Catering DIY disasters
Last updated:
September 21, 2020
Here at EatFirst, we love to know what our customers are thinking and what their habits are when it comes to corporate catering in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra. We’re always trying to meet our customers’ needs (so it helps to know what those are), not to mention it’s pretty fascinating! We recently held a survey for our customers and one of the things we noticed is that when you’re not using eatFirst's professional catering services, you’re popping own to the local Woolies or Coles to self-cater your meetings, events and get-togethers. While that might seem the easier option, we’ve chatted to a couple of EAs and PAs who’ve shared their DIY catering disasters!
“One of the most surprising things about DIY self-catering is that it isn't automatically less expensive. It often requires dishes and equipment that caterers have on hand but that you will have to rent, buy, or borrow — not to mention clean afterwards! Food can actually often be the least expensive part of the shopping list; it’s the disposable plates, cups, napkins, and serving pieces that can take up a big chunk of the budget. If keeping costs low is important, make sure you consider all the options and add-ons you’ll need.” – Alice, 26
“When I’m hiring a caterer, I’m paying people principally for their time. I’m often organising the office party or event myself without help, picking up things from different places, taking the time to lay food out etc. Everything always takes longer than you think.” – Susan, 43
“Caterers definitely understand the basic principles of food safety. I learned this the hard way when I served leftovers from a meeting the previous day to our guests (it was my first week on the job…). When the director called me later that day, it was from the doctor’s office. Now I use caterers religiously, even for small meetings.” – Nicky, 22
“One of my considerations is space: I don’t have a freezer or an extra fridge at the office so I can’t purchase anything in advance. And it's not just fridge space; the last time we self-catered, I had boxes and boxes of plates and napkins stacked up in the hallway! It’s so much easier when the perfect amount of food arrives just before the meeting or event.” – Kelly, 29
“One thing I never thought of is that planning and catering for meetings and events myself could be so physically demanding! I work in the city, so had to walk to all the different venues I needed office catering items from ahead of time. Of course I underestimated how much food there was to carry and had to make four separate trips!” – Hannah, 24
“Just save yourself the stress! When you have a million things to do, or haven’t catered many events before, deciding what to buy, where to get it from, whether it’s the right thing to serve and how much to serve can be bewildering – leave it to the catering experts. The first time I did this myself with DIY catering, I way under-catered for our guests, AND forgot to get any cutlery, all because I hadn’t done it before and was stressing myself out. Not a good look!” – Kate, 28
“Presentation! Last time I thought I could handle the catering myself I realised food styling is definitely not my strong point. It looked like a dog’s breakfast. Caterers always make it look so professional.” – James, 25
So, let us make you look good and save the last-minute stress when you DIY order food for the office! Our expert corporate catering team will help you source the best food options for your next working lunch, event or get-together and make it memorable for all the right reasons. They can even help with planning your event or party! Check out our website and order from some of the best corporate caterers in Australia now.
Utilise an online corporate catering service like Order-In to make sure things run smoothly.
Even if you get a hand from catering experts, it's important to have an idea in mind for how you want your corporate event to look. From cuisine type, decorations and even time of day. All these details are important to figure out beforehand or with your catering expert.
Don’t know how much food to order? Can’t figure out the perfect vegan alternative? Not sure whether to pick between Mexican or Indian? That’s what we're here for! Chat to us today for any catering advice.
Let us make you look good and save the last-minute stress when you DIY order food for the office! Our expert corporate catering team will help you source the best food options for your next working lunch, event or get-together and make it memorable for all the right reasons. They can even help with planning your event or party. Check out our website to order from some of the best corporate caterers in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, and the Gold Coast now.
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