The new world of COVID-safe function catering

The onset of COVID has presented a new level of catering challenges on top of the ever expanding challenges of catering to dietary requirements. So away with our beautiful buffet spreads, which usually contain a nicely sectioned off dietary area, and onwards with individual meal boxes. Of course these boxes need to be packed with Tetris-like precision, containing savoury and sweet options which flavours don’t infuse with each other in the hours leading into service.

In this post I’ve decided to share a few allergy friendly function menus and product recommendations with the hope these ideas may may help with your Tetris work!!

First up is an allergy friendly morning tea box. Thankfully you can alter portion sizes to match your budget and box size and our first suggestion list assumes you prefer to bake in-house.

COVID-safe Dietary Catering Box: Morning Tea (Bake In-House)

COVID-safe Dietary Catering Box: Morning Tea (Buy-In)

Next up in our suggested list of buy-in options particularly suitable if your kitchen is time poor or your clients have a higher budget.
Based on this we’ve listed some ideas below to help fill that box.

COVID-safe Dietary Catering Box: Lunch or Savoury Options

Finally on the menu line-up is a lunch box. Likewise I’ve encountered many catered lunch boxes at functions over the past two years and it’s always super exciting to see the goodness prepared and delivered in the lunch box. Of course these days the dietary/allergy-friendly boxes often outnumber the mainstream boxes. I’d have to say it’s a mixed bag – some have been amazing, others not so!! Equally important as a caterer or event organiser you can gain honest feedback based on the amount of food left in these boxes on clean up. Furthermore, if the food isn’t great and presented well you can also see the defeated and hungry look on peoples face as they sit finished well ahead of schedule.

Hopefully these ideas give you some inspiration to create and prepare the most attractive and enticing, and of course delicious, COVID-safe catering boxes.

Ideally they will wow all of your dietary guests, take ALL the lunch break to consume and they are fully empty when collected.

Bravo, now go forth and cater like a super star.