Catering for Meetings, Conferences and Business Lunches in Germany: Formats, Quantities, Costs and Allergens

For meetings, conferences and business lunches, choose formats that are quick and easy to eat: lunch boxes, bowls, a small standing buffet or finger food. As a guide value, expect 14 to 26 euros per person including VAT, excluding drinks. Plan about 350 to 450 g of main course or 8 to 12 pieces of finger food per person at lunchtime. Collect dietary requirements early, and make sure the caterer provides the allergen information German law requires.

Which format fits which occasion?

Format	Best for	Advantages	Watch out for
Lunch box	meetings in the room, workshops	individually portioned, no set-up	agree on reusable boxes
Bowl	business lunch, team days	light, easy to make vegetarian or vegan	keep components separate so nothing goes soggy
Small standing buffet	conferences from about 20 people	choice, networking while eating	space, hot holding, possibly staff
Finger food	short breaks, receptions	can be eaten standing	order enough pieces if it replaces lunch
Breakfast or brunch	kick-offs, morning sessions	relaxed start	guide value 22 to 38 euros per person

Our guide finger food, buffet or plated dinner compares the event formats in more detail.

Sample schedule for a full-day conference

Time	Catering	Note
8:30 to 9:00	arrival with coffee, tea, water, small pastries or fruit	breakfast only if people travel early
10:30	coffee break with fruit or small snacks	15 to 20 minutes is enough
12:30 to 13:15	lunch: bowls, lunch boxes or a small standing buffet	hot component, vegetarian main line
15:00	coffee break with cake, fruit or a savoury snack	mix sweet and savoury
all day	water in the room	carafes instead of single bottles

Do not make the lunch break too short: at a standing buffet for 50 people, queuing alone takes several minutes, and more serving points shorten the wait.

Heavy lunches tend to hurt concentration in the afternoon. Dishes with plenty of vegetables, pulses and whole grains, moderate fat and small desserts work better. Many German companies now serve a mainly vegetarian lunch with one meat or fish option, which also lowers the climate impact of the catering.

Quantities per person

These are practical guide values for adults on a normal working day.

Item	Guide value per person
Hot main course incl. side	350 to 450 g
Bowl or main-course salad	350 to 450 g
Finger food as lunch	8 to 12 pieces
Finger food for a short break	2 to 4 pieces
Dessert	80 to 120 g
Fruit at a coffee break	1 piece or 100 to 150 g
Coffee or tea	2 to 3 cups per half day
Water	0.5 to 1 litre per half day

More detailed tables are in our guide to catering quantities per person.

What does it cost?

Our calculator uses these guide values (including VAT, food only, base 50 to 149 guests):

Format	Typical range per person
Business lunch (lunch box, bowl, small buffet)	14 to 26 euros
Brunch	22 to 38 euros
Finger food	18 to 32 euros
Cold or hot buffet	28 to 50 euros

Group size matters: under 20 people, caterers often charge about 20 % more per head, for 20 to 49 people about 5 % more, from 150 people about 8 % less. Around 30 % organic ingredients adds roughly 10 to 15 %. Extras may include reusable equipment (3 to 7 euros per person), delivery (a flat 50 to 150 euros) and, for buffets, service staff (35 to 48 euros per hour per person).

Example (guide value): 30 people, bowls for lunch. 14 to 26 euros plus 5 % for group size gives about 14.70 to 27.30 euros per person, roughly 440 to 820 euros in total. With reusable tableware and delivery, you end up at about 580 to 1,180 euros before drinks. Try your own numbers in the cost calculator.

Allergens and dietary requirements

German and EU law require allergen information even when food is delivered unpackaged. The 14 major allergens are listed in Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, including cereals containing gluten, milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, celery, mustard and sesame. For unpackaged food, the German implementing rules in § 4 LMIDV allow two routes:

• in writing, for example on buffet signs, menus (footnotes are permitted) or a notice, or
• verbally by the business operator or trained staff, provided written or electronic records exist, can be consulted on request and a visible notice points this out.

In practice:

1. Ask about allergies and diets when people register (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, nut allergy, religious requirements).
2. Pass the numbers to the caterer with the final headcount.
3. Have special meals clearly labelled so nobody else takes them.
4. For drop-off deliveries without staff, ask for an allergen list to display.

Food safety for deliveries

With drop-off catering, serving is often your responsibility. Ask the caterer how long the food may stand. Hot food should stay hot throughout, in practice usually at 65 °C or more, and cold dishes with meat, fish, dairy or egg should stay refrigerated until served. Good caterers supply hot boxes or chafing dishes and clear instructions.

Making it sustainable

• Reusable instead of disposable: since 2023, many food-to-go businesses in Germany must offer reusable packaging under § 33 VerpackG. See reusable instead of disposable.
• Realistic headcounts: a reliable number with a small buffer beats ordering for every eventuality.
• Agree on leftovers: decide in advance whether staff may take leftover food.
• Plant-forward menus: a vegetarian main line usually costs the same or slightly less than a meat dish.

To find caterers near your office or venue, browse our caterer directory.