Organising an office Christmas party is always a challenge, particularly where the food needs to suit different tastes, fit the available space and work around the timing of the event.
Christmas buffet delivery is a useful option for workplace celebrations as it allows colleagues to eat informally, mingle and choose from a selection of dishes.
Good planning involves more than choosing festive food as organisers also need to consider practicality, dietary requirements and quantities without creating extra work for themselves on the day.
What type of Christmas party are you planning?
The format and timing of your Christmas party should guide the food choices.
If you’re arranging a smaller office celebration, then a delicate selection of festive sandwiches, savoury bites and sweet treats may be enough.
For larger teams, a more substantial Christmas lunch or hot meal could be a better option.
| Buffet |
Ideal For |
| Traditional finger buffets |
Great for informal celebrations where guests and colleagues will be standing, chatting and moving around. |
| Sharing Platters |
Ideal for smaller teams or gatherings where food can be placed centrally for everyone to enjoy throughout the event. |
| Individual Buffet Boxes |
Convenient for smaller offices, limited space or celebrations where employees may be eating at different times. |
| Hot lunches |
Perfect for more substantial Christmas meals, especially if it’s taking place over lunchtime. |
When deciding which catering style works best, consider how much space you have, whether colleagues will be sitting or standing, and whether everyone will be eating at the same time.
A finger buffet is often the easiest choice for a relaxed office gathering, while individual buffet boxes may be more practical for teams working different shifts. If you’re planning a sit-down Christmas lunch, a hot meal could make the occasion feel more substantial.
No matter whether it’s a team lunch or evening party, we offer a variety of buffet choices that suit casual and more formal events for your entire team.
Choose food that's easy to eat in an office
Food for a workplace Christmas party needs to be manageable in an office environment where people may be standing, chatting or eating away from a formal dining table.
A few things to consider are:
- Will colleagues be sitting or standing?
- Will everyone be eating at the same time?
- How much space is available?
- Will guests need plates and cutlery?
- Does food need to be heated or refrigerated?
Depending on your answers, you should have a clearer idea of which dishes will be easier to serve and eat, require minimal preparation, and do not depend on extensive cutlery or complicated presentation.
Food will also need to travel well and still look appealing when laid out ready for guests. Catering is a practical option as it reduces the need for employees to cook, arrange dishes or make last-minute supermarket trips.
Professional catering isn’t simply there to provide the food, but it also ensures the person arranging the party can enjoy the festivities too, rather than spending the event managing the food.
Add some festive favourites
A buffet can feel Christmassy without attempting to recreate a full Christmas dinner. You can incorporate familiar seasonal flavours and dishes alongside popular buffet food such as turkey and stuffing-inspired fillings, cranberry flavours, sausage rolls and cheese-based festive bites.
You could also include sweet options such as mince pies, Christmas cake, brownies or other seasonal treats.
It’s worth balancing recognisable Christmas favourites with familiar foods that people are likely to enjoy, rather than trying to make every dish themed.
Festive sandwiches and savoury bites
There’s nothing better than a festive sandwich. From generously filled ciabattas and rolls that encase those seasonal flavours, to irresistible savoury favourites such as pigs in blankets, sausage rolls and cheese and caramelised onion quiche that add variety to the buffet.
Vegetarian Christmas buffet options
A good Christmas buffet should offer plenty of choice for everyone, including colleagues who don’t eat meat. We offer a tempting selection of meat-free festive favourites which include rich, creamy cheeses and savoury seasonal fillings that provide a satisfying alternative to traditional Christmas favourites.
When choosing your menu, consider whether vegetarian colleagues will have enough substantial choices to enjoy a satisfying lunch, rather than relying on one or two side dishes.
A take on the traditional hot Christmas lunch
Nothing says Christmas party quite like a traditional hot Christmas lunch. Festive sandwiches are great, especially if you don’t want to spoil the big day, but our hot Christmas lunches shouldn’t be missed.
Ideal for a sit-down celebration, colleagues can enjoy seasonal favourites such as turkey, stuffing, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes and cranberry sauce can help recreate the feeling of a Christmas dinner without needing employees to prepare the meal themselves.
A hot Christmas lunch works particularly well when everyone can take their lunch break together, although you’ll need to consider seating, serving arrangements and the space available.
Christmas cakes and sweet treats
Christmas isn’t Christmas without some sweet treats! When you’re full on turkey and pigs in blankets, there’s always room for rich, indulgent festive cakes. The perfect sweet finish to your Christmas celebrations.
Browse our festive cake box which holds 12 festive cakes, hand-made with delicate finishes that will provide an edible decoration to your buffet table!
Don't overcomplicate the menu
Many organisers assume that offering more dishes automatically makes a better buffet, but this is not always the case. Sometimes a focused selection of popular foods could be easier to order, present and serve than dozens of different items.
There are practical benefits to this, as you will have more predictable quantities, simpler dietary planning, and less risk of ordering food that goes uneaten.
Offering a sensible balance of savoury options, lighter choices and sweet treats, with enough variety for the group, it is likely to keep everyone is happy.
Providing a satisfying selection that suits the guests is more important than trying to include every possible type of party food.
Plan for dietary requirements and food allergies
Organisers should ask attendees about dietary requirements before placing the order, rather than trying to find alternatives at the last minute.
Your menu may need to cover vegetarian and vegan or plant-based choices, gluten-free and dairy-free requirements, relevant religious dietary needs and food allergies.
- Confirm requirements in advance
- Keep food clearly identified
- Reduce the risk of contamination
The organiser should check what the caterer can provide and confirm any important requirements before ordering. It is important not to assume that a dish is suitable simply because its main ingredient appears appropriate.
Food should also be clearly separated or individually packaged, where appropriate, to make it easier to identify suitable options and reduce the risk of confusion or contamination.
The dietary information needs to be communicated clearly so that guests can identify appropriate dishes. Where allergies are involved, organisers should check the caterer’s allergen information rather than relying on guesswork.
It’s important to remember that dietary preferences and allergies aren’t necessarily the same. A colleague choosing vegetarian food may simply need a suitable meat-free option, whereas someone with a serious food allergy may need additional precautions to avoid cross-contamination.
Work out how much food you'll actually need
The right quantity of food will depend on more than just the number of people attending as you need to think about whether the buffet is intended to replace lunch or dinner, how long the event lasts, whether alcohol will be served and the balance between savoury and sweet items.
| Group Size |
What we recommend |
| Small teams (up to 10) |
A compact festive buffet, sharing platters or individual lunches. |
| Medium teams (11–25) |
A mixed Christmas buffet with savoury, vegetarian and sweet options. |
| Larger teams (26–50) |
More substantial buffet catering or a hot Christmas lunch, with organised serving arrangements. |
| Large office celebrations (50+) |
Multiple serving points, advanced coordination and carefully planned quantities. |
Dietary requirements will also affect how the food needs to be divided or ordered.
For larger office celebrations, it’s particularly important to establish accurate attendee numbers in which you can choose the most appropriate catering format to accommodate your whole group.
Stop guessing portion sizes and simply provide your caterer with an expected headcount and duration of your event. They can then advise on the appropriate quantities for your Christmas party.
Avoid giving fixed portions per person without reliable supporting information, so discuss quantities with the caterer based on the event format and expected appetite.
Arrange your Christmas buffet delivery early
December is a busy period for corporate catering, so leaving arrangements until the final few days may limit the available options.
You should confirm:
- Delivery date and preferred arrival window
- Office address, access instructions and reception arrangements
- Final guest numbers and any ordering deadlines
- Whether food arrives ready to serve or needs further preparation
- Availability of suitable storage or serving facilities
Christmas buffet delivery can simplify planning by removing the need for a supermarket trip and reducing the amount of preparation required at work. Having food delivered to the workplace allows for easier coordination and a clearer idea of catering costs in advance.
It is important to check delivery availability for your postcode and confirm the practical arrangements before finalising the event.
Christmas buffet catering from Posh Nosh
Posh Nosh offers Christmas party catering delivered directly to the workplace. This includes freshly prepared festive buffet food for office Christmas parties, team lunches and client gatherings.
We provide a range of savoury and sweet festive options, including choices to accommodate different dietary choices.
Our delivery covers Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and eligible surrounding postcodes, so take a look at the Posh Nosh Christmas catering menu and use the postcode checker to confirm delivery availability. Get in touch now to plan your Christmas buffet.
