Corporate Catering Advice: Returning to Offices in 2022

In recent months, an increasing number of offices in Reading and the surrounding areas within the Thames Valley have begun to welcome their employees back into the workplace. 

While this is something for many to celebrate, we need to consider the fact that the pandemic has seriously impacted how millions of people work. If their preference is to return to the office, all is well. 

However, if they are somewhat hesitant, companies should incentivise their employees somehow, to ensure their concerns are heard and that there are viable reasons to embrace a return to an office environment. One of the best incentives to bring employees on board with becoming office regulars again is to invest in high-quality, nutritious and delicious office catering.

Post-Lockdown Catering Tips

People should take food hygiene and safety seriously, even if your employees are returning to work in a communal space. You should have a plan to ensure they’re kept safe and happy at all times.

Food isn’t just good for the body; it’s good for the soul! Catering food is likely to keep employees happy, but how can it be done safely to ease their concerns? Whether providing breakfast items or lunch food, or a mixture of both, here’s how you can incorporate business catering into your return-to-work plans.

Food Protection in Common Areas

If you decide you still want food and beverages supplied in common areas, you should ensure you have clear guidelines explaining how they can enjoy it safely.

Consider the following steps as a guide:

• Ensure there is enough distance between buffet lunch items or sharing platters in places where people usually gather.
• Keep hand sanitiser close by and encourage people to use it regularly or before handling utensils.
• Consider having face masks on standby if anyone would prefer to wear one in a communal area full of people.

One popular option is having individual Buffy Bags or Executive Bento Trays, which are portioned for one person per order, meaning there is less risk of infection. You can expect to find Buffy Bags containing sandwiches, salads, wraps, snacks or sweet treats, with restaurant-grade 3 course meals available in Bento Trays.

Food Delivery Guidelines

To avoid overcrowding the workplace, you should limit food deliveries. 

On the other hand, one of the benefits of living in a digitally connected world is ordering lunch for yourself throughout the day. This causes a dilemma, but to encourage communal eating and dissuade a crowded space, you should consolidate your office food supply. 

With the Green Bike Food Company, our office caterers and Green Fleet of drivers can deliver all your food in a centralised way so you can avoid conflicting supply times with other companies.

Encourage Safe Eating

Our online menu gives businesses requiring catering in Reading plenty of choices to order great food that’s right for their staff under one single platform. With our online catering menu, you can request a variety of options that can be both delicious and suitable for everyone, including (but not limited to):

• Individual buffet lunches
• Wrap or sandwich platters
• Sharing buffet platters
• Salads and healthy options
• Special cuisines
• Dietary-specific options

We can customise a list of one-off catering orders or regular office lunch deliveries of freshly-prepared food, with safe and recyclable packaging and biodegradable supplies.

Back to Business Bundles

Whatever the size of your office and workforce, you may find yourself scouring for cost-effective business catering options and quickly using up your budget. Consider the Green Bike Food Company’s Back to Business Bundles if you want efficient, fresh, and cost-effective catering food for offices of various sizes.

The one thing that people remember most about each occasion is the food, so it’s worth taking it seriously.

Although people may be reluctant to eat in the same way as in pre-COVID times, your team can learn to enjoy communal eating again with the right encouragement. A satisfying meal can be a big difference in boosting morale if you’re hosting a team lunch, private party, corporate event or breakfast meeting.

Order Online Catering Today

We have an all-inclusive menu of delicious food for businesses, which can take many forms, as you’ll see by filtering the options on our catering menu.

However, we can customise an order to suit your needs perfectly. If you have small or large events requiring bespoke catering, we can work with you to ensure you have plenty of high-quality, safe, and delicious food at a reasonable price.

If you’d like to get a quote, speak to the friendliest corporate caterers in Reading by calling 0118 975 8198 or filling in our contact form.