5 steps to catering for small groups

Nothing brings the team together better than delicious, fresh food and great conversation. Whether it’s small meetings, client presentations, team lunches or just Friday drinks at the office, these Order-In tips and tricks will make it a delicious success.

We have endless corporate catering menu options in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Newcastle and the Gold Coast to cater for all preferences and situations. From simple but delicious catering packages for meetings or fancy party food for events and cocktail parties, we have a range of options and ideas to suit.

Step 1: Off to a great start! Decide the time of day and type of event

There are some basic staples that you need to consider when you’re looking at corporate catering for a small group or party. Answering these questions will greatly help narrow down the options for you and as an added bonus, give you the chance to learn more about your team.

The first one is easy; time of day and type of event. If you’re getting the team together for a mid-morning tea, a late afternoon tea or after hours drinks, then your first port of call is finger food catering and beverages. For longer lunches, more formal meetings or events, then it’s best to start with our function and events catering options, which offers substantial meals, party food platters and experience stations.

Step 2: Don't have a cow man! Stay on top of allergy and dietary requirements

The next step is dietary requirements. Especially with a small team, it’s important to know what your guests can and can’t eat. Approximately 50% of Order-In's weekly corporate catering solutions are modified to include special dietary needs. It can be difficult to keep everyone happy, but you’ll find an abundance of gluten free, dairy free, vegan and vegetarian options throughout our catering menus that will tick all the right boxes.

Should you have a particularly tricky set of exclusions to cater for, don’t hesitate to call us at 1300 851 900 and our friendly team will work with you to find the best solution.

Step 3: Only a little maths, we promise - serving size suggestions

A common question that gets asked is “how much do I need?” Nobody wants to go hungry and wasting food is a travesty, so we’ve made it simple by giving you the suggested serves per person on all of our best-in-class office catering menus. As a general rule of thumb, people will eat 1.5 sandwiches at lunch, though a group of men might eat a little more. If you're not sure, have a look at these detailed quantity guidelines.

Step 4: Enough admin, on to the food!

Now that we know who, when, why and how we’re catering, we’re ready for the best part, the food!

Using Order-In’s simple online system, you can conveniently view our endless catering menu options from our local office caterers around Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra.

How about some delicious Mexican catering or some fresh, tempting sushi? Or something sweet? We have corporate catering options no matter what you’re craving. With beautiful photos, fresh ingredients used, serving size suggestions and helpful tips along the way, finding your perfect office catering solution is a hassle-free experience. For more complex dietary concerns, functions and events and other more intensive menus or orders, our catering experts are on call during business hours and ready to help discover the best solution for you.

Here are some corporate catering ideas that are perfect for small groups:

• A high tea - complete with gourmet finger foods, a delicious selection of tea and coffee and sweets to satisfy everyone
• Mexican fiesta - burrito bowls, nachos and crunchy chips with guac. A filling and fun office lunch experience! What's not to love?
• Breakfast bar - enjoy some delicious brekkie options from yoghurt pots to bacon and egg rolls. Served alongside fresh juice and steaming coffee.

Step 5: More than just pretty food - additional services available

The style of food and how it’s displayed are often easily determined by the type of event or meeting you're holding. Sometimes it’s best to impress, so If you’re entertaining an important client, celebrating a company milestone with a cocktail party, holding an office Christmas party or anything else that you feel requires that extra special touch, the team at Order-In will platter your order on VIP ceramic platters for a perfect harmony of style and substance. On the other hand, when you’re looking for catering to a small informal meeting like a team catch up or a working lunch, then our simple and tidy disposable boxes are the perfect solution.

Along with the amazing range of food solutions we have to offer, Order-In have a wide variety of additional services to assist you with any event, including waitstaff and chefs, coffee carts and baristas, audio visual and equipment hire, flowers and decorations, styling and theming.

Book catering easily online or over the phone

Ready to energise your next small group function? Order online from our extensive array of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Newcastle and Gold Coast corporate caterers, or call us on 1300 851 900 for your next business lunch meeting, event or party. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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