range of dishes for guests to select from – whatever their tastebuds desire at that moment! Buffets can come in all sorts of themes tailored for a specific occasion.
- Less hassle – Guests don’t need to pre-order so there’s less stress on the organisers to make sure orders are in on time. As long as your caterer creates a menu with variety and inclusivity in mind, everyone should be able to find something to eat.
- Cost-effective – Buffets don’t require as many servers as sit-down meals or even canape parties. For the most part, guests serve themselves and serving staff only replenish the buffet. Less labour = a less costly event
Here are just a few buffet ideas for your next corporate event
- Cold buffets – Cold buffets made up of salads, sandwiches, meat and cheese platters, cold finger foods and cakes are great for drop-in events or where groups might attend at different times over the course of the event. Why? Because food doesn’t need to be heated. Cold buffets require less equipment, stay fresher longer and are easily replenished.
- Hot buffets – Hot buffets are a classic and work really well when everyone is going to be eating at the same time. Our standard buffet comes with 3 hot mains, 3 hot sides, two salads, a soup and a treat. With this selection you get a good variety and keep all your diverse (and even picky) diners happy!
- BBQ station – Nothing beats the smell of BBQ on a summer’s day! Choose a BBQ buffet for more casual events, or for events where you want attendees to take a good break and get outside. BBQs could be anything from simple burgers and sausages to whole sides of meat on a spit that really make an impression.
- Sweet treats – A selection of yummy desserts make a fine treat for your team for a special event. Cupcakes, doughnuts, cookies and brownies, with some barista-style coffee to wash it all down – this will be sure to please those with a sweet tooth!
- Go vegan! – We have some awesome vegan recipes that even a staunch meat-eater won’t be able to argue with! Try a plant-based buffet to promote environmentally – conscious eating. Make sure ingredients are local and seasonal too!
- Coffee pop-ups – Coffee pop-ups with baristas churning out everyone’s favourite coffee order are a great way to add excitement to an office buffet. Set up a coffee pop-up alongside a buffet or make the coffee the main event with a small selection of sweets and savouries on offer – just like at your favourite indie coffee shop.
What to look out for when choosing a caterer for your next corporate event
If you’ve decided to hire an event caterer, then you’ll want the very best. Any less and your event is unlikely to impress. There are a few things you should be keeping an eye out for when looking into corporate catering.
- Reputation – Any good caterer who has been around for a while should have built up a portfolio of happy clients. Check out reviews online to see what people are saying. If you have attended a catered corporate event recently and were impressed by the food, it might be worth finding out who was responsible for it.
- Experience – It goes without saying that an experienced caterer should be your priority. There’s a lot of work and stress involved in preparing and serving food so you want a caterer that has seen it all before! That way you can be less stressed on the day, assured that they know what they’re doing
- Inclusivity – Every workplace has people with a range of dietary requirements, and a good caterer should be able to accommodate that. Menus should contain vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options, as well as list all allergens. If a caterer can offer this, it demonstrates care in food preparation and consideration for customer’s needs.
- Variety – It’s the spice of life, as they say. You want a caterer who has experience cooking lots of different cuisines and covering many types of events. A wide range and flexibility shows the caterer will more likely be able to accommodate unusual ideas – which can be pretty fun!
Conclusion
A buffet is a flexible, cost-effective way to serve a large number of people. Yes, they are a casual dining experience but the days of silver service in the office are long gone. When people come to the office now, whether they be staff or guests, they want to feel at ease. Buffets align with that comfort and provide lots of variety so that everyone can find something they like to eat. Give one of our tried and tested buffets a try for your next corporate event!
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