A question clients often ask us here at Catersmith is, "how do I pick the right buffet type for my event?"
It’s an important question to ask, because the kind of buffet you choose can make or break the whole tone you’ve set for your event. For example, canapés and champagne would be out of place at a laid-back team bonding lunch, while bento boxes won’t cut it for a cocktail reception.
To give you a better idea of which option to choose for your next event, here’s a breakdown of the different types of buffets, and their pros and cons.
Bento sets provide all the convenience of styrofoam takeaway boxes you get from food deliveries, with the style and sophistication of more premium offerings.
These individual meal-boxes have different compartments that hold different dishes — a staple (rice or noodles), one or two sides, and a vegetable dish — for a nourishing, filling meal.
It’s simple, but as a premium catering provider, we always put thought into creating the sets to make sure all the flavours complement each other and that there’s a good balance of nutrients, instead of an overload of deep-fried items or carbohydrates.
Other points to note:
As its name suggests, this is a drop-and-go buffet option that doesn’t include table set-up.
In the style of party platters, food is served in large microwaveable and disposable black plastic trays, with serving spoons and tongs provided.
While table set-up is not included, at Catersmith, we still take care to present the food well.
Food tags and a printed menu are displayed, while cutlery and napkins are organised into neat packages instead of in a messy bundle. This also applies to our bento box deliveries!
Other points to note:
This buffet type is great for all occasions, be it weddings, company functions, birthdays, cocktail receptions, seminars and more.
This option comes with the full monty: Buffet tables with skirting, dishes served in metal trays and pots, and even floral arrangements to jazz up the entire table.
Food is also kept piping hot with warmers — appetisers are placed under heat lamps while curries and soups are heated on electric stoves in red Le Creuset pots.
DIY stations can also be provided in some full set-up buffet menus. These don’t just allow for food to be customised to taste, it also encourages interaction among guests.
Other points to note:
The Pros and cons
Pros:
⭕️ Food is individually-packed, making it mess-free and easy to hold and eat — this is particularly fitting for lunch meetings!
⭕️ It’s the most pocket-friendly option. Prices range from $9.90 for a set from Loy Kee Chicken Rice to $19.90 for a set from Red House Seafood Restaurant.
⭕️ Since each bento box is pre-portioned, each person is guaranteed a sufficient amount of food. This is perfect for team meals where each team or member has different lunch timing. The last team or team member standing won’t have to deal with leftovers!
Cons:
❌ Dishes in bento boxes are fixed. However, we are able to provide some customisation to accommodate dietary restrictions, like gluten-free or vegan diets.
❌ It’s not the most communal way to have meals. Even if it’s meant for an office bonding session, the individually-packed boxes might encourage some to grab a bento and have it on their desk alone (we’ve all had a colleague who’s done that).
Pros:
⭕️ While bento boxes have set dishes, drop-off buffets provide a greater variety of food for a small group of people.
⭕️ Compared to a full-set up buffet, which will take time, space and logistical effort to set-up, this option works well for events or gatherings where space is limited, like off-site outdoor activities.
⭕️ It allows for some mingling among guests since everyone is sharing food from the platters.
Cons:
❌ Drop-off buffets aren’t suitable for events where canapés or live stations are required as a chef and servers would need to be present.
❌ It’s not ideal, presentation-wise, for large-scale events. One drop-off buffet tray can hold food for a maximum of 15 people. If an event is for a group of above 50 pax, food will have to be served out of multiple black plastic trays, which can look messy and cumbersome.
Pros:
⭕️ This is the most versatile buffet type. Aside from our standard menus, buffets can also be presented as a cocktail and canapé menu, or even a seated, porcelain-plated lunch or dinner, complete with live-stations.
⭕️ There’s a wider array of more exciting dishes exclusive to full set-up buffet menus. For example, we’ve got Penang Catering’s Crab Madness Buffet consisting of four different crab dishes, milky crab bee hoon soup and oyster noodles. There’s also Nara Thai’s signature Ayuthaya boat noodles and coconut ice-cream from their Ayuthaya Menu.
⭕️ Buffet tables can be decorated with Catersmith’s two thematic offerings — Romantic Roses and Curious Garden — provided by our decor partner, Ektory.
Cons:
❌ Ample space is needed for a full buffet set-up, as at least two 1.8m tables are used. Also, the lineup will have to be set near power points if any items require electric heaters.
❌ A full buffet set-up is bound by time — three hours to be exact. The Catersmith team typically returns to collect equipment three hours from the event start time. A drop-off buffet would be a better pick if you want more flexibility.
❌ Due to the amount of work required to set up a full buffet, the minimum order is S$550, and therefore, a higher minimum number of pax is required.
Finding the right fit
Now that you know the differences between the three main buffet types and their pros and cons, here’s some insight into which type works best for different corporate catering situations from our experience.
Bento boxes are best for workshops and internal corporate lunches where time is of the essence and where different attendees might be eating at different times.
IT and networking solutions giant CISCO regularly holds technical workshops for their customers where their favourites are Nara Thai and Maki-san’s bento boxes.
AirBnB, on the other hand, favours the two-meat combination bento boxes from Four Seasons’ London Duck restaurant, to showcase great Chinese food and even better local hospitality when guests from overseas are in town.
If you want a fuss-free and mess-free meal that still allows for interaction, drop-off buffets are your best bet. This option works great for smaller-scale department-level affairs or off-site team bonding activities outdoors.
AirBnB feeds a small team that works during weekends and public holidays with drop-off buffets, and we also partner with yacht chartering business Ximula Sail to provide buffets for their customers.
For important lunches or large-scale events, full set-up buffets are the way to go.
We’ve done plenty of full set-up buffets, including a Thai lunch banquet with live stations and servers for Temasek Holdings’ board meeting last year, and a lavish networking event for A*Star’s ETPL office, which featured Vietnamese canapés (you read that right), and wine.
We hope our breakdown provided you with a clearer picture of the three buffet types and the occasions they work best in. No matter the scale or type of event you’re having, we’ve got the right buffet pick for you here at Catersmith. Just give us a call and we’re ever-ready to help you find the best match!