34 March food events you shouldn't miss
Last updated:
February 16, 2023
It's the question that divides the nation.
Crunchy or smooth?
Whatever way you like it, this is the day to enjoy it in excess. Slather it on toast in the morning, cook it into a nutty satay sauce for lunch or indulge in some sweet peanut-butter treats for afternoon tea.
We can't all sneak out to a Macca's during our morning coffee break, but we can order in some dupes.
Plenty of our catering partners make delicious bacon egg rolls and other hot breakfast sandwiches. But, if you're in Melbourne, Black Truffle Catering cooks up English muffins with the classic combination of bacon, egg and cheese or vegetarian-friendly options with tomato and avocado in lieu of the bacon.
If you're in Adelaide, you're also in luck. Daily Planet makes eight different combinations of sandwiches on English muffins, with fillings including egg, bacon, ham, cheese, tomato, spinach and avocado.
It's a Friday in 2023, and what better way to end the work week than with a few cocktails to celebrate Irish Whiskey Day!
Mix up a few whiskey-based cocktails, like a whiskey sour, try making your own Irish cream, or simply sip it on the rocks. Today is about enjoying it however you'd like.
(And hey, if you want to start your day with an Irish coffee we won't judge!)
Cold cuts may come with a bad wrap, but who doesn't love a ham and cheese sandwich, freshly sliced salami on a baguette or a bit of turkey on a club sandwich?
And don't get us started on charcuterie boards and grazing tables!
Sandwiches make super easy lunches, whether for individuals or on platters for a crowd so embrace them today (and always)!
It's not quite the weather outside for mulled wine in March if you're in Australia, but with the way most office air conditioners are set up, it's probably cold enough to enjoy one inside!
So if whiskey ain't your thing, brew up some mulled wine for the team, sip, and enjoy!
Fun fact: Did you know that Oreos are actually vegan, Kosher and dairy-free? They're truly a cookie everyone can enjoy. (Well, if you get the gluten-free variety then everyone can!)
As such a widely appealing cookie with few allergens, they make a great sweet staple in office kitchens. (And it's super easy to pick some up from our office pantry marketplace!)
Not only convenient, affordable and nutritious (yes!) frozen foods are always handy to have around but get little praise.
Well, frozen peas and oven-ready chips, today is your day. It's national frozen food day and your time to shine.
Even at the office.
At EatFirst, we often keep some frozen fruit available in the freezer. Blending them into smoothies (or cocktails, we're not ones to judge - #thirstythursday) are a great way to get an afternoon pick-me-up or a healthy option once you get back to the office after your lunchtime workout.
How many mornings did you wake up to a bowl of breakfast in the morning? It's easy, it's affordable and it's surprisingly comforting.
And you're never too old for it either! Our pantry offering helps you stock your office kitchen with cereal as a super easy way to keep your crew fed in the morning.
They put it on pizza, chicken wings, salads and use it as a dip. The salad dressing with a cult-like following in America may not be as popular of an option here in Australia, but that doesn't mean it isn't delicious.
There's even restaurants in the USA themed around the dressing, like Twisted Ranch in St. Louis, Missouri, that puts a little bit of ranch in everything on its menu.
Perfect for chomping down while watching a movie… or listening to office gossip… popcorn is a favourite for many. It’s healthier than chips and chocolate, gluten free, dairy free and vegan-friendly.
And while bags of the moreish snack are easy to keep amongst bags of chips, of course, fresh popcorn is always better than pre-made. Keeping a few bags of ready-in-minutes microwavable popcorn in the work kitchen is a really easy way to keep the office’s afternoon munchies at bay.
In spaghetti, on skewers as canapes, on sandwiches and even in soup! Who knew meatballs were so versatile?
There's plenty of ways to eat these bite-size balls that are also usually a rather affordable option as they use mince.
Our minds go straight to California rolls when we think of crab, but there's so much more to this tasty crustacean.
Added to a seafood pasta, spiced up as Singapore chili crab, fried into cakes, or just mixed into a salad, this low-fat, high-protein, carb-free meat is a tasty way to change things up from the everyday.
Okay. We know it's pi and not pie, but we'll take any excuse to eat a pie! Whether it's a grab-and-go party pie or a perfectly sweet pie for dessert, we're pretty smitten by this pastry.
Plus, you can use pi to measure your pie.
(Did we take it too far?)
Pi Day falls on a Tuesday in 2023, so check out our blog below for some of our favourite places in Australia to order pies for your office!
These flower-like vegetables may not be everyone's cup of tea but they actually come with a heap of benefits!
According to Healthline, they can lower bad cholesterol, regulate blood pressure, improve your liver's health and lower blood sugar!
Not sure how to eat then? Scatter them on pizza (they're great on a capriccoisa!), put them in sandwiches or toss them in a salad.
Falling on various Sundays within March that chance each year, it's a day to chow down on these sometimes-soft, sometimes-crunchy, always-tasty savoury treats.
The first things our minds go to when we think chocolate and caramel are Fantales and Caramello Koalas, and today is the day to indulge in them!
Scoop some up in your next office pantry order or go all out and order some morning or afternoon tea with caramel slice, brownies or other choc-caramel goodies.
Absolutely not to be confused with the coconut-based macaroon, these petit morsels are notoriously hard to bake, but when done right they taste like French perfection.
They're colourful, sweet and stuffed with a range of fillings such as chocolate, fruit or caramel.
Even better, they travel well!
Sydney-based Makmak delivers its unique macarons to both Sydney and Canberra, and Temptations keeps Perth's sweet tooth satiated with its variety of flavoured meringue biscuits.
The only thing that makes pasta even better is stuffing it with even more yummy things. And that's what makes ravioli so special. Vegetarian options with spinach and cheese or meat- and seafood-filled options make a perfect, hearty meal. If ravioli ain't your thing, there's plenty of other pasta options to go along with it too if you're planning on ordering Italian today!
Negronis, martinis, Manhattans all have something in common. Vermouth!
We've enjoyed a vermouth-based cocktail turing our weekly cocktail hour a few times and are more than happy to share our recipes with you so you can do the same with your colleagues. We can even help get the right ingredients with our office pantry, which also sells alcoholic drinks!
Something you don't find too often in Mexico is hard tacos, but you'll often see them on supermarket shelves here in Australia. While not traditional, and a quick survey of our office shows some loyalty to the hard shell taco, going back to family taco nights as kids.
So let the nostalgia reign today and host a DIY taco day, which Mad Mex and LHM Catering offer, for both hard and soft shell tacos, or keep it easy and order them in from Guzman Y Gomez.
There's nothing better than freshly baked bread. Except freshly baked French bread.
Baguettes filled with ham and cheese, dipped into hot soup or even eaten as Vietnamese rolls!
Yes, the humble banh mi is actually made on baguettes. At one point, Vietnam was under French rule and its people were introduced to French bread to the country. It's made slightly differently to the traditional bread sticks with ingredients available locally.
Not all fats are bad. Embrace the healthy fats like avocado, salmon and almonds!
If you're trying to make your lunches a bit healthier, or know your team is super behind on their New Year's resolutions (how is it March!) consider some healthy fat-focused foods today.
A few of our top picks would be sushi with salmon and avocado, avocado toast for breakfast and grilled salmon.
Is it just us, or can you not get a smoothie, yogurt parfait or bowl of granola without chia in it anymore? And we're not complaining!
These little seeds are mostly made up of soluable fibre, which can help slow digestion and lower cholesterol.
Plenty of our morning menu items can include chia in them for a little added benefit to your breakfast.
Here's something we can dip our toes into.
Get it? Dip?
Just kidding. Our feet aren't going anywhere near these dips! Salsa, hummus, guacamole, babaghanoush, you put it in front of us and give us a chip or two and we're all over it.
Whether you're going for Mexican dips or Lebanese, any way you go, it's sure to be a delicious addition to your working lunch or grazing platters.
Not a fan of whiskey or vermouth? No worries! Here's where you can have any spirit you like in any cocktail you like.
If you're in Sydney or Melbourne, Maison Hospitality can even shake, stir or blend a custom cocktail just for you based on your preferences!
A staple of Philadelphia, the cheesesteak is exacty what it sounds like. Cooked beef that's smothered in cheese, then put onto a sandwich.
Want to really mix things up? Try Melbourne-based Cuate Mexican's Philly Chip burrito, stuffed with smoked briskey, onions, capsicum, cheese, sour cream and even beer-battered chips. Or, opt for a slightly healthier version with Pita Pit's Grilled Steak Salad.
They're healthy because they're fruit... right?
Chocolate-covered raisins are a less guilty snack that's great to keep in the kitchen and around the office, especially when you're buying for a group that's requesting healthier snacks. Even better, they're nut-free, gluten-free and if you get dairy-free chocolate they're great for those who are lactose intolerant too!
Now, many of us have heard of Pancake Day (also known as Shrove Tuesday), but did you know that there's also a Waffle Day?
Started in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, marking the Feast of Annunciation, it's now celebrated in countries around the world, either with or without ties to the Christian tradition.
Either way, we think it's a great excuse to eat fresh, fluffy waffles! If you're based in Sydney or Canberra, Wafflo can come to your office and bake fresh sweer or savoury waffles right in your space.
Mars, Milky Way and Snickers all have a tasty thing in common — and that's nougat centres. The egg-based sweet that sometimes has nuts and candied fruit mixed into it can be found in may of your favourite candy bars or as a treat in its own right.
Today, treat yourself to a cheat-day treat with a bite or two of one of them. You can stock up for the office from our pantry, too!
Popeye is certainly onto something!
High in insoluble fibre, low in carbohydrates, and great sources of vitamins such as Vitamin C, Folic acid and Iron, these leafy greens can help prevent cancer, regulate blood pressure and improve your eye health.
And they're super easy to include in your diet today — or any day! Use it in salads, sauté it and add it to your breakfast, blend it into a smoothie or mix it into a dip. There's dozens of tasty ways to enjoy spinach. Actually - hundreds! Taste.com has a whopping 603 recipes including spinach!
You can smell the giant pans of paella cooking at weekend markets from all around, and they smell incredible!
No wonder there's an entire day dedicated to the Spanish national dish. Saffron infused rice and vegetables are mixed with proteins like chicken, chorizo and seafood for this hearty meal.
CNI Catering in Sydney cooks up huge 2.6kg seafood and chorizo paella platters, while Foodie Del Mar also cooks up chicken, vegetarian, chorizo, chicken and prawl rice dishes.
Many workplaces celebrate the month's birthdays toward the end, gathering everyone who has celebrated in the last few weeks to enjoy cake, drinks and even presents.
In March, why not throw some black forest cake into the mix? The rich, German cake is made of layers of chocolate sponge with whipped cream a and cherries in between and on top.
Cakes2U in Sydney and Dolce Vita in Melbourne both deliver them, and Brisbane's Temptations Cakes has Black Forest slices for easy individual portions
One of the silliest food days we came across when putting this list on together may just be our favourite!
Something on a stick day is a surprisingly versatile food day. And probably the only one where breakfast, lunch, dinner and entree, main and dessert can all qualify.
Consider some of these food-on-a-stick ideas today:
Chips, crisps, roasted, boiled, mashed or even BBQed?
Today is dedicated to the humble potato. The brown, oblong, below-ground-grown root vegetable that can be magically transformed into so many delicious noms.
Our catering partners use potatoes in so many ways too. Our Thai cooks mix it into savoury Massaman curries, burger joints cut them into perfectly crispy chips and Italian restaurants mash it into pillowy gnocci.
Now, excuse us while we go order some potato dishes!