Why Catering is a Must for an Office Party Office events can be very difficult to plan out for many different reasons. Not only does a person have to worry about how many people, but there are also the regulations that come from having food brought and served within the space where the party is being held. A caterer can help with all of these problems. Several different benefits come with hiring someone to cater an office party, and this is a breakdown of those reasons.

Dietary Restrictions

There will likely be at least one person attending the party that will have some kind of restriction when it comes to what they eat. There are so many different allergies that have to be considered, and a great caterer will serve a wide variety of items to cover any possible restrictions. Also, when a caterer is hired, they will get a list of all restrictions for every person who is attending the event. If a caterer is truly good, they can easily work all of this out without it costing a large sum of extra money.

Possible Dietary Restricitons

This is just a brief list of the most commons restrictions that should be kept in mind when planning an office party, and a good caterer can work around all of them easily.

Halal

This has to do with people who are Muslim as they will only eat meat that has been blessed and prepared specially.

Kosher

This is a restriction where shellfish and pork cannot be served, and the meat being served has to be butchered in a certain way. Also, people who eat kosher will not eat anything that is dairy while they are eating meat.

Celiac Disease

This is one of the restrictions that have to do with an allergic reaction. With this one, people cannot eat anything to contains any form of wheat, rye, barley, and oats as it causes them to have a bad inflammation reaction.

Diabetic

A person who struggles with their blood sugar levels has to really watch what they eat, which can be hard at parties. They may feel like they have to eat as everyone else is, and if the food has too high of a sugar count, they could go into a diabetic shock. Drinks are one of the worse things for keeping track of the sugar count because of all the processed ingredients that make up the drink.

Nut Allergies

There is a wide range of different kinds of nuts, and it is not uncommon to find people who cannot eat anything that has been prepared around nuts. Peanuts tend to be the most common nut allergy, but it is possible for there to be an allergy to the different kinds of nuts.

Vegetarian

This is a restriction that is made by choice, but it is wide to never insult someone for having this belief. They have every right to eat the way they want, so if they do not want to consume any kind of meat, then there should be some all vegetable and fruit options at a party. Caterers are very knowledgeable in cooking for vegetarians as it is a common style of eating.

Vegan

This is very similar to someone who is vegetarian but with a lot more restrictions. Vegans will not consume any part of an animal at all, which means they will not eat anything that has dairy in it, and they will also not eat eggs. They will not eat them as they were a part of an animal.

Lactose Intolerance

This is another one that has to do with a reaction to what is ate and drank. For this one, people cannot digest anything that has lactose properly, causing them to have extreme discomfort and possibly get ill. Lactose is the sugar that is found in milk and other dairy products.

Classic Foods

Catering companies have worked hard to build their menus. This means the foods they will use at an office party are tried and perfected through a lot of trial and error. A lot of catering companies tend to stick with the classics that work for the area they serve, so everyone will likely find something they like to eat at the party.

Cost-Effective

A large scale meal is always going to cost a large sum of money, so it is common for office parties to tally up a high meal bill. By ordering a caterer, the amount of money spent can be significantly lower. They know how to plan out the exact amount of food that is needed to feed everyone in the business and their plus-ones. This will prevent too much food from being served and having to be charged for the food that is not eaten.

Permits and Handling

When it comes to serving food, there is nothing more important than the handling of said food. A professional will do all of this, which means there is no need to worry about the food being overcooked or any possible cross-contamination of foods that are made for a food restriction. There might also be a question of permits that come up if the office party is going to have alcoholic beverages served. A caterer will handle making sure the permits are in place and that it will work with the venue of the party.

Positive Impressions

One of the most important things to a business is its appearance, which means every way it is presented. Parties will say a lot about the company as they are a socializing event and there could be potential clients attending. That is why everyone always dresses nicely for an office party as it is usually not just the workers that are in attendance. The food will also say a lot about the company. For example, hotdogs would make the companies seem poor and like it does not care about what it feeds its employees. A chicken risotto on the other hand makes the company look like it takes care of its employees no matter how much it will cost them.

Stress and Responsibility

An event, no matter how small or big, can be very stressful to plan as there are so many responsibilities that have to be taken care of. By hiring a caterer, there will be one less thing to take care of as they take over the majority of the responsibilities that come with the food. That does not mean they took over it all though as the person in charge has to make sure to check in and make sure everything is on track and being done properly.

Tone and Atmosphere

The type of food is just as important as the way the venue is decorated in setting the whole tone of the event. As stated above, hotdogs do not set a good tone, but the chicken risotto would. If the food being served are all finger foods, then the event will feel lighter and more prone to socializing. Food that has to eat while sitting on the other hand gives it a more sophisticated and formal feel. Caterers can usually serve both types of events.

Varying Options

When it comes to a person buying and making food for an event, the menu is usually extremely limited, and the same food being served every time will get boring for everyone who is attending. By using a caterer, the food can be switched up between each of the events, making for a more diverse option of foods to enjoy. A person can usually use the same caterer with just a different menu put into place, but they can also easily get a different caterer with a different variety of food for the next event.