The Birmingham Office Catering Guide How to Plan Catering for Meetings, Training Days and Workplace Events
Organising office catering involves more than choosing a few sandwiches.
You need enough food for the group, suitable dietary choices, a dependable delivery time and a format that works for the event.
This guide explains how to plan office catering in Birmingham, including portion sizes, menu formats, budgets, dietary requirements and ordering times.
Start With the Type of Workplace Event
The right catering depends on what your guests will be doing and how long they will be attending.
Short MeetingsFor a short morning or afternoon meeting, guests may only require:
Tea and coffee
Breakfast pastries
Cakes or biscuits
Fresh fruit
Canned drinks or water
A full lunch may not be necessary unless the meeting takes place across lunchtime.
Business Meetings and Working Lunches
Sandwich platters and working lunches are practical when people need to eat without significantly interrupting the meeting.
Suitable choices include:
Sandwich, roll and wrap platters
Individual working lunches
Savoury selections
Crisps
Cakes
Fresh fruit
Cold drinks
Shared platters work well for informal meetings, while individual lunches make distribution and dietary separation easier.
Training Days and WorkshopsLonger training sessions may require more than one delivery element.
A typical training-day arrangement could include:
Breakfast pastries or fruit on arrival
Sandwiches, lunch boxes or a buffet at lunchtime
Cakes or snacks for the afternoon
Tea, coffee and cold drinks
Individual lunch boxes are particularly useful when attendees have scheduled breaks or need to collect food quickly.
Staff Events and Larger GatheringsCold buffets are suitable for team events, celebrations and larger workplace gatherings where guests want more variety.
A buffet can combine:
Sandwiches, rolls and wraps
Meat and vegetarian savouries
Cakes and sweet treats
Fruit
Crisps
Drinks
Choosing the Right Catering FormatSandwich PlattersBest for:
Office meetings
Shared lunches
Smaller groups
Informal workplace events
Sandwich platters are easy to serve and allow guests to choose from different fillings. They can include a mixture of sandwiches, rolls and wraps.
Working LunchesBest for:
Longer meetings
Training sessions
Workshops
Team lunches
Working lunches usually combine sandwiches with additional items such as savouries, crisps, fruit or cakes.
Individual Lunch BoxesBest for:
Conferences
Training courses
Recruitment days
Events with multiple dietary requirements
Situations where food needs to be distributed quickly
Each attendee receives an individually packed lunch, making portions easier to manage and reducing handling of shared food.
Cold BuffetsBest for:
Larger meetings
Staff celebrations
Corporate events
Informal networking
Groups wanting a wider selection
Buffets provide more variety and can include savoury, sweet and fresh items alongside sandwiches and wraps.
How Much Office Catering Should You Order?
The amount required depends on the time of day, length of the event and menu selected.
As a general starting point:
Light refreshments: pastries, cakes, fruit or drinks
Standard lunch: approximately 1 to 1.5 rounds of sandwiches per person
More substantial lunch: sandwiches accompanied by savouries, crisps, cakes or fruit
All-day event: breakfast, lunch and afternoon refreshments
Individual lunch: one clearly portioned lunch box per attendee
A sandwich “round” normally means two slices of bread made into one complete sandwich.
If lunch is the main meal of a long event, choose a more substantial working lunch or buffet rather than relying on a small sandwich selection.
Always check the serving information on the individual menu item before ordering.Catering Suggestions by Group Size
Catering for 5–10 PeopleFor a smaller meeting, consider:
One or two sandwich platters
A working lunch menu
Individual lunch boxes
A small cake or fruit platter
Drinks or a tea and coffee flask
Smaller groups are often easiest to serve with one complete menu rather than several separate platters.
Catering for 10–20 PeopleFor this size of group, consider:
Sandwich or wrap platters
A mixed working lunch
Individual lunch boxes
Sandwiches with savouries and cakes
Separate dietary lunches where needed
This group size benefits from a little more filling variety without creating unnecessary leftovers.
Catering for 20–50 PeopleFor medium-sized workplace events, consider:
A complete cold buffet package
Several coordinated sandwich platters
Individual lunch boxes
Separate dietary selections
Drinks, fruit and cake platters
Clearly identified dietary food becomes increasingly important as the number of attendees grows.
Catering for 50–100 PeopleLarger events require more detailed planning.
Confirm:
Final guest numbers
Delivery and serving time
Access, parking and unloading arrangements
Dietary quantities
Whether food should be individually packed
Where the delivery should be taken
The name and telephone number of the on-site contact
Order early wherever possible so the caterer can plan preparation and delivery capacity.
Planning Your Catering Budget The cost per person depends on the amount and variety of food included.
Lower-Cost CateringSimple sandwich platters, breakfast options and lighter working lunches can help keep costs down.
Mid-Range Catering A balanced lunch might combine sandwiches with savouries, crisps, fruit or a sweet item.
Premium Catering Larger buffet selections and more complete lunch packages can include sandwiches, savouries, cakes, fruit, crisps and drinks.
When comparing prices, check what is included per person.
A cheaper menu may only include sandwiches, while a more complete package may reduce the need to order several additional platters.
Trenchers provides menu sections for catering under different per-person budgets, making it easier to compare suitable choices.
Collect Dietary Requirements Before OrderingAsk attendees for dietary information before placing the catering order.
Common requirements include:
Vegetarian
Vegan
Halal
Gluten-free
Dairy-free
Food allergies
Do not assume that a food preference and a food allergy require the same handling.
Provide complete information to the caterer so suitable options can be prepared, separated and labelled appropriately.
For individual lunch boxes, include the attendee’s name or dietary requirement when appropriate so the correct lunch reaches the correct person.
Allergen Information
People ordering catering should collect accurate allergen information from attendees and pass it to the caterer.
When placing an order:
State the dietary requirement clearly.
Identify any food allergies separately.
Check the available allergen and ingredient information.
Avoid making assumptions about suitability.
Contact the caterer if anything is unclear.
Choosing a Delivery TimeArrange delivery before the food is required, allowing enough time to:
Receive and check the order
Move the catering to the meeting room
Organise platters and drinks
Identify dietary items
Deal with building reception or security
For a meeting beginning at 12pm, delivery shortly before the lunch break is usually more practical than requesting delivery at the exact moment food is required.
Tell the caterer about loading restrictions, reception procedures, floor numbers or difficult-to-find entrances when ordering.
When Should You Place the Order?Trenchers’ standard ordering deadline is 12pm for next-day delivery, subject to availability.
Larger orders, complex dietary requirements and catering for major workplace events should be placed earlier whenever possible.
Short-notice catering may sometimes be available, but menu choice and delivery capacity can be more limited.
Office Catering Delivery Across Birmingham
Trenchers delivers to workplaces across Birmingham and surrounding business areas, including:
Birmingham City Centre
Aston
Digbeth
Edgbaston
Jewellery Quarter
Solihull
Coleshill
Tyseley
Longbridge
Birmingham Business Park
Blythe Valley Business Park
Castle Vale
Delivery availability can depend on the location, order size and requested time.
Office Catering Organiser’s ChecklistBefore completing your order, confirm:
Event date
Required delivery time
Number of attendees
Type and length of event
Catering budget
Dietary requirements
Food allergies
Delivery address
Building access instructions
On-site contact name
Contact telephone number
Purchase-order reference, if required
Plates, napkins, cups or serving items required
Tea, coffee, water or cold drinks required
Common Office Catering Mistakes to Avoid
Ordering for the Wrong Number Confirm the latest attendance figure before placing the order and allow for any expected last-minute guests.
Forgetting Dietary Guests Dietary catering should be planned as part of the main order, not added as an afterthought.
Choosing Food That Is Difficult to Serve For working meetings, choose food that can be distributed and eaten easily without disrupting the session.
Requesting Delivery at the Exact Serving Time Allow time for reception, unloading and setting out the catering before guests are ready to eat.
Providing Incomplete Delivery Instructions Include the company name, full address, postcode, floor or department, on-site contact and telephone number.
Ordering Too Many Separate Items A complete working lunch or buffet package can be simpler and better value than combining numerous unrelated platters.
Order Office Catering in Birmingham Trenchers has supplied workplace catering across Birmingham since 2001.
Our menus include sandwich platters, working lunches, cold buffets, individual lunch boxes, breakfasts, fruit, cakes and refreshments.
Orders are freshly prepared on the day and delivered in refrigerated vehicles directly to your workplace.
Browse the Office Catering MenuFor help choosing catering for your meeting, training day or workplace event, tell us your date, guest numbers, budget and dietary requirements.