There’s lots to get excited about when it comes to summer—warm weather, barbecues, swimming, beach trips, weddings, water sports… the list goes on and on. It’s also a great time of year to host a corporate event and there are many catering ideas that can combine all the best parts of summer and serve them up on a plate.
Harness the excitement of the season and make your summer event a showstopper with these five cool corporate catering ideas for this summer.
1. Rainbow Veggie Garden
One of the best things about the summer season is the plethora of vegetables that become available. All the colours of the rainbow are present from dark purple eggplant to glorious golden beets.
Celebrate the bounty of summer by incorporating corporate catering ideas that highlight this seasonal produce. An assortment of bright, vivacious salads is a great way to present these veggie delights and keep things healthy as many people try to eat cleaner during the summer months.
2. Sundae Bar
Nothing screams summer more than ice cream, so for your next corporate event, consider doing something fun that will bring out the kid in every guest and have a make-your-own sundae bar!
Bring in tubs of locally-made ice cream or hire an on-site soft-serve machine and then let your guests top their frozen treats with sprinkles, sauces, whipped cream… whatever their hearts desire, and watch their faces light up with joy.
3. BBQ
When we talk about corporate catering ideas, our minds tend to gravitate towards lavish settings featuring modern, show-stopping cuisine, but it doesn’t always have to be so formal.
Barbecue reigns as the king of summer cuisine, so why not consider it for your summer corporate event? Serve your guests succulent BBQ chicken and smoky ribs or go all out and hire an onsite pig roaster. The smells that will circulate throughout your event will have guests salivating and the spit itself will become a centrepiece for guests to gaze upon. Throwing some vibrant veggie skewers on the grill is a great alternative for the herbivores at your event.
4. Dessert Cocktails
When the temperatures soar you want to keep things light, and while most people enjoy a little sweet treat after a meal, your guests may be less inclined to indulge in rich, heavy desserts in the summer months.
Instead, consider serving a menu of tempting dessert flavoured cocktails and allow your guests to enjoy their dessert in liquid form. Red velvet cake, tiramisu, and salted caramel martinis will give your guests a creative spin on some dessert favourites while strawberry basil daiquiris and mango mint cocktails will refresh those looking for something a little more fruity.
5. Bring the Cottage to the City
For many Ontarians and Torontonians in particular, summertime is ubiquitous with cottage season and many families flock from the city and make the trek up the 400 every weekend to bask in the refined wilderness this province has to offer.
One of the coolest corporate catering ideas for the summer is to bring the cottage vibe to the city. This can be done in many ways from serving dressed up versions of cottage favourites to stocking the bar with an assortment of craft brews from around Ontario’s cottage countries.
Burgers are always a cottage staple so dress them up with gourmet ingredients like kobe or waygu beef, artisanal cheeses and locally made bacon. Or for a sweet treat that will delight your guests, nothing says cottage country like a toasted marshmallow. Consider serving s’mores cocktails or serve elegant miniature s’mores with toasted marshmallow for dessert!
