If your business is working on a budget but still wants to provide corporate catering to your employees or clients, there are ways to stretch out the money you spend to keep the costs down. You’ll still want to use high-quality catering services and won’t want to compromise on flavour or quality. There are some simple hacks and options you can use to make catering more affordable, and we have listed some of the top ones below:
Drink Options for Corporate Catering Events
You have choices when it comes to the types of drinks you want to serve at corporate catering events. Skip the expense of soft drinks and fruit juices and use water instead. You can get very creative with water by infusing it with different fruits. Colourful fruit slices can be added to the water to make it not only taste delicious but look beautiful as well.
You can also invest in your own coffee and tea equipment so that you don’t have to ask the caterer to supply these drinks. You can supply a variety of options for coffees and teas. All that you would have to provide along with the drinks is sugar and milk.
Breakfast Office Catering
It’s a good idea to consider breakfast office catering instead of having catering services arrive at lunchtime. Most people eat less breakfast than lunch, and this can lower the costs significantly. If you’re going to be having a morning meeting, you can get simple muffins and pastries catered into the office for an economical treat for your employees. This is a great way to reduce your catering budget without having to eliminate the catering services completely.
Serve Whole Fruits Instead of Fruit Platters
You can ask your corporate catering company to supply you with whole fruits instead of fruit platters. This will keep the costs lower since the fruit will need to be cut up, and the whole fruit can still be made into a decorative arrangement. To add extra appeal, you can even place a large bowl of yogurt in the middle of the fruit for dipping.
Simplicity Counts
You can offer classic and simple meals to employees and clients that they will love. A simple gathering of employees can be catered with wraps and sandwiches that are made with different types of bread. Small finger foods can accompany the sandwiches and wraps. Triangle sandwiches with a variety of different fillings have always been a hit, and they are a hearty food that can be served to hungry guests to keep them satisfied for hours.
Simple plates of grapes, cheese, meat and crackers can also be presented, and they are always appreciated. Simple food can still taste great when it’s fresh and well prepared by an established corporate catering company.
Provide Smaller Plates
If you’re going to be placing food out as a buffet, keep portion control in mind. A lot of guests will automatically pile up their plates to the brim when they are served free food. It’s not uncommon to see a lot of this food going to waste and ending up in the trash bin. When you offer smaller plates, however, you’ll be taking portion control into your own hands, and most people won’t eat as much. Try using smaller bowls, plates, scoops and even cutlery and notice a difference yourself. You’ll most likely find that you don’t have to provide as much food at your next buffet while at the same time keeping everyone satisfied.
Examine the Available Catering Packages
High-quality catering companies offer packages that are affordable. You can choose from breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner packages, and you can also look for snack packages as well. If you don’t see a package that would suit your event or your budget, you can ask for a personalized order with the specific food items you want. No matter which way you go, you are sure to find budget-friendly food and drink options for corporate catering that are perfect for you.
Consider Casual Menus
If you are planning a more casual affair, then you won’t need to set up any fancy table settings or food offerings. When you host casual events, you can cut your costs a lot while still making the event memorable and impressive. Themed food is always a hit and provides guests with a vibrant experience by tantalizing their senses.
Both Italian and Mexican meals are affordable food choices. Mexican tacos and burritos are always a hit, and you can pair your pasta dishes with large, lush salads that are reasonably priced.
Order Hors D’oeuvre Platters
Instead of serving meals, schedule your event between meal times and have hors d’oeuvre platters available instead. This is a budget-friendly option for catering office events. You won’t have to worry about serving a meal and can simply offer a small saucer to each guest for the small appetizers. It’s a lot easier to clean up this type of corporate catering as well, and there are delicious hors d’oeuvres available that everyone will love.
Keep in mind that not everybody is fussy about the food they eat. Many will just appreciate the fact that you are offering free food and will remember the gesture. You don’t have to get too caught up in ordering luxurious menus that cost a fortune. This is fine when you have the budget for it, but when you don’t, you can keep things simple and still make a great impression.
If you’re working on a strict budget, please call Big City Catering and talk to us. We can work with you to establish a meal plan, platters or a buffet that would satisfy your budget and the appetites of the people that will be attending your event. We have catered a lot of events for corporations in the past and can offer sound advice and helpful recommendations. You can also get in touch with us through our website at bigcitycatering.ca for more information.