AIBU to ask what you would like at a working lunch?

[Rushhomeroad]

I have offered to bring the food for an all day meeting - so a lunch eaten whilst we carry on working (office environment). There are only four of us, so not worth catering (and the catering is usually fairly dire!). Nearest supermarket is a Tesco Extra. Paid for on expenses, so cost not an issue. What would you want in this situation?

I would love a cheese board or ploughman's, with French stick fresh artisan bread, proper butter, olives, spanish/Italian meat platter, dips and crudites .... more tapas than buffet.

Otherwise subway wrap/baguettes platters are good.

We have a great independent sandwich shop that will deliver that do substantial panninis or baguettes.... would love one of their Christmas dinner ones x

Mmm, Christmas Dinner baguette...

I just wanted it to be a bit nice, we don't see each other in person very often and working from home gets really boring with lunches.

I like the idea of artisan bread, ploughman's style stuff, but not sure of logistics!
I'm going to see what else could be delivered ready made..
Thank you for suggestions so far

If everyone is fine with whatever just get everyone a meal deal from Tesco.

Personally I hate lunch meetings. You should stop to eat, have a walk, have time to switch off. Usually they are not helpful to most people there and usually tied into someone else’s career aspirations. Have the meeting 10-11 then let everyone have a lunch BREAK.

We used to do this when we came up to a tight deadline - the food that went over best was always, always pizza. We’d get stuffed crust, all the best sides, drinks and dessert cookies.
Pretty much every other day we’d eat healthy lunches so having something like this at work was a real treat and sort of livened up a stressful day.

Just read your update, if you haven’t seen each other go to a pub/restaurant etc and have a nice catch up

Definitely some options that are not bread based.

4 random sandwiches, 4 random packets of crisps, 4 random bars of chocolate and 4 random drinks.

Depends where you are, we had a local Indian sweet shop that delivered thalis for work lunches, only £5 per person too! Beats a sandwich

Sushi

@RecentYears

I have to go to one of these about once a month.

You can't eat and work. Those who are just listening can eat, anyone giving any input can't eat. You especially can't eat a sandwich with any decorum with one hand whilst trying to say anything.

FGS just have a 15 min break and let people eat.

This

Chippy lunch.

We do this, although it’s been for more people. I got: selection of wraps (Morrisons), mini quiches, fruit platter, flapjack and brownies

Nice things others have brought in the past: subway platter, welshcakes, fruit loaf.

@Hodgehog

My honest answer would be a lunch break.

I hate this kind of thing. I hope staff are being paid extra for the break they’re missing.

This

Best ever M&S prawn sandwich and a chocolate flapjack would be our team's choice. Bonus for a WhatsApp offer of a takeaway coffee on the way in.

Agree with middleager!

Almost all sandwich platters are full of meat and mayo. Yuck.

Please let people have some time to leave the room, whatever you buy.

@lechatnoir

I honestly think you're overthinking this op. Get a sandwich platter from M&S, crisps and a fruit platter plus a tub of mini brownies or similar.

This is a completely standard working lunch IMO - fuels everyone and offends no one. Minimal mess, fuss and expense.

This 👍🏻

I agree with a sandwich platter , fruit , water and something sweet .
One thing you need to keep in mind is the physical size of the platter .

Last time I was in a meeting and one was ordered for 6 of us it would not fit in the small fridge at that site so the were left out all morning resulting in room temp chicken and tuna blurgh

If you are sitting in a meeting room non your office you aren't going to want anything smelly or messy. Plus you need something easy to eat.

Pre-Covid I would have bought selection of sandwiches, maybe some crisps, quiche or sausage rolls, fruit cake, and put it all out for people to choose. Now I think I would just get individual sandwich packs and plate up individually for people as I wouldn't want to be eating from a communal crisp bowl or a sandwich platter someone else has had this hands in . I would explain what I was doing and ask again if anyone has a preference for their sandwich filling .

M and S usually do a gorgeous Turkey /Cranberry sauce/stuffing type of sandwich (which I think they also donate some cash to Shelter as well).Maybe some mince pies or christmas cake slices , bottle water and some potato chiplets /crisps? Sort of a seasonal hint !

We've done lots of these. Most successful was the one with cups of hot soup, fresh dinner rolls, canapé style nibbles (all bite sized so easy to eat while working) , cheese and fruit, with the cheese and fruit all prepared and cut into pieces.

Just-eat do corporate buffets for lunch which look really good with veggie and g/f options. Not just your buttie or pasta stodge which has people lethargic afterwards.