Birthday celebrations in the office are often a difficult balancing act, easy to go too far, or to not do enough. Everyone wants it to be an opportunity to make sure the team feels appreciated for their hard work, give you a chance to let off some steam, build a sense of community and boost office morale, but that’s a whole lot of expectation to put on a 15 minute cake break. At Feedr we love cake, but we also love community – which is why we’ve been thinking of how to cater and plan for the best office birthdays.
Grouped Birthdays
Grouping birthdays can be done by having one larger monthly celebration, where you take the time to highlight everyone’s birthday in that month and give everyone a chance to be celebrated and celebrate in return. Alternatively you could do once a fortnight if the team has a lot of birthdays that month, or once every two months if there’s not much in the calendar. While this may not be the perfect plan in August if you’ve got a team full of Leos not looking to share the spotlight, some employees might not like being the center of attention and would prefer to be included in a celebration, not the focus of it.
Grouping birthday celebrations can be a pragmatic way to make sure everyone feels included and appreciated, without breaking the budget on daily treats. After all, if you have treats all the time it starts to lose its sense of novelty, and then you’re just an adult having cake for lunch. Worst of all, you’re an adult having cake for lunch thinking of all the other things you should be doing.
Overly frequent birthday celebrations can be a drain on people’s time and energy, and lead to celebrations becoming more of a chore, and making it less likely you’ll be able to connect and build community. A monthly birthday event can be a great way to pick out a specific time that doesn’t interfere with other people’s work schedules, and give you more time to celebrate and bond with your co-workers.
In terms of catering for these larger birthday celebrations, cake is always a good idea, but the best idea is to listen to your team and try to bring in something that they really enjoy, and let them share their favourite treats with the team. Here are our catering suggestions for throwing a birthday celebration that can be easily personalised for the birthday individual, while ensuring that everyone in the office has a great time.
Birthday Cake
Move over sheet cakes, it’s time to bring out the big guns. Salted caramel, chocolate dipped strawberries, chocolate ganache, edible flowers and anything else your little heart desires can and should be included if you’re ordering in a show-stopping birthday cake. Cakes are great if there aren’t that many birthday celebrations happening in that month, as it gives the birthday individual a chance to get a cake that really speaks to them. If you’re looking for a cake that looks and tastes amazing, check out EK Bakery’s selection of amazing cakes from classics favorites like vanilla or double chocolate, to their rotating seasonal selection, including amazing flavours such as mango and coconut, perfect for the summer babies on the team.
Mini Cupcakes or Brownies
If too many cooks have threatened to spoil the broth on the birthday cake front, the best solution is a tray of single servings, which can have a mixture of different flavours to suit everyone’s tastes. Cupcakes are the obvious choice, especially since their packaging means you can avoid the task of cutting and plating, making the clean up a much easier chore. Brownies are another great choice, especially for the chocolate lover in the office. You’re not even sacrificing the visual effect, since bakeries have really stepped up their brownie and mini-cake decorating game – just look at EK Bakery’s stunningly decorated offerings!
Something Savoury
If the team isn’t in the mood for cake, or the birthday individual just doesn’t have any sort of sweet tooth, ordering in something different can be a great way of celebrating! Obviously you have a lot more freedom when it comes to savoury options, but it can be difficult to separate celebratory food from normal lunchtime. Finger foods are a great way to replicate that same party vibe, especially when you order in something a little different like a platter of beautifully colourful sushi rolls.
Interested in any of these options?
Check them out on Feedr!
