6 Expert Tips to Plan the Best Corporate Catering in Singapore
Is the weight of planning your next corporate event pulling you down? Do you want to impress your boss by setting up the best corporate catering in place for your annual official revelry? If so, then you are at the right place today. Here are the top 6 tips that will help you proffer the best office lunch catering to your colleagues/ team members at the next official gala:
1. Head Count Estimate
As soon as you get in touch with a caterer for your corporate event, head count estimate will be among the first few things he or she would ask. Therefore, it’s better to count the attendees beforehand, so that you can start discussing about the menu options at the earliest (for that’s what we are going to talk about for days or weeks after). For a buffet, you are usually required to quote at least 35 guests. You wouldn’t want leaving out any last-minute attendees, so it’s always better to overestimate the head count to avoid unpleasant situations later on.
2. Budget Analysis
One of the most important questions to ask a caterer for an event is the per-head cost estimate and other related expenses like the available options in flowers, cutlery and linen for tables. We understand that the disparity between what you want to eat and what your budget allows could be overwhelming. So, before you go ahead and discuss your budget with your caterer, it’s better to discuss about the prospective items that could be included in the given budget with the management.
3. Event Theme
There are obviously different types of corporate events and their theme or focus is different too. Needless to say, their planning also needs to be done differently. For instance, buffets work best for events that are organised to congratulate employees for their good work; but for some other types of events, they might not work that well. The key for a healthy corporate catering in this regard is to focus on the theme you want to portray.
4. Setup a Schedule
It’s very important to setup the entire day’s schedule beforehand. You could start with the details like the list of event speakers, and which presentations are supposed to be run, if any. Then, sit with your caterer to plan out the food and beverage services around the day. Make sure that you communicate about the exact serving time, so that the caterer could build in the time required for cooking.
5. Buffet or Waiters
The choice between a wait staff and buffet can be difficult, but it is one of the most vital questions to ask catering services while planning out your corporate event. You need to assess how busy the event schedule is going to be to understand if a self-serve buffet will be better, or a wait staff service for that fine dine-in experience. If breaking the ice among members of different teams is what you aim at, scheduling a buffet might give them a better chance to interact.
6. Menu Options
According to the experts, the choice of food and beverages is one of the most important elements of planning such corporate gatherings. Here is what they suggest for planning the best corporate catering:
If it’s a weekday breakfast event, do not forget to include tea/coffee and fresh fruit juices. Combining 2 side dishes and pastries with a main dish is a great idea.
For a lunch event, 2 to 4 appetizers and 2 to 3 side dishes should be selected with a main dish.
However, dinner would be best served with 3 to 5 appetizers and 2 to 3 side dishes with a main dish. Try to include soups, salads and 2 desserts too.
A perfect no-dinner cocktail event must include at least 10 appetizer options to make it seem like a healthy corporate catering experience.
For a light, in-house feast, burgers, fries and drinks can be the perfect option. Fast food joints like Wolf Burgers are the most favourite choice of people at work.
Considering more and more people are diet conscious these days, one of the most crucial questions to ask a caterer for an event would be if their menu items are healthy and gluten-free. Remember to keep some options for the vegetarians/vegans too.
Expert Tip: If you wish to add a unique twist to your corporate event, ask your catering service provider for some live stations. Live stations enhance the flavour of all-time favourite fast food items like burgers, pasta, and waffles. You could try surprising your teammates with freshly grilled burgers by adding a Wolf Burgers live station.
We believe that with the above-mentioned tips for the best office lunch catering, you can truly come out as the star event planner. When in doubt, go to Wolf Burgers for your next corporate event.