So you’ve been handed the responsibility of planning an office party? Before you freak out, we’ve written out a handy how-to on calculating food portions for your guests to minimise waste and make the planning easier for you! #yougotthis

Considerations Before Planning

Before knowing how much food to provide and planning the menu, there’s a few things that you should have down pat.

Why are you having a party?

Is it someone’s birthday, an end of financial year party, or perhaps a breakfast party for a colleague who is retiring? This will give you a good idea of what time of day the party will be and therefore a general idea of the food to be served.

Who’s invited?

You’ve decided what to serve at the party. It’s now time to compile your guest list.

Create your invitations with an RSVP date (for those annoying “maybe” people) and send them out at least a month in advance. This will give your party goers enough time to plan ahead in their busy schedules. Include these important items in your invitation:

• The occasion
• Party date
• Where in the office it’ll be held
• RSVP date
• Inform of any special dietary requirements

When you receive the RSVPs you’ll know how many guests will be attending and it’ll be super easy to calculate how much food you’ll need to order.

Type of Food

Now that you know why you’re celebrating and how many people are attending, you can start to organise the type of food you’ll be serving.

Finger foods

Finger foods are perfect for every time of day and style of party. It’s easy to eat, doesn’t make a mess and requires very little cutlery or crockery.

Platters

Platters are always a winner for parties as it allows everyone to help themselves to a wide range of tasty morsels. Just like finger food, platter items are very easy to eat. Simply keep a pile of serviettes nearby so everyone can keep their hands clean, or use them as a little plate if necessary.

Bigger platters can also be a great idea if you’re having a lunch event, or near more substantial food. A sandwich and salad combo is a familiar and satisfying option!

Beverages

Beverages will depend on the time of day, but it’s important to provide a mix, always include plenty of water, and have both non-alcoholic and alcoholic options if it’s appropriate to do so.

• Breakfast and teas: Coffee, tea, juice, and plenty of water.

• Lunch/after work: Juice, soft drinks, coffee, tea, water.

• Beer and wine if appropriate.

Dietary Requirements

When receiving your colleagues and potential clients RSVP’s ask what kind of dietary requirements they currently have. Nothing is worse than providing food for a guest that they’re unable to consume.

Food intolerances and allergies are very common, and there’s always menu options to suit gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan and everything in between.

How To Calculate Food Per Person

Now that you know how many people and what kind of food you’re interested in, it’s time to calculate how much you’ll need to order.

TIP: Bookmark this page for easy reference or click on the infographic to download the food portion guidelines!

Note: This is per person. 

Need some help?

Organising catering can be a bit daunting, particularly if there’s lots of people and pressure to get it right. Luckily for you, we’ve catered for thousands of office parties and are on deck to help you pull off a great party that your boss and colleagues will love you for!

Get in touch with one of our friendly foodies or call us on 1300 556 086 and we can get this work party started!