How to Order Catering

For a corporate finger food and grazing lunch, plan 8-10 finger food pieces or 300-400 g of grazing platter per person. If you serve both, 5-6 pieces plus about 200 g of grazing per person is usually enough.

Adjust for your group:

• Lighter appetites or a short meeting: drop to 6-8 pieces per person.
• Hungry crowds (site staff, sales teams, long days): go to 10-12 pieces.
• Grazing as the only meal: include proteins (cured meats, chicken, falafel), carbs (breads, crackers) and fresh produce, not just cheese and dips.
• Buffer: add 5-10% extra so late arrivals still get a full plate.

To feed 50 conference attendees in Sydney without a kitchen, order ready-to-serve drop-off catering: grazing platters, finger food, sandwich and wrap platters, salads, or individually boxed lunches. These arrive prepared and ready to serve.

What works best without a kitchen depends on the event style and timing:

• Individual boxed lunches: the easiest option for 50 people. Each box should be labelled, so dietary meals don’t get mixed up.
• Cold platters: sandwiches, wraps, salads and grazing boards hold well at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Alternatively, keep them in the fridge and set the table at whatever time suits your event.
• Hot food in insulated carriers: if you want something warm, choose a caterer who delivers in thermal boxes and times delivery for 15-30 minutes before service.
• Disposable or eco serveware: ask for plates, napkins, cutlery and serving utensils so nothing needs washing up.
• Space: allow 2-3 trestle tables (1.8 m) for 50 guests, set up for two-sided service to keep the queue moving.

At Flavours Catering, we deliver conference catering across Sydney, including the CBD, North Sydney, Parramatta and Macquarie Park, with setup and pack-down available. Get a conference catering quote

Set up an office morning tea on one long table against a wall, with plates and napkins at the start, food in the middle, and tea and coffee at a separate station so people don’t crowd one spot. Have it ready 10 minutes before people arrive.

A simple layout that works:

1. Start of the table: plates, napkins and any labelled dietary items, set slightly apart.
2. Middle: sweet items (pastries, slices, muffins) next to savoury items (mini quiches, sausage rolls, sandwiches), plus a fruit platter.
3. End of the table: bins or a spot for used plates.
4. Separate drinks station: hot water airpot, coffee, tea bags, milk, sugar, cups and stirrers. If needed, place the hot drinks near a power point and away from the walkway.
5. Labels: small cards marking vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and any other dietary items.

Extra tip: Choose eco-friendly disposables where possible, and check whether any dietary requirements need to be covered, so everyone in the room feels included and has something to eat.

Keep cold items such as milk and cream cakes chilled until serving, and clear the table within 2 hours.

See Flavours Catering Morning or Afternoon Tea options.

Keep cold catered food at 5°C or below and hot food at 60°C or above. If food has been out of the fridge or warmer, between 5°C and 60°C, follow the 2-hour/4-hour rule from Food Standards Australia New Zealand:

• Under 2 hours: serve it, or refrigerate it for later.
• 2 to 4 hours: serve it straight away; don’t put it back in the fridge.
• Over 4 hours: throw it out.

Practical tips for events:

• Cold food: keep platters in the fridge until serving, or set them on ice trays. Bring out smaller platters and refill rather than putting everything out at once.
• Hot food: use chafing dishes or insulated carriers, and serve within 30 minutes of delivery.
• High-risk items: seafood, chicken, cream, dairy and rice dishes need the closest watch.
• Note the time food goes out so you know when the 2-hour mark hits.

For a morning tea for 30 people, plan 60-90 pieces in total, which is 2-3 pieces per person. If the morning tea replaces breakfast, increase it to 3-4 pieces per person, or 90-120 pieces.

For example, quantities for 30 people might look like:

• Sweet items (pastries, muffins, slices): 30-45 pieces
• Savoury items (mini quiches, sausage rolls, sandwiches): 30-45 pieces
• Fruit platter: 1 large platter (about 3 kg)
• Tea and coffee: 45-60 cups (1.5-2 cups per person)
• Milk: 3-4 litres, including 1 litre of plant milk
• Water or juice: 30 bottles, or 6-8 litres

A mix of half sweet and half savoury suits most offices, and a fruit platter covers healthier and dietary needs.

For a work lunch, allow 1.5 to 2 full sandwiches per person (6-8 quarter-cut points) if sandwiches are the main meal. If you add salads, fruit or finger food, 1 full sandwich (4 points) per person is enough.

Per person, and for 20 people:

• Sandwiches only: 1.5-2 sandwiches (6-8 points) per person, or 30-40 sandwiches for 20 people
• Sandwiches plus salad or fruit: 1-1.5 sandwiches (4-6 points) per person, or 20-30 sandwiches for 20 people
• Sandwiches plus hot finger food: 1 sandwich (4 points) per person, or 20 sandwiches for 20 people

Tips:

• Mix bread types (wraps, rolls, multigrain, gluten-free) so there’s variety and fewer leftovers.
• Aim for about one-third vegetarian fillings, even if only a few people requested it.
• Order gluten-free and vegan sandwiches individually wrapped and labelled.

An all-day training workshop needs three food breaks: morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, plus tea, coffee and water all day. Per person, plan 2-3 pieces for morning tea, a full lunch (8-10 finger food items or 1.5 sandwiches plus salad), and 2 pieces for afternoon tea.

A typical day, per person:

• Arrival, 8:30 am (optional): tea, coffee and 1 pastry or breakfast item
• Morning tea, 10:30 am: 2-3 pieces, sweet and savoury
• Lunch, 12:30 pm: 1.5 sandwiches or wraps plus salad, or 8-10 finger food pieces, or an individual meal
• Afternoon tea, 3:00 pm: 2 pieces, such as fruit, sweet treats or grazing items.
• All day: 4-5 hot drinks and 1-2 bottles of water

Tips for training days:

• Choose lighter, protein-rich lunches over heavy, carb-only meals to avoid the 2 pm slump.
• Include fresh fruit at every break.
• Book a single all-day package so all deliveries are timed to your agenda. Contact Flavours Catering to learn more.

For a 2-hour cocktail party, plan 6-8 finger food pieces per person. If the event runs over dinner time and replaces a meal, increase to 10-12 pieces, including 2-3 substantial items such as sliders or noodle boxes.

Pieces per person by event type:

• Pre-dinner drinks (1 hour): 2-4 pieces
• 2-hour cocktail party: 6-8 pieces
• 2-hour event replacing dinner: 10-12 pieces, including 2-3 substantial items
• 3-4 hour event: 14-18 pieces, including dessert canapés

Tips:

• Serve the most pieces in the first hour, when guests are hungriest.
• Offer 5-7 different items, with at least 2 vegetarian options.
• Choose one-bite or two-bite items that can be eaten standing with a drink in hand.

Order office catering by 3pm the business day before for everyday meetings, and 1-2 weeks ahead for events over 50 people. For special occasions such as Christmas parties and end-of-year functions in November and December, book 3-4 weeks ahead, as dates fill quickly.

Recommended notice by order type:

• Small meeting (under 20 people): 24-48 hours
• Office lunch or morning tea (20-50 people): 2-3 business days
• Conference or event (50+ people): 1-2 weeks
• Custom menus, staffing or equipment hire: 2 weeks
• Christmas and end-of-year events: 3-4 weeks

Confirm final numbers and dietary requirements 24–48 hours before delivery. Flavours Catering + Events accepts last-minute orders for selected menus.

To cater for dietary requirements at a work event, collect them when people RSVP, pass the exact numbers to your caterer, and ask for dietary meals to be individually packed and labelled with the person’s name or the diet. Plan around 10-20% of guests needing a vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or allergy-friendly option.

Steps that prevent problems:

1. Ask early: add a required dietary question to your invite or RSVP form, including allergies and their severity.
2. Tell the caterer about allergies separately: serious allergies (nuts, shellfish, sesame, coeliac disease) need separate preparation, not just a different menu item.
3. Label everything: each platter or box should state vegetarian (V), vegan (VG), gluten-free (GF), dairy-free (DF), nut-free, or any other dietaries.
4. Serve dietary meals first or set them apart so they aren’t taken by others.
5. Over-cater vegetarian: make about one-third of the menu vegetarian, as many guests choose it even without a requirement.
6. Cover religious and cultural needs: ask about halal, kosher or no-pork/no-beef requirements.