With the holidays just around the corner, many offices are getting ready to celebrate the season with their team members. Holiday parties are a great way to boost morale and recognize your employees’ hard work this year. A survey found that 52 percent of employees were more interested in receiving recognition than end-of-year gifts, as it helps create a sense of belonging at work.
The food you serve plays a significant role in the success of a party, so you must be mindful of the diverse range of attendees and their food preferences. Here are a few tips to help you carefully select a menu that all your team members can enjoy.
Select Catering Style
The style of catering service you choose can influence the party’s mood and menu. If you prefer to keep the environment casual, opt for buffet style and let your employees walk around and decide which items they prefer to eat. If you want to create a professional atmosphere and encourage communication among the team, consider a sit-down dinner where the meals are served to the table.
Choosing the catering style can also help you narrow down your food options. For instance, items that need to be handed around on trays should hold up well and be easy to grab and consume. You want to avoid items that can get messy, such as foods with too much sauce.
Keep the Menu Seasonal
Seasonal cuisine can elevate any menu and add a unique touch to your office holiday party. When selecting your menu, look for items often included during festivities. This may include warm stews, meat roasts, or winter side dishes like butternut squash risotto or winter fruit compotes that pair well with time-tested entrees, such as honey-glazed ham.
Keeping the menu seasonal may also make many employees unable to celebrate the occasion with their families feel nostalgic. Certain items are a staple food in many annual holiday dinners, enabling your team to feel like they are home.
Consider Dietary Preferences
Being mindful of dietary preferences is crucial to hosting a holiday party. The last thing you want is for your employees to fill their plates with nothing but a salad due to a lack of options. Some of the most common dietary restrictions include vegan and vegetarianism, gluten intolerance, and lactose intolerance.
Although gluten and lactose are unlikely to be present in every holiday dish, meat or fish are often common ingredients in holiday menus. To create a diverse menu that incorporates enough vegetarian items, your best option is to hire a vegetarian caterer that offers the flexibility to customize an order to suit your needs. When ordering plant-based snacks and meals for your party, search for a highly-rated vegetarian catering near me that offers a unique selection of healthy and sustainable menu options. One of your best options is Parka restaurant in Toronto that offers comfort classics, such as plant-based burgers, wraps and mac n’ cheese meals that everyone will enjoy, including non-vegetarians.
Incorporate Food Trends
Canada has witnessed various food trends in the last two years, changing how we dine in 2022. The past two years have been a year of awareness and health – both personal and environmental – influencing consumer and company choices regarding what they eat and serve. Some of the top food service trends for 2022 included microgreens, meatless menus, reinvention of comfort foods, and upcycled ingredients.
Consider choosing one or two of the year’s top food trends and incorporating them into your holiday office party menu. Get creative and think about ways to revamp some familiar dishes to include fresh and local ingredients that your team will enjoy.
Your office holiday party will be a great way to show appreciation to your team while creating a friendly environment that encourages employees to engage with each other. Use this guide to choose the right menu and watch your party stand out from the rest.
