A corporate breakfast only works if guests can eat before the working day takes over. The brief should start with arrival and meeting times, then the food format, whether guests will be seated and what the venue can accommodate.
Choose the right catering format
Quick continental breakfast. Pastries, fruit and yoghurt-style options for a short arrival window, with any coffee and tea scoped alongside.
Hot breakfast choices. Discuss suitable hot items, holding arrangements, serving equipment and space before confirming a menu.
Training and workshop breakfasts. Simple service that lets a group collect food before sessions without creating long queues.
Hosted client breakfast. A more formal setting with presentation, crockery and staffing included only where agreed.
How to brief the service properly
Work backwards from the first meeting
Provide the earliest permissible supplier access, guest arrival and meeting start as three separate times.
Choose a serving format
Individually portioned food suits desks and spread-out arrivals; a buffet may suit a shared space and a fixed break.
Clarify dietaries and hot-food needs
Check vegetarian, vegan and other requirements against the actual menu, and ensure hot food handling and staffing are specified where appropriate.
Illustrative London catering brief
A breakfast for 35 attendees arriving between 08.15 and 08.45 needs a different delivery and refreshment plan from an 08.00 seated meeting for ten executives. Include timings in the first enquiry.
Examples illustrate the information needed to quote; they are not fixed menus, confirmed availability, prices or past-client case studies.
What affects the full catering price?
Early access, hot holding, service equipment, staffing and the guest count may change costs. Discuss minimum orders and notice against the date instead of relying on an advertised blanket promise.
Common questions before booking
How early can breakfast catering arrive?
Send the required arrival time and postcode. Early delivery and the access window must be checked against availability.
Can beverages and breakfast be quoted together?
Yes, request both in one brief so set-up, serving equipment and timing can be agreed together.
Get a catering quote matched to your brief
Send your London postcode, approximate number of guests, date or frequency, preferred serving time and any access or dietary requirements. We will review the requirements and respond with next steps; no package or price is confirmed until it is agreed in writing.
Request a tailored catering quote