What is a working lunch?

Updated on 20/10/2026

A meal eaten during a meeting or work session, with quick service and food that is easy to eat.

A working lunch is a meal served in the meeting room itself so that people can eat without fully interrupting the meeting or training session, with dishes that are easy to handle and little downtime. It saves going out to a restaurant and dragging out the break.

What it is used for at a corporate event

It is used for training days, committees, client meetings and intensive sessions where a two-hour break is not worth it. The food is served in the room or in an adjoining area and fits around the length of the session.

Approximate quantities

If the working lunch is a full meal, the calculator in our price guide works on, per person, 3 bite-sized starters, 100 g of salad, 150 g of main course with 120 g of side dish, 40 g of bread, 1 dessert and 3 drinks. For short sessions a lighter format is enough. These are guideline figures, not fixed portions.

How it differs from other formats

Unlike a buffet, a working lunch prioritises speed and the convenience of eating with hardly any need to leave the meeting table.
Unlike a standing lunch, which is eaten standing up with no table, here people usually eat seated, in the same layout as the meeting.
Unlike a coffee break, it is a full meal, not a pause.
It can be served at the table or handed out in a corporate lunch box, one box per attendee.

If the meeting is in the morning, another option is a corporate brunch.