Planning a corporate event is no easy feat, especially when you want to ensure guests enjoy themselves and nobody goes home hungry. Luckily, corporate event catering has a wide range of ideas for menu planning, along with the inside scoop on the latest food and drink trends.
If you have an upcoming corporate event, consider the top three ideas below.
1. Get on Trend
There’s nothing wrong with a corporate event catering menu that’s a little funky. Incorporate dishes that are completely new and super trendy among foodies. As people’s taste buds change and the food scene evolves, more and more cuisines are being fused together.
Consider serving one of these trendy items on the menu. It could be gourmet doughnuts or Japanese cheese tarts. Sushi burritos are popular and fun, and they continue to draw a crowd. These innovative ideas aren’t likely to be consumed regularly by the majority of guests, making the opportunity to try them at a work event exciting.
A unique and trendy food dish that’s delicious will leave guests impressed, and the foodie guests will love the trends added to the menu.
2. Go to the Source and Pair It
Farm to table and local experiences continue to be on point—a trend remaining at the forefront. Corporate event catering can include this element in almost every part of the meal. Visit the local farmer’s market and butcher to source the freshest ingredients for the catered menu. There’s something uniquely different about tasting home-grown food that’s unbeatable when compared to its frozen varieties. Locally sourced dishes not only provide guaranteed taste, they support the nearby community.
This mantra doesn’t have to end with the food. Source alcohol pairings for the evening using the same method. Check out local craft breweries and wineries to serve guests something close to home instead of the usual bar rail. Guests can experience new flavours and libations many haven’t heard of or thought to try before.
The next step is to pair them with the food served. Matching food and drink is a culinary crowd-pleaser that leaves guests impressed when the dish matches the local winery. For food and drink, going local provides interesting talking points and outstanding taste that guests are sure to love.
3. Innovative Presentation
It’s no longer about serving food in the usual, traditional heated trays. Caterers have plenty of new options and creative ways to present food to guests.
Try some of these options:
Interactive food displays are one of the most popular options. Perhaps you’re doing a taco bar where guests can fill up their own shells or a dessert station for attendees to build their own sundaes.
Instead of picking out the food, present live chef stations. Watch chefs perfect freshly grilled steaks, fish, and vegetables, or prepare sushi right before guests’ eyes. This method creates a spectacle and gives attendees a fresh, hot dinner. Chef stations can be placed strategically around areas where guests are seated to give them something to watch and talk about.
Have a family-style dining experience for guests to pass food around the table—just like Sunday night dinner at home. It’s a good way to say “welcome” and a great reminder of one’s genuine love for food. In corporate event catering, this style adds a more personal touch to a normally formal event.
Present small, deconstructed plates that highlight why food tastes that way it does, while giving guests an opportunity to see how different flavours come together. It could be a completely new dish or a rearranged classic that adds a new take on an old favourite.
For your next corporate event, talk to different caterers to see the unique ideas available and how they can include these elements in the menu to wow the crowd and leave everyone satisfied.
