Company Christmas party ideas in Melbourne, sorted. If you’ve drawn the short straw and ended up planning your office end-of-year function this year, here are five tested ways to put on a great night — and how to handle the catering so the food does the heavy lifting for you. We’ll cover what each theme looks like in practice, what kind of room or venue it suits, how much it tends to cost per head, and what we deliver to make it work.

Most Melbourne offices end up with one of two Christmas parties — the classic roast lunch or the slightly-tired drinks-and-finger-food gathering — because no one has the bandwidth to plan something braver. The five ideas below are all things our kitchen does dozens of times each December, with the food cooked in our Caulfield commercial kitchen and delivered ready to serve.

1. The Classic Christmas Feast

If your team mostly wants Christmas to feel like Christmas, lean into it. Roast turkey, glazed ham, festive sides, traditional sauces, a proper dessert — laid out as a buffet so people can come back for seconds.

This works best in a function room or office that has space to set up a serving table. We deliver in eco-friendly platters professionally presented; you take the lids off, set out a few serving tongs, and your guests help themselves. For offices of 40+ we usually recommend adding the Catering Setup add-on (from $50) so our driver lays everything out at your eating area before guests arrive — saves the planner from doing it.

The Royal Treatment package is the premium tier of this — shared mains, dessert, fruit and cheese, all designed to feel like a proper Christmas lunch without forcing anyone to sit through three plated courses.

What it costs:Christmas hot lunch (carvery + sides + dessert) from about $44 per person. Premium Christmas dinner from about $75 per person.

2. Aussie Christmas BBQ

Most Melbourne Decembers are warm enough to do Christmas outdoors — and there’s something genuinely Australian about a Christmas BBQ in the courtyard or rooftop instead of pretending the weather is northern-hemisphere snowy. We do BBQ packages with premium meats — sausages, marinated skewers, grilled prawns or salmon — plus festive salads and bread rolls.

The BBQ format has one big practical advantage for office parties: it loosens the room. People stand around, talk to colleagues they don’t usually talk to, and it doesn’t feel like a forced sit-down lunch. For events within an hour of our Caulfield kitchen we can deliver hot; further out, we deliver cold with simple reheating instructions.

BBQ packages include eco plates, cutlery, napkins, and platter boxes — you provide serving tongs and a table. If you want the food set out for you rather than serving from a delivery box, the Catering Setup add-on (from $50) gets the driver to lay it all out at your eating area.

3. The Cocktail Night

If your office Christmas party is more of an evening event than a lunch — drinks-and-finger-food, mingling, music — go cocktail style. Hot and cold canapes laid out on grazing stations, or passed around in canape boxes for events with wait staff (typically 100+ guests where it’s worth the headcount). Cocktail catering is the easy way to handle a stand-up party where nobody wants to sit at a table.

The format suits any kind of room — function venue, rooftop bar, mezzanine, an office that’s been cleared for the night. Guests circulate, food circulates, conversations happen.

Hot canape logistics matter: hot finger food (gyozas, spring rolls, party pies, sliders) needs to be within 20–30 minutes of our Caulfield kitchen to arrive at temperature. For venues further out we recommend a cold canape selection — same five-star kitchen craft, no temperature risk. Cold canapes start from about $3.30 per piece; bowl food up to $8.80; a complete cocktail event package with six pieces per person and basic service starts from about $30 per person.

4.

Tasting-style menus, plated-style shared platters, premium proteins, restaurant-grade desserts. Same Caulfield kitchen, dialled up.

This format suits venues that can seat your guests properly. We deliver in temperature-controlled containers, set up if you’ve added that, and serve via real platters (not disposables) where the event budget justifies it. For events of 100+ we can also arrange service staff to maintain the spread, pour drinks, and pack down at the end.

The format wins on impression — staff and clients remember a properly catered event longer than a generic buffet — which is why most of our premium Christmas bookings come from companies hosting client appreciation nights rather than internal Friday lunches.

5. Outdoor Garden Party / Grazing Tables

A long table styled with greenery, tiered cheese boards, charcuterie, fruit platters, dips, breads, premium garnishes — guests graze across the night.

For grazing tables we book the chafing dishes and styling separately from the food. The whole presentation is quoted per event based on guest count and budget. We’re a small operation that does a limited number of styled-table events per day, so book early for December — these slots typically fill out by mid-November.

Why Book Christmas Catering Early

December is genuinely our busiest month, and Melbourne corporates compete heavily for the same set of catering slots. Most weekend dates and weekday lunch slots in the first three weeks of December are filling out by early November. If you’re planning anything bigger than a 20-person team lunch, get your booking in by mid-November to lock in your date.

For very urgent catering with less than a full day’s notice, we may be able to help with platters of sandwiches and fruit — call 0497 333 100 and we’ll do our best. But large hot deliveries, BBQ packages, and styled events all need proper notice in December.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an office Christmas party cost per person in Melbourne?

Per-person pricing depends on the theme.Delivery is a flat fee based on kilometres from our Caulfield kitchen.

How much notice do you need for Christmas catering?

For most December bookings, 1–2 weeks notice is the minimum we’d recommend. For styled-table events (grazing, full setup with service staff) or for the busy first three weeks of December, book 4 weeks ahead to lock in your date.

Can you deliver hot Christmas catering across Melbourne?

Yes for most of the metro area. Hot delivery works best within an hour of our Caulfield kitchen for buffet, meats, and large platters. Hot finger food (gyozas, sausage rolls, party pies) needs to be within 20–30 minutes of our kitchen. For venues further out, we deliver cold with simple reheating instructions — the food is the same quality either way.

Will there be a chef at our Christmas party?

Almost never — our chefs cook everything in our Caulfield kitchen, and we deliver the food ready to serve. For larger Christmas events (typically 80+ guests) we can arrange a styled table setup with chafing dishes and a service staff member on-site to maintain the spread.

Can you cater for dietary requirements at a Christmas party?

Yes — every menu is built around the dietary needs in the room. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal, nut-free, low-FODMAP, and kosher on request. You note dietary needs at checkout and the kitchen handles cross-contamination care.

What’s included in a Christmas catering package?

Buffet and BBQ packages come with eco plates, cutlery, napkins, and platter boxes — you provide serving tongs and a table. Canape and platter orders are bare-bones with optional add-ons (disposable plates / cutlery / napkins for a small per-head fee). For full event setup with chafing dishes, grazing styling, and service staff, we quote per event.

Do you cater Christmas parties on weekends?

Yes — Saturday is one of our busiest December days. On Sundays we operate with a $400 minimum spend — order ahead or book a Saturday delivery you can enjoy Sunday. Saturday minimum spend is from $150 + delivery fee. Hot delivery on weekends is by approval.

Can we order Christmas catering online?

Yes — most Christmas menus are bookable directly onour online order pagewith the Pay Later option for orders still being finalised internally. For premium events, large guest counts, or anything with styling and staff, request a custom quote.