Christmas Party Catering
It really is the most wonderful time of the year - the run up to the festive season! Soon enough, the Christmas party will be the talk of the office. It’s high time to get party planning started; locating your Christmas party venue, choosing your catering company, and all the exciting little details such as Christmas themes and entertainment. We can help find your perfect venue, and point you in the right direction for all other suppliers, but for now, let’s talk about Christmas party catering.
Types of Christmas Party Catering
Christmas party catering comes in all shapes and sizes; from bite-sized canapés to festive feasts with multiple courses. Tis the season for being wined and dined! There are various options that will suit some Christmas parties better than others; canapés and bowl food parties work well for large numbers and venues with limited space, and buffets and seated dinners work well for parties that include award ceremonies and entertainment!
How to Choose Christmas Catering
Your style of Christmas party catering will be largely dictated by your venue and budget. Depending on your venue’s capacity, you may find that a standing event is more suitable due to lack of space for tables and chairs. In this case, canapés and bowl food, or a combination of the two will work brilliantly.
Of course, budget is a huge factor when deciding on catering for your corporate Christmas event. For limited budgets, plentiful canapés can be a great way of treating your guests to delicious food whilst not spending such a large section of the budget on food. Buffets can also be a more cost-effective Christmas catering option. Cold buffets and finger foods are often offered at lower price points, making them a budget-friendly alternative.
Your Christmas theme will also have an influence on which catering option you choose. Fun Christmas themes such as Fairground themes lend themselves well to dessert buffets - with a selection of brightly coloured delights on offer. For more sophisticated themes such as 1920s or Winter Wonderland, a 3 course sit down dinner is a sensible choice.
Christmas Canapé Party
Canapés are the perfect way to begin any Christmas event. Enticing your guests with a taste of what’s to come, a selection of festive mouthfuls to enjoy alongside a drinks reception will always go down a treat. We recommend at least four per person before moving onto bowl food or a sit-down meal. Why don’t we tempt you with some examples:
Devils on horseback
Turkey & cranberry arancini
Hassleback baby potatoes, stilton & rosemary
Honey roast fig & goat cheese crostini
Bowl Food Catering
Bowl food is increasing in popularity for corporate entertaining! Bowl food allows you to offer 2-3 different small main course bowls, and 2-3 different desserts. They arrive in delicate bowls with forks only, making them a substantial offering to enjoy while standing and sipping. This works well for large numbers and allows you to cater for various dietary requirements throughout dining. Our Christmas bowl food options include:
Slow cooked pork belly, spiced apple, roasted roots, savoy
Venison stew, horseradish mash, parsley
Festive mac & cheese, sprout tops, pancetta & cranberry
Butternut squash risotto, sage & pine nuts (v)
Christmas Buffet
Another way to ensure an array of dietary requirements are met, buffets allow you to select lots of different dishes and items to offer your guests. Either available as a cold buffet, hot buffet or mix of the two, this versatile option is wonderful for larger groups. Usually, one or two plentiful buffet stations are set up and guests are called table by table to come and fill up their plate. Waiting staff are on hand to keep the station tidy, and provide assistance where required. This option is usually more cost effective as it requires less staff. Some buffet ideas include:
Porchetta & salsa verde, puy lentils with mustard vinaigrette
Spiced Moroccan chicken thighs, olives & figs
Smoked salmon, dill & cream cheese quiche
Pear, almond & ginger tart
3 Course Christmas Dinner
We find the most popular option for Christmas parties is our three course sit down dinner. Though of course you can add as many courses as you like (December is most definitely the time to add a cheese course!), three courses will meet the expectations of your colleagues and employees. This catering option works well for venues with plenty of space, or where you’re looking to add an entertainment option or awards between courses. Some festive three course inspiration for you:
Ham hock terrine, piccalilli & sourdough
Celeriac & truffle soup, parsnip crisps
Castlemead turkey breast, pigs in blankets, all the trimmings, gravy
Vanilla creme brulee, red wine poached pears, ginger crumble
We can provide our Christmas catering services across Bath, Bristol, Somerset and Wiltshire. If you’re looking for a venue and catering package, take a look at our previous post which talks through how we’re teaming up with the amazing venue Winkworth Farm!