Catering ideas for Working Lunch Meetings

Between budget constraints, dietary requirements and trying to satisfy all the diverse tastes across your office… catering for a working lunch can easily seem overwhelming. But, it can be easier than you’d expect! Using the services of an experienced corporate caterer can take the guesswork out of the menu planning, working out how much food to order and what would work best for your office.

We’ve put together some easy corporate lunch ideas that we believe can inspire productivity and positivity in the boardroom.

Individual boxed lunches

This is one of our favourite catered working lunches. Sometimes it is easier to hand out healthy and tasty lunch boxes, that offer an individual serve for each meeting guest. Not only does this help you make sure everyone's dietary requirements are met, it's a great way to ensure everyone receives an option they will enjoy.

Whether you opt for a street food style lunch box or classic spreads, check out some catered lunch box ideas below for a tasty working lunch.

Lunch box ideas:

• Poke bowls
• Noodle boxes
• Hearty salads
• Gourmet sandwiches or wraps & a side box
• Roast chicken & salad
• Cheese & antipasto singles

Get their attention and keep the energy going

Food at a business meeting  or working lunch should leave the crowd energised, awake, and focused. Make sure your work colleagues and clients are able to perform at peak level by providing plenty of fresh, nutritious office lunches. It’s important to remember that healthy food doesn’t have to mean bland or tasteless.

Keep the sandwich and wraps for your business meeting or working lunches small, light, and delicious. We recommend thinking of a gourmet cooking magazine for inspiration – check out some of these tempting lunch fillings and ideas to help you get started:

• Garlic, rosemary and thyme chicken with sage, walnut and cranberry stuffing crunch with baby spinach
• Smoked salmon with dill and caper sour cream, pickled radish and fennel with rocket
• Pea and mint smash, soft feta, honey and cinnamon carrots with baby spinach
• Roast capsicums, char-grilled zucchini, eggplant and tahini dip with butter lettuce

While white bread is a very popular option for sandwiches, but consider adding options like sourdough, rye, brown-bread, or wholemeal. Artisan bread can elevate a sandwich and give it plenty of wow factor.

Go low and go slow with a healthy corporate lunch

We’ve also seen a trend towards low GI dishes that are packed full of yummy ingredients and vibrant colours. Unlike high GI foods that tend to create a spike in energy, low GI foods release longer-lasting, slow-burning energy. If there is a slower, steadier rise of glucose in the blood, they will keep you full for longer and encourage the body to burn fat. These healthy office lunches are often gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian friendly.

Consider serving your work colleagues and clients trays of thinly sliced roast chicken, roast beef and a side of mustard, hummus, spiced beetroot and bulgur, roasted eggplant, a mozzarella platter, olives, a delicious mix of lentils and roasted capsicum, and a pumpkin, watercress and barley salad. Superfoods like sweet potatoes, quinoa, broccoli, pomegranate, and mixed nuts are also fantastic meal options to serve on a buffet tray. Lean meat is a great example of a healthy twist on a traditional working lunch crowd-pleaser.

From necessity to a delicacy

Your meal doesn't need to be restricted to the simple sandwich and wrap anymore for office lunches. We have so many tasty cuisines to try for your next working lunch. From Indian catering to Moroccan, healthy Vietnamese catering to Italian, you'll never get bored! Check out these other exciting and super easy office lunch ideas below.

For your next corporate lunch, try :

• Indian catering from Beyond India in Adelaide, Bombay Bliss in Brisbane, Laajwab in Melbourne and The Colonial in Sydney
• Nachos, burritos and more from Guzman Y Gomez located in Australia Square, World Square, Newtown, Darling Park, North Point and many more!
• Delicious Greek-style food from Zeus Street Greek
• Pizza, pasta and more from Fratelli & Co, Made In Italy and My Goodness Pizza
• Sushi and more from Sea Salt, Sushi at Work, Sushi Jones and Sushi Pro
• Healthy Vietnamese delights from Banh Mi in Adelaide, Banoi in Brisbane in Sydney
• Authentic Malaysian food, including noodles or rice from Ya Malaysia Parramatta

Boxed lunches for those on the go

Modern and new workplaces can be incredibly mobile and flexible, so depending on the meeting and the event, we suggest the option of boxed lunches and food that your guests can grab and go. Your packed lunch box could include a sandwich, muffin, pasta salad, fruit skewer and drink or noodles with spring rolls. The options are endless! Another packed lunch option are bento boxes which are hugely popular in Japan, and are another beautiful and fun way to present lunch. Best of all, you can easily dispose of the boxes and cutlery after - no cleaning up required!

Grab a slice of pizza

Sometimes, you just need to treat yourself, how better to do that than with a steamy, cheesy and delicious slice of pizza? Try out some authentic Italian cuisine or pizza catering for your next working lunch for an affordable and easy option. Add some antipasto platters, salads, hearty pasta, fresh seafood and gourmet finger foods to complement as sides and watch as your staff happily fill their bellies. Pizza catering can be just what your team needs to perk up, come together and get motivated in your working lunch.

Try pizza catering for your working lunch from these awesome pizza caterers:

• Crust in Alexandria, Belconnen,  Essendon, Southport, Lane Cove and Perth
• Duke Pizza in Melbourne
• Crisp Handcrafted Pizza
• Corbett & Claude

Finger foods and platters

Keep everyone satisfied all day long with platters and finger foods displayed beautifully in the boardroom. Think succulent, grilled meat and veggies skewers, fresh cheese and crackers, mini sandwiches and rice paper rolls, with some flaky pastries for good measure. There are endless menu options here! This is a great solution for a smaller scale working lunch, as there’s enough food to go around, but without you having to set up an entire buffet.

Line up, line up! Buffet catering

If you’ve got an office on the larger side, buffet catering may be the direction to go. Not only are they a time-efficient and affordable way to cater for large groups, but there is also sure to be something for everyone! It’s easy to account for special diets and guests will love the opportunity to sample several dishes as they make their way down the line. Plus, there’s always the chance to go back for seconds.

There are many catering menus to choose from when it comes to a buffet spread for a working lunch, whether you want a modern feel, or home-cooked style, there’s delicious hot and cold food for all. Oh, and don’t forget dessert!

Drinks and dessert

The beauty of having an office lunch that is healthy and filling means that your guests won’t feel the need to gorge on desserts. However, it’s always nice to provide something sweet to bookend a boardroom lunch. A simple platter of brownies and some fruit salad can often do the trick. While it’s important to serve coffee and tea, offer some bottled water and fresh juices so there’s plenty of options for your guests to stay hydrated.

Remember, food is fuel, so it’s important to nourish your guests and keep them energised throughout the day.

Catering for office lunches is our calling card, so Contact Order-In today and draw upon our corporate catering expertise to deliver you a fantastic and professional corporate lunch, that's delicious and tailored to your needs.

Save time by ordering it online and having it delivered to your office. Feel free to call our catering experts on 1300 851 900 for catering for office lunch or even more working lunch ideas. From gourmet sandwiches to healthy poke bowls, we have a range of delicious corporate lunch catering menus to suit your budget and tastebuds.

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