Delivered Catering for a Company Meeting - How to Order So Everything Arrives Right

Delivered catering is the simplest way to feed people at a company meeting, training day or board meeting. Most problems, however, do not come from the food itself but from logistics: a late delivery, portions that are too small, or nobody to set up the buffet. Below is a list of things worth agreeing when you order.

A delivery time with a buffer

Book delivery 30-45 minutes before the planned break, not for the break itself. The driver can get stuck in traffic, and setting up a buffet takes time too. If the meeting is in the city centre, check that the driver knows where to park and which entrance to use.

Quantities per person

Catering ordered “by eye” is a quick way to empty plates after fifteen minutes. Ask for specific quantities: how many snack pieces or grams of a dish per person. For a coffee break 3-4 small snacks per person are usually enough, for lunch a full main course. Add the trainers and staff to the headcount.

Packaging and tableware

Ask what the food will arrive in. Disposable trays are convenient, but at a meeting with a client platters and china look better. Also check that cutlery, napkins, cups and coffee spoons are included. No cups can ruin the best break.

Hot dishes

A delivered hot dish must arrive in thermal boxes or be reheated on site. If the venue has no kitchen, choose dishes that travel well: bakes, pasta, one-pot dishes. Salads and cold snacks are the safest.

Diets and labels

Collect dietary needs before ordering and give the numbers. Ask for vegan, gluten-free or lactose-free portions to be packed separately and labelled. Otherwise the first people in line eat them.

Who sets up and who clears

Delivered catering often means delivery only. Agree whether the company will set up the buffet and collect the dishes, or whether someone from your team will. Also ask when the tableware will be collected and what happens to leftovers.

A checklist to confirm the day before

• final headcount and number of special-diet portions,
• address, entrance and a phone number for the person on site,
• delivery time and tableware collection time,
• invoice details.

On-site catering instead of delivery

Some of these problems disappear when the meeting takes place in a venue with its own catering. At BRDA 144 on ul. Krzysztofa Gotowskiego 6 in Bydgoszcz we prepare coffee breaks and lunch through our own catering, at an extra cost, and the venue has a kitchen, air conditioning, a sound system and WiFi. There is parking next to the building.

Questions about delivered catering

How far ahead should you order delivered catering?

Usually a few days ahead, and a week for a larger group. The headcount is usually confirmed a day or two before the meeting.

Can delivered catering arrive early in the morning?

Yes, but not every company delivers before 8 am. For a morning meeting, ask about this at first contact.

What should you do when the delivery is late?

Have the driver's or dispatcher's number and spare coffee on site. A small change to the agenda order is usually enough so nobody notices the delay.