There are many different types of corporate event – including working lunches, induction programmes, teambuilding exercises and office parties. However, in any case, if you are planning a corporate event, the matter of its catering should not be treated as an afterthought. 

That’s because, when chosen carefully, food served at this kind of event can make its attendees feel appreciated and give them an incentive to stay for longer. With our own experience of serving food for corporate events, we can provide the following tips… 

Remind yourself of the event’s overriding purpose 

The event might simply be an occasion for your employees to unwind after a hectic year. However, you might be more interested in showing people – such as potential clients – how your company has developed while preserving its core values. 

‍Whatever the event’s objective, the food should be chosen to suit. So, in the second of the two instances described above, you could infuse a selection of classic dishes with modern flourishes.

‍Make the food visually appealing 

This might initially seem like a strange priority to have when seeking food for a corporate event. However, you have to remember that when people go to such an event, they could be eager to post photos of it to social media.

Therefore, if you inadvertently serve unsightly food, you don’t want people sharing images of it with thousands of followers. A well-presented platter, on the other hand, can be instantly deemed ‘Instagrammable’ – and stoke positive publicity about your brand.

‍Find creative ways to serve the food 

‍You don’t strictly have to serve it simply by placing plates in an orderly fashion across a number of tables. You could consider a fair few quirkier options, like setting up some self-serve food stations or enabling guests to quickly and easily make their own meals from food supplies left on display.  

‍Account for a range of dietary requirements 

‍Once you have a list of the people who have agreed to turn up at the event, you should ask them as quickly as possible for details of any dietary requirements they happen to have. 

‍Of course, some of the delegates could be vegetarians or vegans, while others could be diabetic or lactose intolerant. If the list of these requirements reported back to you starts to look dauntingly long, it would be wise for you to seek assistance from a corporate catering firm.

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If the event will be taking place in London, you could approach our team here at Spoilt for Choice. When preparing food for corporate events, we can heed various special diets – including dairy-free, gluten-free and halal diets – as long as these have been specified at the ordering stage. 

‍If you have any remaining questions about our expertise in providing food for corporate events, please get in touch with us – such as by phoning 020 7924 2266 or emailing [email protected].