Within today’s society, power breakfasts are all the rage, people tend to favour dishes such as a Mediterranean morning scramble, or egg benedict washed down with an avo-shake rather than the traditional fry up and coffee. With that, these people – who could be your 21st century business men and woman – need to be impressed when they attend corporate event, especially as health and nutrition is a priority to consider. With that in mind, what exactly do these high-flying professionals in today’s world like to see served up at corporate events because, to be honest, the entire success of the day might hinge on the mid-afternoon buffet, so for a catering company, deciphering between Danish pastries and dauphinoise potatoes can prove crucial.
Here with suppliers of bottled gas, Flogas, we run you through our top seven quirky catering ideas for corporate events.
Say good bye to the traditional afternoon tea
Times have changed, the chances of that traditional cheese and ham or egg and cress, despite being delicious comfort food, aren’t going to blow the minds of your guests. However, that doesn’t mean the traditional lunch choice of sandwiches is somehow defunct. In fact, there exist a number of fillings that will get heads turning and bellies rumbling, although plain white bread probably won’t make the slice.
Instead, why not serve your guests with a spicy roasted shrimp and chipotle avocado mayonnaise, or fiery Mexican BLT on a freshly baked sourdough? These are just two of our favorites that will ensure you’ll get empty plated all round. Alternatively, if you want to take your sandwich expression to the next level, call upon Philadelphian eatery, Elsie’s, for some inspiration. Have you ever found yourself wishing you got a bit more bite (of pickle) for your buck? Well, using Elsie’s method that won’t be a concern, as this deli substitutes bread for the brine-soaked vegetable!
Regarding drinks, we also are not expecting you to serve a traditional English breakfast tea with your funky sandwiches, therefore bring the lemon drizzle or Turkish apple-infused hot drink. And to finish — well, we don’t think anyone would begrudge a well-baked slice of Victoria sponge.
Introducing Bowl Food
This concept was actually featured at Prince Harry’s and Meghan Markle’s wedding. Much like Ronseal, bowl food does exactly what it says on the tin. Featuring somewhere between the unfulfilling canopy and the food-baby delivering main course, bowl food can feature any cuisine and is served in a hand-sized dish with a small fork. As a serving method, this is perhaps the most ideal for a corporate event as it allows people to continue mingling, rather than be restricted to one table.
Buddha Bowl
If you’re providing breakfast at your event, the traditional fry up has somewhat lost its appeal in recent years, but this is actually where bowl food comes into, to take your event away from the conventional norm. Layer the base of your bowl with pan fried spinach, and top it with tomatoes, avocadoes, and poached eggs — add sliced chipolatas and lardons to cater for the meat eaters among us. After this, the multiple minds will be fueled for the rest of the day, and the creative juices more than flowing.
For winter events, don’t be hesitant to serve up something a bit more homely and warm. A small portion of steak pieces, carrot, parsnip, onion, and root mash will trump most competition. However, a Christmas time vegan favourite is curried chickpeas with roasted brussels sprouts. Mix the dish up with radish, avocado, sweet potato and tahini, and serve over a base of quinoa.
BBQ
This concept works for our Australian counterparts, so it can work for us. Take the catering outdoors, while this idea may take a little longer, we guarantee it will reap rewards. Full of omega 3 and scientifically proven to be good for the brain, the humble fish is a popular choice among young professionals. Jamie Oliver has coined a fantastic recipe of barbequed trout wrapped in newspaper — incredibly high in protein, it will prove to be a hit with any of the health conscious too. Alternatively, if you want to take things ‘truly Down Under’, you can’t do much better than shrimp on a stick, on the barbie!
Of course, you don’t have to just serve seafood at the BBQ. Breakfast has proved to be successful cooked on the grill at events in recent years, as has the popular vegetarian dish, halloumi and tzatziki.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Did you know chicken tikka masala actually originated in the UK? It was developed by South Asian restaurants here and has made it to our list. Spice up your event with some traditional Asian culture and draw upon the combination of intense flavours. The Curry Squad, a company based just outside of London, has been bringing its street food sensations to the people of the capital for the past six years. Drawing upon their vast knowledge of flavours from cities such as Bombay and Lahore, the chefs offer an authentic Indian experience. Some of their specialties include ‘bhaji bites’, ‘popping candy gol gappas’, and ‘amritsari rajme chole’.
Paella
The best thing about serving paella at the likes of event, is that it takes minimal effort, provides an explosion of taste and is incredibly cheap to make. Grab some frozen seafood mix, risotto rice, chorizo sausage, lemon and lime, and herbs and spices — it really is up to you. Fortunately, with paella, you can get creative as it really depends on the taste preferences of the guests. White or red wine can be added, but bear in mind the rest of a creative afternoon before dashing half a bottle in.
Branded Food
You may not have seen this concept, which we wouldn’t be shocked. A clover in the foam of a pint of Guinness always appeared to be somewhat of a sneaky marketing ploy as you indulged in the first sip. However, if you are trying to conduct a bit of subliminal messaging, this might be exactly what you’re after. Stencils can be used as a way to write your company or organisations name in coffee, or call upon the likes of Branding Irons to develop a customised food stamp. Bagels, burgers, and pancakes will never be the same.
Serve up a picnic
This concept requires the MET office being on your side, so we recommend a contingency plan being put in place, if, like Travis, it always rains on you. You can pull it out of the bag with a wicker basket, complete with blanket, cafetière, and a selection of Danish pastries.
Above, we have run through seven of the numerous ideas you can apply to your next corporate event — in this dog eat dog world, it is all about success, and that is exactly what these concepts will deliver!
Go plant friendly
Why not step it up a notch and cater for the increasing population of vegans and vegetarians by adding some animal-friendly treat options to your menu. These days there have been interesting vegan recipes be shared across the internet and there are some world favorite nibbles now become vegan such as chocolate and beer.
Above, we have run through seven quirky ideas you can apply to your next corporate event — in this dog eat dog world, it is all about success, and that is exactly what these concepts will deliver!