Lunch: The ultimate team-builder

When it comes to maintaining creativity, wellbeing and a healthy culture in a business, food is at the heart of it all.

Think back to the last time you and your team sat down together for lunch. If you can't remember easily, you're missing out on one of the simplest and yet most effective tools for building a stronger workplace.

Yes, team-building exercises and fancy away-days have their place, but shared meals offer something a bit more immediate, affordable and personal.

Research from OpenTable suggests that weekday lunchtime dining rose by 4% last year, between January and September, influenced by a return to pre-pandemic working patterns.

For small business owners dealing with narrowing budgets and strict performance schedules, never underestimate the value of a good team lunch.

You don't need to take your team to an elaborate, pristine, five-star restaurant to build cohesion. Sometimes, all you need is a chilled setting, some good food and informal conversations with your peers.

When and where lunch offers more than meetings

A typical business meeting will see a firm but unspoken hierarchy in place. But when you're passing around platters of food and having a relaxed chat, that doesn't exist.

Titles become less important and people connect with other people authentically, in ways that aren't seen in the office or boardroom.

The informal atmosphere of a sit-down lunch invites conversations that won't always happen in the formal office environment. Consider this:

• A junior team member might not be as comfortable suggesting a new idea in a professional setting compared to one which encourages camaraderie and light conversation.

• Two colleagues from separate departments may discover common ground and mutual interests if they share a table.

These small moments matter tremendously, building the trust and communication that make your business feel more collaborative, genuine and successful.

The 2025 World Happiness Report found that shared meals remain a key part of office culture, but menus are diversifying significantly.

According to Public Sector Catering, buffet orders grew by 17%, platter items rose by 14% and bundle orders increased by 17% last year, giving office-based teams more flexible ways of dining together.

Themed lunch days

Everyone has different go-to food choices and it's easy to settle for what you know you like.

However, a themed team lunch adds an element of fun, anticipation and appreciation that can invigorate your team – plus it's simple and affordable.

It's important to choose wisely, considering themes and cuisines that your team won't hate.

• It can be as simple as a shared "Taste of Home" where each person brings something that they like to eat regularly.

• "Street Food Fridays" may also be worth exploring as a team, giving you all the option to explore different food choices from different countries or seasonal markets.

• Sometimes a simple organised lunch at a local restaurant as a team is sufficient, but this becomes markedly harder as the business and workforce grow.

• Smaller teams may benefit from potluck-style events, where team members contribute a dish of their own to a buffet-style lunch.

If you have a larger budget, consider entrusting different people to organise one lunch a month, or however regularly, with the business covering the costs. This keeps things interesting while relieving pressure from individual people each time.

When the weather permits it, an outdoor BBQ offers another excellent option for team lunches.

As Monster Foods points out in its guide to large group catering, BBQs are typically relaxed and social occasions, giving guests the opportunity to mingle as food gets prepared in front of them.

They're very informal and buffet-style, which works well for SMEs wanting to do something interesting without being confined to a sit-down atmosphere.

Managing dietary requirements

Always remember to include options for all dietary or lifestyle requirements. Nothing dampens the spirit of a team lunch faster than someone sitting at a table not being able to eat anything.

Sending a simple, anonymous, judgement-free survey, or just having an informal chat about what they need, goes a long way.

Some team members have allergies to specific food groups, while others follow eating customs out of religious preference and others simply ‌opt to eat a certain way. Everyone's preferences deserve respect and consideration.

Planning

When planning a meal, don't just provide the most basic of options for a vegetarian or vegan colleague while everyone else gets inundated with lavish choices. Aim for parity in quality and variety.

For example:

• if you're having burgers, include good-quality plant-based options

• if you order pizza, make sure there are ones with vegan cheese or gluten-free bases, appropriate to the amount of people with dietary restrictions

Labelling

This goes a long way. Clearly mark all dishes with ingredients, especially common allergens like nuts, milk, eggs, gluten, shellfish and others.

This prevents people from accidentally ingesting something that could be mildly discomforting or, even worse, life-threatening.

Consider keeping certain dishes a fair distance apart to prevent excessive, uncontrolled cross-contamination.

If you're working with external caterers, choose companies experienced in inclusive menus.

Making lunch count

Powerful team-building only happens when people forget that they're doing a team-building exercise.

Shared lunches are a simple and genuine way to achieve these moments of connection and everyone appreciates good food.

It's certainly not like you're asking them to fall backwards into each other's arms or solve contrived and convoluted problems.

For growing, ambitious SMEs, team dynamics translate directly into improved collaboration and agility.

When your team feels like a firm part of the fabric of the company, it's an irreplaceable feeling. Not just for them, but your wider extended team and, also, for anybody new who comes on board.

In the long run, everyone will engage more fully and when an entire team has regular opportunities to connect, they'll begin developing a greater sense of trust among each other.

In summary

If the team-building concept feels a little daunting, start with a small, simple lunch and see what the response is like.

Pay attention to what works, what people enjoy and what could improve about the experience.

Build on that information gradually, responding to feedback and adjusting to your team's particular preferences in due course.

You never know – you may be surprised by what happens when you allow your team the chance to be authentically themselves, rather than just be colleagues.

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