Buffet Catering Tips: Budget-Friendly Office Catering

Buffet Catering Tips: Budget-Friendly Office Catering

If you’re a business owner or facilities manager working for a company in the Thames Valley, there’s a good chance you’ll have considered how you can create an enjoyable experience for your team, clients or partners. 

That said, it’s understandable if you’re trying to stick to a specific budget or price range, and it often begs the question, “how much should good office catering services cost?”

The truth is you don’t have to pay through the nose to provide high-quality business catering. Working with corporate caterers in Reading like the Green Bike Food Company can help significantly, and we’ve created this short guide to give you some inspiration when considering cost-effective office catering options.

Providing High-Quality Buffet Catering Without Going Over Budget

You may have heard stories of how much catering companies charge for catering for business meetings or team lunches. Sometimes the whole process can cost quite a bit, but if you want to create an impressive atmosphere for your employers, clients and customers, it doesn’t have to cost the earth.

How can you provide delicious catering for offices without breaking the bank? It requires some planning ahead and research, but if you follow the below tips, you’ll be on your way to making your next corporate event, office lunch or business meeting a success. 

Tips to Keep Business Catering Affordable

Research Types of Office Catering Options

One of the reasons that events or facilities managers exceed their catering budgets is because they order. It’s easy to fall into the trap of ordering more office food options than necessary, as many believe it’s ‘better to have too much than not enough’.

As a corporate catering company, the best advice we can give is to order only what you need. Figure out how many people will need feeding so you can order accordingly. Browse catering companies’ menus to see the variety of food options available and see which would suit your special occasion the best.

Include a Variety of Breakfast or Lunch Platters

Be aware that different people prefer certain foods

If you’re sorting business lunches, some will like sandwich platters while others will find finger food buffets more appetising, as an example. 

If you’re arranging corporate breakfast catering, some may prefer healthy options like fruit, yoghurt and granola, while others will select hot freshly-made breakfasts delivered to the office.

Many delicious food options are available, and having a good mixture is ideal, but be mindful that ordering too many food types can quickly become costly.

We suggest ordering a variety, but not too much, and instead focus on what’s practical and simple. You don’t want to overwhelm your guests. We suggest having the following options as a guideline:

Filling and nice-tasting base foods as the main component - these can be wraps, rolls or sandwich platters to order, for example.

A decent variety of side dishes or snacks - these could be salads, finger food, or canapes.

Some sweet options or desserts like cookies, cakes or pastries. 

All the above food types are available via the Green Bike Food Company, freshly preparing them to order. We can happily help you plan and create the perfect bespoke menu.

Cater for All Unique Dietary Requirements

Ask your team whether they have specific dietary preferences and ensure your office caterers can provide options for them. 

At the Green Bike Food Company, we have gluten-free catering options as well as kosher, halal, dairy-free, lactose-free, nut-free, vegetarian and vegan catering choices. 

All of the information in our products lists the nutritional ingredients and allergens listed. If allergens are particularly severe, we can always provide individually prepared and packaged Bento Trays to prevent cross-contamination with other food groups.
If you want to discuss other available options, please speak to us, and we’ll be happy to help.

Embrace Breakfast and Lunch Buffet Catering

Hiring local corporate catering companies to provide onsite assistance will come at an added cost.

On the other hand, self-service catering is simpler and more affordable.

Opting for buffet menus will keep your costs lowered, and you can request great food types, cuisines and flavours to wow your guests.

Have a look at some of our finger buffet menu items to get a sense of what we can provide for your next event.

Breakfast or Lunch Deliveries to Businesses in Berkshire

We hope the above tips have helped you feel more relaxed about ordering lunches to the office without breaking the bank.

At the Green Bike Food Company, we don’t want you to feel overwhelmed by the logistics of ordering lunch catering. We are corporate caterers in Berkshire and cater to companies all over the Thames Valley. 

Our golden advice would be to communicate with your corporate catering company. They’ll advise on recommendations for food amounts based on your budget, event size, food preferences, number of attendees, and more to make it as stress-free as possible.