Corporate events have a reputation for being a bit predictable – the same hotel conference rooms, the same powerpoint presentations, and often the same dull catering platters of sandwiches or pastries. If you’re organizing a company event in London or Essex, whether it’s a quarterly team milestone celebration, a product launch, or the annual holiday party, you have an opportunity to break that mold. One surefire way to inject excitement and memorability into any corporate gathering is through amazing food. Think about it: employees and guests might come for the agenda, but they stay for the lunch! Providing a great meal not only satisfies appetites, it boosts morale and engagement. (After all, **57% of employees say free food at work is one of the perks they appreciate the most, and another study found 67% of workers with access to free meals are very happy with their job– that’s a work perk you can’t ignore.) In short, delicious catering can turn a routine meeting into an event everyone’s excited about.
Now, imagine swapping out the typical soup-and-sandwich spread for a vibrant Thai feast. The room comes alive with the aromas of lemongrass, chili, and sweet coconut. Colleagues who rarely chat are suddenly bonding over Pad Thai and green curry. Your team feels appreciated, clients are impressed, and the whole atmosphere becomes more warm and lively. This isn’t a far-fetched daydream – this is what we do at Fan Thai Sticks. We provide corporate events catering that transforms office gatherings into memorable culinary experiences. Based in Chelmsford and serving all of London and Essex, our mobile Thai catering service brings the party directly to you – whether that’s a city office tower in London, a co-working space in Shoreditch, or a rented venue in the Essex countryside. With hundreds of corporate events under our belt, we know how to deliver food that impresses and service that makes your job (as the planner) easier. From drop-off catering for a working lunch to full on-site cooking and serving for a gala, we’ve got you covered.
Spice Up Every Corporate Occasion with Thai Catering
One of the best parts about Thai catering is how versatile it is. It can scale up or down for any type of event and inject some much-needed flavor into all kinds of corporate occasions. Here are a few corporate event ideas – both traditional and offbeat – that get a major upgrade when you add Thai food to the mix:
Team Milestones & Celebrations: Hitting Q3 targets? Onboarding a new department? Celebrating your startup’s anniversary? Mark the achievement with a team lunch that goes beyond the ordinary. Instead of the usual pizza or supermarket platters, surprise your staff with steaming trays of Thai curries, stir-fried noodles, and fresh salads. It turns a simple lunch into a morale-boosting mini party. (Plus, nothing says “thank you for your hard work” like letting everyone indulge in their favorite Pad Thai or coconut curry!).
Product Launches & Client Events: When you’re impressing clients, investors, or media at a product launch, the catering should be as innovative as your product. Thai canapés and finger foods are perfect for a launch event mixer – think mini satay skewers, spring roll bites, and spicy prawn crackers being passed around as people network. Our canapés catering service in London/Essex is ideal for these stand-up receptions. It creates a talk-worthy experience (“Have you tried the Thai bites? So good!”) that associates positive memories with your brand.
Holiday Parties & Seasonal Gatherings: Tired of the same old turkey and stuffing at the office Christmas party? Thai catering brings some tropical warmth to a cold London winter evening! Spice up your end-of-year bash with a mix of festive Thai dishes – from hearty Massaman curry (comfortingly mild and rich) to zesty papaya salad for a refreshing twist. It’s a guaranteed way to get people mingling and going back for seconds. We can even craft a special menu to tie into a theme (how about a “Thai Spice Winter Wonderland”?). Your employees will remember a holiday party that broke the mold with fun, flavorful food.
Private Team Gatherings & Off-sites: Not every corporate event is in a boardroom. Maybe you’re hosting a casual team-building retreat at a countryside cottage in Essex, or an executive strategy session at your CEO’s home. Our flexible private gatherings catering has you covered there too. We can set up a delightful Thai buffet in a backyard or dining room just as easily as in an office. The food will be fresh, hot, and ready when your team is, no matter the location. It’s an excellent way to make a small gathering feel special and looked after – your team can relax and bond over good food, while we quietly handle the cooking and cleaning up.
No matter the occasion, the goal is the same: bringing people together. Thai cuisine has a wonderful way of doing that. The dishes are served family-style or buffet-style, encouraging colleagues to interact (“Could you pass me the green curry?”) and try new things together. It’s a conversation starter and a team-building experience in itself. Even the shy folks in the corner perk up when the aromas of Thai basil and garlic waft through the room! By the time dessert rolls around, you’ll see even quieter team members swapping reactions to the meal and smiling – food has broken the ice.
Flavors and Choices for Everyone on the Team
One challenge with any company-wide catering is accommodating diverse dietary preferences. In any office, you’re likely to have a mix of vegetarians, vegans, folks who keep halal, people with gluten allergies, and those who are just plain picky. We get it – and Thai catering is actually perfectly suited to meet these challenges. Our menu at Fan Thai Sticks is inherently diverse, and we make it a point to offer inclusive options for all diets so that no one goes hungry or feels left out.
For example, many classic Thai dishes are naturally or easily made vegetarian/vegan. We can prepare a fragrant Thai green curry with tofu and vegetables that’s just as satisfying as the chicken version. Our famous Pad Thai noodles can be served meat-free (tofu or extra veggies) and still deliver that savory-sweet punch people love. We also serve plenty of plant-based starters like spring rolls and vegetable satay. Gluten-free needs? No problem – dishes like our rice noodle stir-fries and curries with jasmine rice are gluten-free friendly, and we use gluten-free soy sauce upon request in many recipes. Just let us know your team’s dietary requirements in advance, and we’ll craft a menu where everyone finds something tasty. The bonus: these special diet versions aren’t afterthoughts; they are just as flavorful as every other dish, so your vegan co-worker and your meat-lover co-worker will both be raving about the food together.
Customizing the Heat Level (Because Not Everyone Loves Chili at Work)
Office crowds often have mixed tolerance for spicy food. Some folks will douse everything in hot sauce, while others politely avoid anything with a hint of red chili. Don’t worry – Thai catering doesn’t mean setting everyone’s mouth on fire. We design corporate menus to strike a balance, offering plenty of mild or medium-spiced choices and providing hot chili condiments on the side for those who want to turn up the heat. Our goal is to make sure each person is comfortable and happy with their meal.
For instance, Satay Chicken with peanut sauce is a universally loved appetizer that’s packed with flavor but very gentle on spice – perfect for a broad audience. Similarly, our Massaman curry is a mild, coconut-based curry that leans more on warm spices (like cinnamon and cardamom) than chili, so it’s usually a hit even with spice-sensitive eaters. Dishes that do have a kick, like a spicy Thai basil stir-fry, can be prepared at a moderate heat level that gives a little zing without overwhelming anyone’s palate. And for the true chili enthusiasts, we can bring plenty of Nam Pla Prik (chili fish sauce) or homemade chili oil so they can spice to their heart’s content at the table. Essentially, we fine-tune the menu’s spice levels to your team’s preferences. If you happen to know your office is full of chile-heads, we’ll gladly fire it up; if it’s a more mild-mannered bunch, we’ll keep the flavors rich and aromatic without the burn. The beauty of Thai cuisine is its flexibility – spice is just one note of the symphony, not the whole song, so we can emphasize other notes like sweet, tangy, or savory as needed.
Beyond the Food: Drinks, Dessert and Service that Impress
A great meal isn’t just about the entrées – the little extras can make a big difference in your corporate event. At Fan Thai Sticks, we strive to deliver a complete experience. This means not only amazing food, but also refreshing drinks, delectable desserts, and top-notch service that lets you sit back and enjoy the event too.
Let’s talk drinks first. If you’re looking for a unique non-alcoholic beverage to offer alongside the usual sodas and coffee, Thai Iced Tea is a fantastic choice. This creamy, sweet iced tea (made with black tea, milk, and a touch of spice) is a crowd-pleaser – and a fun conversation piece for anyone who hasn’t tried it before. Picture handing out cold cups of milky orange Thai iced tea during an afternoon seminar break; it’s a delightful pick-me-up that beats plain old coffee.
Offering Thai Iced Tea at corporate events adds a special touch. This sweet, silky drink – brewed black tea blended with milk and a hint of sugar and spice – is a refreshing treat that your team will remember. Plus, it sports our Fan Thai Sticks logo, reinforcing that you chose something unique and thoughtful for your colleagues. Along with iced tea, we can also provide tropical coolers, coconut water, or lemongrass lemonade to keep everyone hydrated and happy. And if your event calls for adult beverages, we’re happy to suggest Thai-inspired cocktails (maybe a Thai basil mojito or a ginger lemongrass spritzer) that your bar staff or vendor can create to complement our food.
On the dessert front, Thai cuisine offers some light yet satisfying sweets that can cap off your event on a high note. We often serve Sticky Rice with Mango (a lightly sweet treat with coconut-infused sticky rice and juicy mango) or Thai-style fruit platters with exotic fruits as a refreshing end after a spicy meal. These desserts won’t leave everyone in a food coma – they’re just the right touch of sweetness. They’re also easy to eat in a corporate setting (no mess, no fuss). If you’re doing a more casual team gathering, we can even do fun items like Thai donuts with pandan custard dip or coconut jellies for something different. And yes, we remember the vegan and gluten-free folks here too – many Thai desserts are naturally gluten-free, and we’ll ensure options for all.
Crucially, our service is flexible to your needs. Hosting a lunch at your office with limited kitchen space? No problem – as a mobile catering service, we can deliver everything ready-to-serve in insulated carriers, set it up in your conference room or break room buffet-style, and even provide staff to help serve if you desire. If you have a full kitchen or are at an event venue, we can arrange on-site cooking or grilling, so your guests get that freshly-made experience (and those tempting cooking aromas wafting through the venue!). We’ve even operated from our food truck for outdoor corporate festivals and fairs – rolling up with our truck is guaranteed to draw a crowd at any company fun day. The benefit of on-site and mobile catering is that you don’t have to worry about a thing. We bring the equipment, the ingredients, and the expertise to set up wherever you are. Our team handles the setup, monitors the buffet or serving stations to keep them tidy and full, and then cleans up everything afterward. You won’t need to lift a finger – or wash a single dish. This convenience means you can focus on your event’s content (and maybe do some networking or team bonding yourself) while we quietly ensure every person is well-fed and happy.
Try a Free Tasting and Plan with Confidence
We understand that trying a new catering cuisine or vendor can be a leap of faith. You want to be sure the food will be a hit before committing – especially if you’re pitching the idea of Thai catering to your boss or a client. That’s why we offer free tasting sessions for corporate clients. If you’re in London or within the Essex area, we can deliver a tasting platter right to your office for you and a few colleagues to sample. It’s a no-pressure way to experience our food firsthand. Typically, we’ll send a nice variety: perhaps a zesty Green Papaya Salad to start, a couple of our signature mains like a Green Curry and Pad Thai, and even a sweet bite like mango sticky rice for dessert. You and your team can then give feedback on what you loved most and confidently pick the menu for the actual event. The tasting also often gets everyone excited about the prospect of Thai food (“When are we having the real event? I need more of this!”), making your planning job even easier. Just reach out to us to schedule a tasting – we’ll arrange a convenient day to drop it off, free of charge, anywhere in London or the M25 area. We’re confident that once you try our flavors, you’ll be as enthusiastic as we are about bringing Thai catering to your workplace.
Make Your Next Corporate Event a Hit – Let’s Get Cooking!
At the end of the day, a corporate event is successful when attendees are engaged, happy, and talking about it afterward in a good way. Great food is the secret ingredient to reaching that goal. It shows your team or clients that you’ve gone the extra mile to treat them, and it creates an experience rather than just another meeting. If you’re planning an event in London or Essex, let Fan Thai Sticks handle the catering and help you deliver something truly special. We have fed teams in bustling London offices and at serene Essex off-sites, and our focus is always the same: quality, authenticity, and reliability.
Planning the logistics is easy with us as your partner. We deliver throughout Greater London and all around Essex, arriving punctually and prepared. Need an early morning setup for a full-day seminar? Done. Want us to quietly sneak in and set lunch during a training session? We can do that. Worried about space or cleanup at your office? We’ll assess everything beforehand and bring disposable eco-friendly plates or proper chafing dishes as needed, then take care of clearing out so your office kitchen isn’t a war zone after. Our mission is to make your job as the organizer completely hassle-free, so you can get a pat on the back for a well-run event (and maybe take all the credit for that amazing Thai food spread – we don’t mind!).
Ready to plan a corporate event that people will actually look forward to? We’re here to help make it happen. Explore our website for menu ideas and get in touch with any questions. When you’re ready, you can book us or simply request a quote to tell us about your event details. We’ll work closely with you on customizing the menu, accommodating headcount changes, and nailing down all the particulars well in advance. With Fan Thai Sticks as your catering partner, your London or Essex corporate event will be easier, tastier, and far more memorable – guaranteed. Let’s bring the vibrant spirit of Thai cuisine to your workplace and turn your next gathering into the talk of the office (for all the right reasons)! Bon appetit and sawasdee krap! 🍜🎉
