Regular team meals together strengthen togetherness and employee retention. In an informal setting, employees get to know each other better, new ideas emerge, and communication within or between teams improves. Whether it's a reward meal to celebrate a success or a team lunch, there are plenty of good reasons to organize regular shared meals at your company. In this article, we'll show you the different options available.

9 ideas for a varied team meal catering

If you'd like to order catering for the office, there are many different options, suited to different seasons, for indoor or outdoor team meals, for lunch or dinner. A lunch menu where everyone can order the meal they want is just one option. Our 9 team dinner ideas will inspire you with just how versatile catering can be.

1. BBQ - catering for a summer event

Summer, sunshine, and a nicely grilled steak or a vegan bratwurst, what's popular in a private garden works just as well as a grill event with your team. If no one wants to stand at the grill, order a BBQ catering. From drinks to fresh salads and bread as a side, a grill catering takes a lot of work off your hands, available plant-based, international, or as a barbecue truck too.

Example dishes for grill catering:

• bratwurst with or without meat
• entrecôte
• rump steak, or as a vegan option, cauliflower steak
• spare ribs
• grilled halloumi
• chicken skewers
• grilled vegetable skewers
• köfte
• baked potatoes with sour cream

Request BBQ catering now

2. Food truck - street food in your company courtyard

Another idea for an outdoor team meal, especially for larger teams, is a food truck that pulls up and serves freshly prepared street food. From nostalgic to modern, many food trucks also create a special visual backdrop.

Examples of street food dishes from a food truck:

• currywurst, vegetarian, vegan, or with meat
• hot dogs, vegan, vegetarian, or with meat
• shashlik
• burgers, with and without meat, and of course with fries
• ribs
• bowls
• burritos, quesadillas, or tacos
• pizza
• salad bar
• waffles or ice cream

Request food truck catering now

3. Mobile cocktail bar - a relaxed way to end your team day

Strictly speaking, this idea isn't part of a team meal, but it can be a great addition when it comes to a full team day. Order a mobile cocktail bar for your office or company courtyard, setup, teardown, mixing, and serving by trained staff included.

Examples of delicious drinks from the mobile bar:

• gin and tonic
• black cosmopolitan
• mojito, with and without alcohol
• piña colada
• Moscow mule
• Aperol Spritz
• Hugo
• Cuba libre
• daiquiri
• draft beer

Book a mobile cocktail bar

4. Breakfast buffet - a morning team meal at the office

Start the workday with a healthy, delicious team breakfast. A break from routine boosts creativity and productivity. A healthy buffet with smoothies, bowls, and porridge gives you energy for the day, or fresh croissants with café au lait for a French-style breakfast.

Examples of dishes from the breakfast buffet:

• fruit salad in a jar
• fresh croissants
• topped rolls
• (coconut) rice pudding with seasonal fruit
• sandwiches
• topped bagels
• smoothie bowls
• overnight oats
• chia pudding
• banana bread

Request breakfast catering

5. Fine dining - gourmet cuisine for a special occasion

Escaping the everyday can also mean a gala dinner in the evening, elegant attire, festively decorated tables, and a multi-course menu. Whether for a holiday team meal or to celebrate an anniversary, fine dining sets exactly the right tone.

Example fine dining dishes:

• Tafelspitz (boiled beef)
• pork tenderloin
• vegetable curry
• mushroom polenta
• pot roast
• gnocchi with truffle
• roast beef
• vegan roast
• vegan tagine
• salmon tartare

6. Finger food buffet - a team meal in a relaxed atmosphere

Most team meals are fairly informal. Small, bite-sized snacks you can eat standing up give every teammate the freedom to choose what and how much they eat. Mediterranean antipasti, Spanish tapas, or regional treats work well for a wide range of occasions.

Examples of finger food:

• mini wraps
• meatballs
• mini burgers
• mini schnitzel
• sandwiches
• crostini
• canapés
• salad in a jar
• fruit skewers
• cheesecake in a jar

Request finger food catering

7. Flying finger food - the buffet comes to you

To avoid crowding around the buffet, flying finger food is a great choice, especially for festive occasions. Instead of everyone serving themselves, the food is brought to guests on trays, particularly practical when your team is spread across several rooms.

Examples of flying finger food:

• mini bowls
• chicken skewers
• vegetable skewers
• tomato and mozzarella skewers
• falafel skewers
• petit fours
• mini club sandwiches
• mini baked potatoes
• tartare
• panna cotta

Request a flying buffet

8. Dessert catering or ice cream trucks

Who doesn't love a sweet treat? Homemade chocolates, refreshing ice cream, or healthy desserts with smoothies and plant-based creations, there are so many ways to indulge. With or without sugar, gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegan, there's a matching dessert for every taste.

Example desserts:

• brownies and blondies
• cheesecake
• muffins
• scones
• cake pops
• macarons
• chocolates
• cake
• waffles
• popsicles

Request dessert catering

9. Catering for remote teams

If your whole team, or part of it, works remotely, you don't have to miss out on eating together. Caterers who specialize in this ship catering boxes to home offices, either as ready-made meals or as a cooking box for cooking together virtually.

Examples of dishes from cooking boxes:

• pasta & pesto
• Massaman curry
• pad Thai
• bibimbap
• nasi goreng
• focaccia
• quinoa bowl
• antipasti
• sushi
• penne arrabiata

By the way: you'll find cooking boxes in our Marketplace.

Eating together as a team building measure

Food is one of our most basic needs, and it can bring people together. Teammates who spend their lunch breaks together generally have a closer relationship with each other than colleagues who only spend work hours together. Good food also elevates any team event, what do people usually keep talking about long after an event? The entertainment, and the food.

Regular team meals are great for company morale and significantly strengthen togetherness. With heykantine!, we've created a digital meal solution that's not only tasty but also healthy, offering tailored employee catering.

Team cooking or catering?

A popular option is cooking together at the office, following a recipe or under expert guidance as a cooking class. This option has pros and cons worth considering before you decide.

Pros

Shared activities with a tangible result have a very positive effect on team building. Cooking is a highly communicative activity that many people enjoy, it's generally cheaper, and it can be turned into a weekly appointment where small groups take turns cooking for everyone. Cooking classes also work virtually for remote teams.

Cons

When cooking together, it can be a challenge to accommodate everyone's tastes, allergies, and dietary needs. Not every office kitchen is suited for cooking together, and depending on team size, there may not be enough space. Employees who already cook a lot at home often enjoy being cooked for instead, a survey before the event can help clarify preferences within the team.

Tip: Save on taxes with a meal subsidy for employees

Companies can subsidize their employees' meals free of tax and social security contributions, up to 333 euros per month and person in 2025. Read more in our article on the 2025 non-cash benefit values.

Order team meal catering at heycater!

heycater! specializes in business catering. Whether for a small team meal or a large corporate event, our catering partners have the right offer for you, your team, and your guests, available across Germany as well as in Austria, Switzerland, and other countries.

Request team catering now!