Eating out of home is as popular now as it has ever been and lunchtime is no exception.
With a multitude of choices, choosing the right food is naturally important, but what about the provider? Are you better off hitting the usual high street chains for your sandwich or salad, or should you turn to an in-house caterer to help you re-fuel?
We caught up with Sam Hurst, CEO (or chief Grazer) of Grazing Catering to get his top tips on why choosing one dedicated caterer is the way to go.
A dedicated caterer can:
1) Create a bespoke service – If you choose the right caterer for your workplace, they can actually work with you to create completely bespoke food for your office and teams. For example, if you need a team lunch, higher-end hospitality, food for a breakfast seminar, or just some office groceries, companies like ours can do all of this.
At Grazing we can actually create a service that is completely tailored to you and your team. This can not only be based on likes and dislikes but also the more serious business of allergens and diets too.
We get to know our clients and their colleagues and develop menus suited exactly to spec, so options won’t be limited to what you sometimes see in high street chains.
2) Provide lots of variety – We currently have more than 240 dishes on our menus, which our clients can choose from. That’s a lot of choice. Our menus are based on a 12-week seasonal cycle so there will always be lots to enjoy and it won’t cause menu fatigue.
We are constantly developing our menus and will always have our classics on offer, as well as some new and exciting options cooked up by our chefs. We have a development kitchen where you will often see some pretty weird and wonderful techniques being worked on, all in the relentless pursuit of creating tasty dishes for our customers.
3) Offer hassle-free services – We appreciate how busy PAs and office managers can be. That’s why caterers like us will do whatever we can to make ordering easy. If you choose one dedicated caterer, they can get to know you, your colleagues, your kitchen (or lack of), and all your facilities. When you order, you don’t have to go through the rigmarole of explaining every last detail.
Also, if you’ve got just one supplier of food, you don’t have to talk to 35 different people when looking to provide different catering services. If your caterer can provide a diverse range of food, e.g. team lunch, hospitality etc, you won’t need to brief from the beginning and can concentrate on running the office instead.
4) Understand your space and building – Dedicated caterers can provide food that works for your space and is presented in a way that fits into your surroundings.
No two offices are the same. We appreciate that. We are used to working in small pantry kitchens, offices with no kitchens, big kitchens, small kitchens, outside kitchens – you name it.
The benefit of using one specialist caterer is that we can make the make the food fit the space. For example, if you need hot food but don’t have the kitchen facilities, we can actually create a little one on-site. Or, if that doesn’t work for you, we can create other menu options that will. The beauty of using a company like ours is that we can work around all the little quirks of every business to create menus that work across all fronts.
5) Be mindful of cost – The ‘c’ word is often a driver for many. We are aware of the sensitivities around cost for lots of businesses; that’s why we always urge customers to speak to us before they go out to the high street. We are sure that we will always compete well with the high street when it comes to cost, as well as service and quality.
By having one caterer, you will always enjoy more cost-effective services, as you will have the volume of regular deliveries. The more you order, the cheaper it will always be, without compromising on quality.
Outside of that, good catering for staff is actually a really nice perk and helps to incentivise teams. This all helps with staff retention and creates communal spaces, which do help with staff morale and productivity.
By having one dedicated caterer, you are effectively buying a relationship, not just some delicious food.
To find out more about Grazing Catering, visit grazingfood.com.
