Which Catering Format Fits My Team?

A practical decision guide for HR, office and workplace teams

TL;DR: How to Choose the Right Catering Format

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to office food. Your catering format should reflect how your team works, what your goals are, your budget, and how much admin time you want to spend on managing lunch.

This guide helps HR, workplace and ops teams choose the format that actually fits their workplace, whether it’s daily meals, event catering or pantry solutions.

Definitions

Office Catering: Food and drink provided for employees in the workplace or as part of an internal event.

Individually Labelled Meals: Meals delivered with names, allergens and dietaries clearly marked, ideal for hybrid teams and dietary requirements.

Shared Platters / Buffet: Food served centrally and shared by the team, great for social lunches, collaboration and team-building.

Pantry Fills: Pre-stocked snacks, breakfasts and healthy items to support employee wellbeing and flexible working styles.

One-Time Event Catering: Designed for workshops, away-days, client meetings, training sessions or celebrations like Christmas parties.

How to Decide, A Simple Process

Step 1: Understand Your Team Setup

• If your team is mostly on-site → shared platters and buffet formats often work well.
• If your team is hybrid → individually labelled meals prevent admin headaches and food waste.
• If your team is mixed remote & office → consider flexible ordering or defined meal allowances.
• If your team is scaling quickly → a workspace catering platform can automate the process.

Step 2: Define Your Primary Goal

• Team bonding → shared platters, buffet lunches or themed seasonal menus
• Convenience & productivity → individually labelled meals, delivered to desks
• Workplace wellbeing → pantry fills, snacks and nutritious choices
• Client meetings or celebrations → 2–4 course menus or a la carte
• Reduce admin time → automated weekly ordering with headcount tracking

Step 3: Account for Dietary Complexity

If your team includes:

• allergies (gluten, nuts, lactose)
• vegan / vegetarian needs
• halal / kosher preferences
• tight lunchtime schedules

Then individually labelled meals or a la carte ordering are usually the safest and most efficient approach.
They reduce risk, support inclusivity and cut down HR admin time.

Quick Format Guide, When to Use Which

Shared Platters / Buffet
Works when the team is on-site, socially active and dietary needs are simple. Avoid if complexity is high.

Individually Labelled Meals
Ideal for hybrid offices, dietary needs and high-efficiency workflows. Allows better headcount tracking.

Pantry & Snack Solutions
Support wellbeing, community and flexible work. Works well when food is not tied to a single lunchtime.

A La Carte / Flexible Ordering
Best for teams who want choice, while keeping budgets and spend caps in place.

Seasonal / Celebration Catering
Best for Christmas parties, launches, milestones and client-facing moments. Works well with 2–4 course menus.

How Feedr Supports Every Format

Feedr offers solutions tailored to today’s workplaces, including:

• Individually labelled meals
• Seasonal and one-time event catering
• Pantry and healthy snack programmes
• 2–4 course menus and themed menus
• Dietary requirement tracking
• Compliance-friendly invoicing

All designed to work smoothly with HR, finance, operations and workplace teams.

Final Takeaway

The catering format shouldn’t just feed people, it should support culture, retention, productivity and wellbeing.

The most successful workplaces don’t choose a single format. They choose a flexible approach that adapts to how teams really work, especially in London’s hybrid-first offices.

Ready to Find Your Format?

Explore catering options built for modern workplaces: Get a Quote – Feedr Corporate Catering London

We help teams choose the right format, not just the right menu.