Choose office Christmas catering around three things: whether people need a full meal, where they will eat and how long they can spend together. Once those are clear, it is much easier to compare menus and ask for a useful quote.
A staff lunch between shifts needs a different plan from an evening party where everyone stays for dinner. Even with the same guest count, the right food and service may be different. This guide helps you shortlist a format before getting into individual dishes.
Decide what the food needs to do
Write one sentence describing the occasion: for example, a meal for the whole team, a short afternoon celebration, or food alongside an evening drinks reception. Say whether guests should arrive expecting lunch or dinner. A menu that sounds generous can still disappoint if the organiser sees it as a light treat and the team expects a main meal.
Next, separate the total invitation list from the people who will eat at each point. Note different shifts, staggered arrivals and any guests joining later. Give the caterer the numbers for each proposed serving window, marking estimates clearly. Ask for a service plan that fits those windows rather than assuming everybody can collect food at once.
Compare the food formats
Use this table to choose a starting point. The final decision depends on the actual menu, quantities, service and facilities agreed with your caterer. You can print it and mark the option that best matches your event.
| Food format | A useful fit when… | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Seated meal | You want everyone to pause and eat together. | Seating, table layout, service arrangements and the time available for the meal. |
| Finger buffet | Guests will move around and choose food for themselves. | Whether the agreed menu replaces a meal, table space and who replenishes or clears it. |
| Hot buffet | You want a substantial meal with guests collecting their food. | Serving arrangements, suitable eating space, equipment and responsibility for food service. |
| Canapés | Food will accompany a reception and conversation. | Whether the proposed quantity is a light reception or a meal, and how trays will circulate. |
| Mobile street food | You want food cooked and served as part of the occasion. | A suitable serving position, guest collection plan and an agreed option for poor weather. |
| Afternoon tea | You want a daytime celebration built around a shared food break. | Whether drinks, china, serving equipment and staff are included or need arranging. |
Check the journey from collecting food to eating it
Picture a colleague collecting a plate, picking up a drink and finding somewhere to eat. That simple walk can reveal a problem a menu cannot: nowhere to put anything down, a narrow doorway beside the buffet, or a serving point too far from the room where people are gathering.
For standing events, consider how easily guests can manage the chosen food and drinks. For a seated meal, confirm that the seating arrangement works for the people attending. Ask whether anyone needs assistance collecting or carrying food and agree who will provide it.
If part of the service is outdoors, discuss the whole guest experience in winter: the route to the food, lighting, where people wait and where they eat. Agree arrangements with the site manager and caterer. The HSE's event-site guidance highlights audience movement, access, ground conditions and clearly assigned responsibilities.
Choose food and service together
Decide how much of the event your team can realistically host themselves. Receiving delivered food, arranging it, answering guest questions and clearing the room are separate jobs. If staff are meant to enjoy the party, identify who will handle those jobs before choosing a package.
Ask exactly what an attended service covers. Cooking, serving food, circulating trays, serving drinks and clearing used plates are different tasks. A description such as 'staff included' needs enough detail for you to understand the arrangement.
Check equipment at the same time. Tables, crockery, cutlery, napkins, serving utensils and drinks equipment may come from the caterer, the venue or your workplace. Put a name against each item so that both sides are working from the same plan.
Discuss dietary needs before settling the menu
Collect dietary requirements early and give guests a clear way to raise allergies or intolerances directly with the catering contact. Ask what can be accommodated and how agreed meals will be identified and served. Share personal details only with the people who need them to arrange the food.
For a buffet, ask how guests will find information about each dish. The Food Standards Agency's allergen guidance explains that buffet allergen information should cover individual food items. It also cautions that a vegan description does not automatically mean a dish is suitable for someone with an allergy. Confirm individual requirements rather than making that assumption on a guest's behalf.
Compare the complete event cost
Once you have a shortlist, give each caterer the same event brief. Compare the agreed menu and quantities, service window, staffing, travel, equipment and clearing arrangements. Ask whether applicable VAT is included and which items are still to be priced.
A lower food price may leave work or hire costs for you to organise. Equally, you may not need every extra in a larger package. Choose the arrangement that covers your actual event, and ask for important details to be recorded in the quote.
Use this brief for your Christmas catering enquiry
Complete the checklist below before sending an enquiry. Where a detail is undecided, say so and explain what you need help choosing. A clear uncertainty is more useful than a guess that becomes part of the booking.
You can explore Christmas catering from Fables Catering & Events and our corporate catering, then request a quote with your date, location, guest estimate and preferred format. Your quote should confirm the menu, service and availability for your particular event.
Tell Fables about your event
Share your date, venue or postcode, guest numbers and the food you have in mind.
Explore Fables Christmas party catering.
Request a catering quote