IT’S time for people to end the year in style.
Each party will feature different drinks and food, but who knows what goes with what? And it’s even more difficult when your party has a budget.
Sally J’Arlette-Joy, founder of Sandwich Baron, offered a few ideas to SunFood.
Sally’s budget catering advice
- Organise a braai, picnic or cookout at your work
It may not sound as posh as dining at a five-star restaurant but there is a reason braais have been around for as long as they have been. Done well, a braai can even surpass an outing at the fanciest place.
Mix great food with music and a familiar background and your staff will have a ball.
- Take it outdoors
This is a thrill to do right but you need capable experts to advise you. Even so, South Africa’s outdoors are a great place to hang out at this time of the year.
While the sun is out and fresh, cool air is in abundance, take advantage of nature and host a team picnic or hike.
At the goal, the team need to forage for the snacks and platters you hid in the area – NOT random berries and seeds.
The forage should be a combo treasure map search and Easter egg hunt, but for adults.
- Visit a farmer’s market
Take the team to a farmer’s market near your work area.
There they can indulge in a myriad festivities and interact with other people.
With a game master responsible for entertainment, teams can aim to win prizes.
- Give a little and live a lot
Instead of making the party about the staff, the staff could spend the day with those less fortunate.
Spend your day having lunch with children from an orphanage or spend some time with the elderly at a retirement village.
No matter what is on the menu, those who you end up sharing your day and meal with will appreciate you far more.
- Keep calm and buy platters
Platters are affordable, quick to put together and fit into any activity or event. They are fresh, nutritious and tasty snacks that can be enjoyed by everybody. Because they are also lighter on your wallet, you can feed the whole office block and make new friends in the process.
Whether you spend your office party outdoors, in restaurants or simply hanging around your office block, remember that a platter, like fun, comes in many forms.
