Why December is booked in October
A corporate caterer works with delivery slots: a number of deliveries possible per half-day, not a number of clients possible per month. In December, requests pile up on the Thursdays and Fridays of the first two weeks, then on the last days before the holidays. When a slot is full, it is full: the next order is offered another day or another hour.
The rule that matters is simple: a date is secured by payment, not by a quote request. A quote sent but not paid reserves nothing. This is why a company that asked for a price in late October can find itself without a slot in early December, while another that paid in November delivers on the date it wanted.
In practice: fix the date in October, confirm the format and headcount in November, pay as soon as the proposal suits you. Technically, 24 hours' notice is enough for a catalogue menu, 48 hours from one hundred guests, but in December it is the slot that runs out, not the preparation time.
Which format for which hour
The end-of-year reception in Paris is usually held at the end of the day, between 5 pm and 8 pm, in the office. At that hour it replaces the aperitif and often dinner for part of the guests: there must be enough pieces so that nobody leaves hungry, and hot pieces, because an entirely cold buffet in December disappoints.
For a two-hour after-work, 11 to 13 pieces per person are enough: for instance the classic bistro cocktail, 12 pieces including miniature croque-monsieur and warm comté puffs, at €31.90 per guest for 20. For an evening that replaces dinner, aim for 16 to 17 pieces: the festive end-of-year cocktail offers 17, including 3 hot and 3 sweet, with smoked salmon, foie gras and mini burgers, at €53.40 per guest for 100.
If the event takes place at lunchtime, the lunch cocktail does the job with 11 pieces at €20.30 per guest, and a festive end-of-year break (mini yule logs, macarons, candied chestnuts, chocolates) at €9.70 per guest closes a lunch or accompanies a team tea.
How many pieces per guest
The figures below apply to a standing reception with no seated table. They include the sweet share, always eaten at the end and often forgotten in the count. Hot pieces are delivered ready for the oven or a warming tray; without a way to reheat on site, choose a menu with mostly cold pieces.
Add a 10 % margin on the confirmed headcount, no more: in December, last-minute absentees make up for surprise guests. Above 100 guests, what changes is the logistics (several drop-off points, buffet set-up, cooling package), not the quantity per person.
| Moment | Pieces per guest | Of which hot | Of which sweet |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-hour aperitif, dinner afterwards | 8 to 10 | 2 to 3 | 2 |
| After-work, 5 pm to 7 pm | 11 to 13 | 3 to 4 | 3 to 4 |
| Dinner-style reception, 6 pm to 9 pm | 16 to 18 | 4 to 6 | 3 |
Choose your end-of-year reception, pay online and your December slot is reserved.
See the cocktail reception menus →The real budget per guest
Cocktail menus in the catalogue run from €20.30 to €57.60 per guest, net prices (VAT not applicable), delivery included across Île-de-France except Seine-et-Marne, disposable tableware included. The gap comes from the number of pieces, the share of hot pieces and the products: a festive reception with smoked salmon and foie gras does not cost the price of a cold-bites reception.
Soft drinks are counted separately: freshly pressed juices €2.50, soft drinks €3, unlimited coffee and tea €2.20 per guest. The glass of champagne is an option at €8.90 per guest, 20 % VAT included; it is usually the only alcohol at a French office reception, and planning one glass for two thirds of the guests is enough.
For 50 people at an after-work with a glass of champagne and soft drinks, the total lands between €2,100 and €2,600 depending on the menu. On-site buffet set-up by our team is a priced option on the quote; there is no waiting staff during the evening, guests help themselves.
What makes a December reception fail
First cause: the date secured too late, see above. Second cause: a venue with no water point or fridge for a three-hour evening. The cooling package (ice, buckets and insulated tubs, €69 per 50 guests) settles the drinks; for the food, a delivery timed one hour before the start keeps the pieces from waiting on a table.
Third cause: forgotten dietary requirements. A reception for 60 almost always includes vegetarians, sometimes someone gluten-free or pork-free. Say so when ordering: the menus include vegetarian pieces, and a complement is easy to price.
Fourth cause: access. In December, reception desks close early and concierges change hours. Give a reachable contact, the floor and the door code; in a tower, warn the security desk that a delivery arrives at a given time.
The timeline that holds
October: fix the date and venue, estimate the headcount, request a priced proposal. Early November: confirm the format (after-work or dinner-style) and approve the quote. Mid-November: pay, which is what reserves the slot. The week before: adjust the final headcount and flag dietary requirements. The day before: check the on-site contact and access.
If the date is still unknown in October, request a proposal on an approximate headcount anyway: the price per guest does not move with a few guests more or fewer, and you will know at once what your evening costs.