Cuisines & Catering Ideas For Corporate Lunches

We’ve all had the same canapés, the same main dishes, and the same salad bars rotated from corporate event to corporate event, and they just don’t cut the mustard. Corporate lunches should be seen as an opportunity to mingle with colleagues and community, whilst savouring a genuinely enjoyable meal.

Whether you’re hosting an event in-house or at an external venue, the menu is often a stressful part of the preparation that hosts dread. Fear no more.

As you might have guessed, in this blog we’re exploring different cuisines and catering ideas for corporate lunches, to provide you with an array of options for whatever style of event you’re hosting. Whether it’s an EOFY party where you’re splashing out on the extravagant stuff, or a brief interlude in a weekend of conferences and meetings, we work with our suppliers to develop showstopping dishes, meals and quick bites.

Read on for our introduction to catering ideas for corporate lunches, with inspiration from cuisines around the world.

Our Cuisines & Catering Ideas For Corporate Lunches That Impress:

• Japanese: Bento Boxes & Elevated Sushi
• Food Trucks: Global Tasting Stations
• French: Luxurious Long Lunches
• Clean Australian: Green & Health Conscious Choices
• Branded & Signature Food Items

Japanese: Bento Boxes & Elevated Sushi

Japanese corporate catering is often the gold standard for lunch ‘on the go’. Bento boxes are compartmentalised, single-serve lunch portions that contain a harmonious combination of ingredients or dishes for individuals. Hand out bento boxes containing miso-glazed eggplant, black rice and wagyu steak, for lunch that is visually appetising as it is delicious.

You can serve high-quality sushi and sashimi alongside your bento boxes for an elevated addition to the corporate lunch box. If you want to really impress your guests, have sushi prepared fresh, on-site. With Canvas House’ fully functional commercial display kitchen, the art of watching skilled sushi chefs prepare these intricate bites will be almost as satisfying as eating them.

Stick to the Japanese influence with matcha, sparkling sake and sencha (premium green tea) provided as beverage options.

Food Trucks: Global Tasting Stations

Bring a hint of flavour from around the world without a kitchen filled with ‘too many cooks’. Food trucks are a stylish and flexible catering solution as they offer all sorts of different cuisines at an arm’s reach and affordable prices, to suit everyone’s palettes and experimental preferences. One guest can taste food from a country they’ve never visited before, while a less adventurous guest can stick to Aussie home comforts.

Food trucks make a great pick for less formal corporate lunches, as they don’t dictate a defined meal or sit-down time. Guests can graze throughout the event as they please, and this can even minimise food waste, as not everybody has the appetite for a three-course meal.

Food trucks are a great way to honour the diversity of your clients, your staff, or your business’ global outreach by incorporating local cuisines from around the world. But even if you’re a tight-knit group running a family business, they still bring an exciting splash of colour and variety to your corporate lunch.

French: Luxurious Long Lunches

The French are famous for hosting long, luxurious lunches in the middle of the workday that last for a couple of hours. Whilst the aim is to step out of the office, enjoy some fresh air, and most importantly, eat delicious food, they do also serve a social purpose – allowing colleagues and clients to bond over a meal and hold informal conversations about work or their company. Foster this relaxed environment with a decadent French meal that forces your guests to sit down, slow down, and get to know each other.

The French are fine-dining experts, so you’ll have no shortage of specific dishes to choose from. Canvas House works with some of Melbourne’s top caterers and suppliers, so we’re happy to provide specific recommendations, or work with chefs to arrange tailored menus for your event.

Don’t forget the thoughtful details that will boost your catering for corporate events even further. From colourful macarons to delicious French wine to pair with the meal you’re serving, your event will centre around the food, rather than being an afterthought.

Clean Australian: Green & Health Conscious Choices

A simple, minimalist way to make an impact with your corporate catering is to keep it clean and green. Many Australians are passionate about their health and will appreciate a delicately balanced meal that is accessible to vegans or vegetarians, packed with flavour, and easy on the stomach – especially if your event is hosted earlier in the day.

The secret is to take simple dishes and upscale them. Think mushroom and truffle arancini, heirloom tomato and mozzarella salad, grilled asparagus with almond cream, and vegan coconut ice cream with olive oil and sea salt. These plates are great for hot days or busy events where food isn’t front and centre, but they can easily be adapted into a more formal sit-down set-up.

Set up juicing stations and buffet spreads so guests can help themselves, with a focus on light refreshments and meals that don’t put you into a slumber in the middle of the workday.

Branded & Signature Food Items

Whether or not you’re leaning towards a certain type of cuisine, it can be helpful to consider how your menu or the food you’ll be serving will contribute to your company branding. These can be subtle touches and influences – not huge statements. For example, you could serve drinks with ice cubes branded with your logo, or company colour-coded desserts. You could invent cocktails after prominent people or departments, or even curate your menu around the nature of the event you’re hosting.

Signature food items can be small tokens that function like edible ‘props’, keeping your branding consistent throughout the event, whether they’re a type of sweet, an artisan bread from a local bakery, or a brand new invention unique to your company.

Branded catering is just one creative idea for your corporate event that adds an extra sensory dimension to your function. Serve these signature items throughout your corporate events, and you’ll win over the hearts of your guests.

Catering Ideas For Corporate Lunches: In Summary

As we’ve shared, catering for corporate lunches doesn’t have to be boring, or bland, or predictable. With a whole world of cuisines to choose from, it comes down to selecting the dishes and flavours that will best suit your event and even your brand.

If you’re looking for practical catering advice or menu suggestions for your company’s corporate party or event, give the team at Canvas House a call. We’re here to help you put on a showstopping corporate lunch, or even host a corporate dinner if you’re seeking something a little more refined.

Send us your inquiry today, or give us a ring on 0478 056 390.