Planning office catering for a team lunch, training session or workplace celebration? Before choosing the food, confirm how many people are eating, when lunch needs to be served and who will coordinate the order. A clear brief makes it easier to discuss a menu that suits your team.
Use this office catering checklist to prepare your Dumpling Chef catering enquiry, from your first headcount to the details you will want confirmed before the day.
The photograph shows menu inspiration, not a fixed catering package or a serving-size guide.
1. Confirm the Headcount and Lunch Schedule
Start with the expected number of guests, including visiting colleagues or clients. If attendance is not final, tell the catering team that your figure is an estimate and ask when you need to confirm it.
Next, separate the meeting start time from the time you want to eat. A workshop beginning at 10am might not break for lunch until much later. Include your intended serving time in the enquiry, and allow time for the person collecting the food to return and set it out.
For a workplace with staggered breaks, explain that the team will not all eat together. Ask what arrangement would suit that schedule rather than assuming one collection works for everyone.
2. Set a Budget Before Building the Menu
Decide whether you have a total budget or an approximate amount per person. Make it clear whether that needs to cover food only or any other requirements you want the team to discuss.
Ask for the proposed items, quantities and total to be confirmed before committing. Do not calculate an office catering price from individual takeaway portions or assume that a photograph shows everything included in an order.
3. Choose a Starting Mix of Catering Dishes
The Dumpling Chef catering menu provides three useful starting points:
- Dumplings and snacks: mixed fried dumplings, dim sim skewers, spring rolls and curry puffs.
- Rice and noodles: special fried rice, a vegetarian fried-rice option and Singapore-style noodles.
- Hot dishes: options such as honey chicken, black bean beef and sweet and sour chicken.
For a seated lunch, you could ask about combining rice or noodles with hot dishes. For a more informal gathering, dumplings and snacks might be the starting point. These are ideas to discuss, not predetermined packages.
Tell the team whether this is the main meal or food alongside other refreshments. That context is more helpful than asking for a fixed number of dumplings per person without explaining the rest of the meal. Confirm recommended quantities and availability with the catering team.
4. Collect Dietary Requirements Early
Ask colleagues about their requirements before you shortlist dishes, and pass the details to the catering team. Distinguish preferences from ingredients that someone needs to avoid. If several people have different requirements, explain how many meals need each consideration.
Vegetarian does not automatically mean vegan or suitable for a food allergy. Our vegetarian menu guide can help with initial questions, but catering ingredients, sauces and preparation still need to be checked directly.
Ask how different dishes can be identified when served and whether any requested preparation arrangements can be accommodated. Do not promise colleagues a particular dietary option until the team has confirmed it.
5. Allow for Weekday Catering Notice
Dumpling Chef’s catering information specifies at least 48 hours’ notice during weekday business hours, Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm. Weekend enquiries are answered on the next working day.
Contact the team early, particularly for an event soon after a weekend. Do not treat a weekend form submission as confirmation that an order can be prepared for Monday. Ask the team to confirm whether your requested date and time are available.
6. Agree on Collection and Office Setup
Include your preferred store, suburb or pickup location in the enquiry. Agree on who will collect the order and the collection time. If you need delivery instead, ask whether it can be arranged and on what terms; this guide does not promise a delivery service.
Before the day, check these practical details:
- Who is the main contact if the schedule changes?
- Where will the food be set out at the office?
- Who will provide plates, utensils, napkins and serving equipment?
- Does the collector need building-access or parking instructions?
Ask about anything you need rather than assuming it comes with the food. Follow the catering team’s instructions for handling and serving the order.
7. Send One Clear Catering Enquiry
Open the catering enquiry form and select Send an enquiry. It asks for your contact details, event date, estimated guests, preferred location, food interests and dietary requirements.
In the additional-message field, include your intended lunch time, budget, whether the headcount is final and any collection or setup questions. Keeping these details together gives the team a useful brief without having to piece together several messages.
After submitting, wait for the team to review availability and confirm the order details. A successful form submission means your enquiry has been sent; it is not, by itself, an accepted catering booking.
Office Catering FAQs
How much food should I order for an office lunch?
Share your headcount, meal format and proposed dishes with the catering team. Quantities depend on the whole menu and whether it is a main meal or snacks, so this guide does not use a universal pieces-per-person rule.
Can we request a vegetarian catering option?
Yes—the catering menu lists vegetarian choices. Include your requirements and guest numbers in the enquiry, then confirm the proposed dishes with the team before treating them as agreed.
Can we arrange catering at short notice?
The published minimum notice applies. If your event is closer, contact the team to ask, but do not rely on a late request being accepted.
Does submitting the enquiry confirm our order?
No. Wait for the catering team’s confirmation and check the menu, quantities, price, collection arrangements and any payment requirements before the event.
Ready to Plan Your Team Lunch?
Gather your date, headcount and food preferences, then send a catering enquiry. If you are still considering where to collect, use Find a Store and include your preferred location in the brief.