10 Staff Lunch Ideas Everyone Should Know About in 2023
COVID-19 has taken a toll on the globe, changing our perspective about a plethora of things and giving us lifelong happy and sad memories. It has revolutionized the way people used to work, shifting companies to completely online and forcing employees to embrace remote working. However, all this helped employees explore the basics of work-life balance.
The pressure is now on the companies to integrate well with the employees' reassessed work values and work-life balance. No worries, as there are several ways these entities can make the workplace experience tempting and delightful for the workers. One of such great ideas include office catering lunch! This idea will save you resources, time, and money in the long run.
In this comprehensive article, we will enlist ten of the most loved staff lunch ideas. Owing to these diverse lunch catering options, you can create an inclusive work environment for employees. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s hop on to explore them!
10 Most-Loved Office Catering Ideas
Here we have compiled the ten must-consider office catering ideas. Dive in to give them a quick read!
Wraps and Sandwiches
If there’s one thing that almost every office catering menu includes, it's a sandwich! From smoke salmon bagels and smoked-brisket sandwiches to chicken sandwiches with surfboard-sized panko-crumbed schnitzel, classic cheese tomato sandwiches, and more, sandwich varieties are endless. You can accompany them with budget-friendly sides like French fries and a variety of dips.
On the other hand, wraps are also easily customizable. You can customize everything from the wrap type, meat, cheese, spread, vegetable, sauces, and other filling options. You can also set up a live food station to let the employees get their desired wraps and sandwiches made fresh.
Sandwiches and wraps can easily incorporate dietary requirements. Ask your office caterer for vegan, vegetarian, nut-free, or gluten-free options. Moreover, these make perfect options if you want to pack individual meals.
Salad Bowls
If you are into healthy meals, stick with salad bowls. These can be best for diet-conscious and healthy-eating employees. Besides being light and delish to eat, these are filling too. Try out different options every time, as you have a variety of different salads and dressings. You can also let them customize their salads on their own.
Salad bowls can also be packed in individual servings. When customizing them, ensure to include protein to keep everyone full longer. To make things interesting, ask your caterer to add up unexpected ingredients like maple roasted squash. Some drool-worthy salad choices for meat lovers include Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad. For vegans and vegetarians, you can consider Quinoa and Roasted Vegetable Salad.
Hot Pies and Finger Food
You can also get hot pies and finger food. Both are irresistible options that leave everyone licking their fingers. The odor of golden crust savory pies and the allure and practicality of finger foods promotes mingling among employees. Also, you can skip paying the cost of recyclable cutlery with these options, as these are usually eaten with hands.
If you are wondering where to source these from? Check out Hey,Crois!’s catering menu we offer a 44-piece hot pastry finger food platter, which includes hot dog wraps, spinach feta rolls, cheese and bacon rolls, beef sausage rolls, and beef party pies. Hand-crafted by a qualified chef daily, each piece bursts with juicy flavor and melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Enjoy an irresistible taste experience that's sure to delight all Aussies and people everywhere!
Taco and Burritos
Tacos and burritos have gained immense hype as Mexican traditional food. These Instagrammable food choices are not only easy to customize but also budget-friendly. When getting them, arrange options catering to each dietary requirement, including dairy and non-dairy cheese, vegan, vegetarian, and meat fillings.
Want to take your office catering to another level? Set up Build-Your-Own Taco and Burrito Bar. This will save you from the hassle of getting something for everyone, as they are going to make their meals on their own. Some delish taco choices are Grilled Fish Tacos – a decent way to include seafood in your menu. On the other side, we have Spicy Black Bean Burritos for those who crave spicy veg-based meals.
Sushi
Next on the list is Sushi! It's a tasty, energy-packed, and easily digestible food option. Featuring fresh and light seafood ingredients, it can be a great source of nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and vitamins B12 and D. Moreover, you can make your menu diverse by including a separate food station for Sushi.
From aesthetic and convenient assorted Sushi Rolls to fresh and appealing Sashimi Platters, you can get anything to satisfy the cravings of seafood lovers. Long story short, besides being the most-loved Japanese dish in Australia, Sushi is also versatile. You can adjust its ingredients to meet the dietary preferences of your employees.
Vietnamese Bánh Mì and Rice Paper Rolls
Bánh Mì ideally combines the authentic flavors of French baguettes and Vietnamese-style sandwiches. Employees can fill up the airy baguette with their choice of fillings, including various meats, pickled veggies, fresh herbs, mayo, and a variety of sauces for that juicy touch. These culinary delights are best served with sides like Rice Paper Rolls.
Rice Paper Rolls feature the goodness of veggies, juicy prawns, and fresh mint and are served with the signature sauce. This finger-licking good sauce is made using lime, fish sauce, sugar, and chilli. You can also pair it with hoisin peanut sauce. If you want light, healthy, and gluten-free options, include fresh shrimp and pork rice paper rolls.
Pizza
No one can resist eating Pizza. This Italian dish is one of the best dishes to include in-office catering lunches. That cheese pull and delish combination of balanced spices, meat, sauce and soft crust makes a perfect meal. Either add pizza slices as sides in individual meal boxes or offer them small-size pizzas. For a more luxe approach, you can set up a pizza station to offer various pizzas with special dietary requirements.
Some pizza options you can rely on are:
Margherita Pizza: Classic, affordable, and a timeless favorite
BBQ Chicken Pizza: Savory-sweet profile, crowd-pleaser, and cost-effective
Pepperoni Pizza: American goodness, finger-licking good, and everyone’s favorite
Vegetarian Supreme Pizza: Versatile, suitable for vegetarians, and can accommodate dietary restrictions
Bonus Tip: Are you finding it hard to calculate how many pizzas you need? Estimate the figure by assuming everyone eats three pizza slices. Do not order the same kind of pizzas; rather, include variety.
Curries
If you are into classic meals, go with curries. Belonging to South Asian cuisine, curry is a dish featuring perfectly seasoned sauce. With diverse ingredients like cloves, cardamom, garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, etc., this meal option gives a touch of Indian cuisine to your office catering. The best part is curries can be made vegan, vegetarian, and dairy-free to cater to different dietary requirements.
Some most-loved curries in Australia are spicy and exotic Thai Green Curry, Rich and Spicy Indian Chicken Curry, and vegan Creamy Chickpea and Spinach Curry. These can be best served with beef madras, sweet potato Balti, and chicken tikka. You can make separate platters for every individual. Each platter can create a filling meal with sides like rice or tortillas.
Noodles
What about noodles? Australians' love for noodles is undeniable. Owing to the goggle Trends, in 2004, these guys loved savoring coconut-rich bowls of Peranakan laksa, and now they drool over Japanese-style Ramen noodles paired with shoyu or miso broths. So, appreciating this love, why not include noodles in the menu?
For a budget-friendly option, you can rely on Stir-Fried Beef and Broccoli Noodles; for a gluten-free one, choose Veggie Pad Thai; and to deal with multiple dietary choices at once, go with Japanese-style Ramen. You can also order noodle boxes for individual servings. These pre-packed boxes will save you from loads of hassle.
Buffet
Too many options out there that makes you overwhelmed? No worries, make the upcoming office catering a treat with a buffet! You can mix and match recipes from different cuisine to craft a salivation-worthy menu. This will help you cater to large groups; you can plan them for workshops or some special occasion, i.e., for celebrating the company's success.
Some widely chosen buffet options are BBQ and Mediterranean buffet. BBQ buffet is not only hearty and indulgent but also suits those craving classic comfort foods. On the other hand, a Mediterranean buffet can be your best bet for vegan-friendly, diverse food options that showcase authentic Mediterranean flavors in true meaning.
Tips for Successful Staff Lunch Catering
After going through all the lunch ideas, you must wonder about the secrets of successful staff lunch catering. If that’s the case, we have got you covered in this section.
Food Hygiene – Companies should ensure optimal food hygiene during the preparation and transportation of food. For this purpose, you should hire reliable office catering services, like Hey, Crois!
Diverse Menu – Let's face it! There's not a single food item in the world that everyone likes. If one drools over a food item, another may find it a bit eww. So, ensure that your office catering menu is diverse, catering to different tastes and choices.
Special Diet Catering – If your employees have special dietary requirements, like vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free, you should consider them when deciding on the menu.
Rely on Food Stations – Food stations are like mini buffets, each dedicated to a specific variety of dishes or cuisine. These often come with a serving attendant. Owing to these stations, you can create interactive and customizable food stops for your workers, letting them prepare their meals according to their preferences.
Set Weekly or Monthly Deadline – If you prefer taking employee meal requests, make the process easier by setting weekly or monthly deadlines. The span of the deadline also depends on how frequently you order office catering. By doing so, you can skip loads of hassle.
Gradually Build a Stand-by List – Keep track of your employees' meal requests to get insights into their meal choices. This will help build a comprehensive stand-by list that can be considered when an employee has skipped sending meal requests. You can have a look at what they ordered in the past office catering and get something for them accordingly.
Never Skip Sweet Treat – If you want to be everyone's favorite, ensure never to skip a satisfying sweet tooth after meals. You can make things more exciting by keeping the sweet dish menu secret. These can be anything from ice cream to tarts, cupcakes, and more.
If you are looking for an office catering company in Brisbane, check out Hey,Crois! We can cater to special dietary requirements and last minute-orders too. In short, we are a life-saver for sure!
Wrapping It Up!
That was all about how to plan office catering in Brisbane for your employees to encourage workplace experience and offer them a chance to mingle. You can choose anything from wraps and sandwiches to pizzas and buffets according to your budget and preferences, creating a meal everyone loves. We stress considering the dietary restrictions so that no employee feels left out.
You can take help from “Hey, Crois!” to craft a delish staff lunch menu. Our diverse catering menu will leave you wondering what to choose and what to not. Moreover, we ensure optimal hygiene when making food delicacies that are bound to leave everyone licking their fingers.