Office Christmas party ideas don’t need a venue. A long lunch in the meeting room, a Kris Kringle and a few end of year awards will fill an afternoon. Monty’s Sandwich Shop at 52 Spring Street, Bondi Junction, makes platters from $145.00 for 10, $14.50 per person. Order by 4pm the day before.
Lunch in the office or a night out?
Lunch in the office suits teams who want everyone there, in work hours, without booking a venue. A night out suits teams who want drinks and a change of scene, and it takes more organising.
Not every team celebrates Christmas, and an end of year lunch runs the same way. Lunch in the office tends to work well in four situations.
- Hybrid teams, on the day everyone is in.
- Teams with phones or a front desk to cover, who can’t all leave at once.
- Small groups, where a venue’s minimum spend would eat most of the budget.
- Teams with early starts or school runs, who’d rather be home in the evening.
It’s also easy to cost. A platter for 20 is $284.00, $14.20 per person, so you can tell whoever signs off exactly what lunch will cost. For the everyday version of the same idea, see our office lunch ideas.
Planning a work Christmas party in Sydney, week by week
Start six weeks out, and keep one rule in mind. Order by 4pm the day before, because platters need 15 hours and can’t be made same day.
The NSW Government’s public holidays list puts Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026 and Boxing Day on Saturday 26 December. Monday 28 December is an additional public holiday for Boxing Day. Plan the lunch, and your last order, before those dates.
Here’s the timeline for a lunch on Friday 18 December 2026.
| When | Example date | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Six weeks out | Friday 6 November | Set the date and the format. Send a save-the-date. Expecting 25 or more? Get a quote. |
| Two weeks out | Friday 4 December | Confirm numbers. Ask about dietary needs, so you can choose fillings with them in mind. |
| The week of the lunch | Monday 14 December | Pick the fillings for each platter and agree on a pickup time. |
| The day before | Thursday 17 December | Order online. Order by 4pm the day before, because platters need 15 hours. Choose your pickup time at checkout. |
| On the day | Friday 18 December | Pick up from 52 Spring Street. Keep platters in the fridge until lunch. |
If a lunch sneaks up on you, platters are off the table. You can still order sandwiches online from the shop, ready from 15 minutes after you order.
Office Christmas party ideas for small groups
A shared lunch around one table is enough of a party for 10 to 20 people. Platters start at 10, and up to 20 people can order online.
- Book the meeting room for a long lunch and order a platter for 10 or 15.
- Send round our menu and let each person choose a filling for the platter.
- Run a Kris Kringle after lunch, with a spending limit everyone agrees on.
- Go round the table and have each person share one win from the year.
- Take the team photo before anyone heads home.
Each platter you can order online is 10, 15 or 20 sandwiches or salads, and sandwiches come cut in halves. Not sure how many to order? Our guide to how many sandwiches per person does the maths.
End of year office party ideas for large groups
For 25 or more people, get a quote and plan the afternoon in rounds. Tell us the date, the time you need it and the number of people, and we’ll reply by email with your quote.
- Serve in two rounds. Put half the platters out when people sit down, and keep the rest in the fridge.
- Mix sandwiches and salads across your platters, so every end of the table has a choice.
- Wrap up the year with a short speech, a few awards and a team photo.
- Inviting families? Kids platters start at $100.00 for 10, $10.00 per child, and you order them online. Fillings are ham and cheese, cheese and tomato, double cheese, egg salad and chicken salad, with nothing spicy.
Our page on corporate catering for bigger teams shows how a quote works, from what you send us to what comes back.
Christmas work lunch ideas from our menu
Choose any fillings from the menu, and lean on the ones that suit the season. Turkey and cranberry already say Christmas, so the Turkey & Brie Sandwich with Cranberry is an easy place to start.
Every sandwich is made on bread baked each morning here at 52 Spring Street. The prices below are for one sandwich at the counter. Platter prices are further down.
| Filling | What’s in it | At the counter |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey & Brie Sandwich with Cranberry | Turkey, brie, whole cranberry sauce, mixed leaves and mayo | $15.45 |
| Ploughman’s Sandwich | Ham, tasty cheese, tomato, housemade piccalilli, onion, mixed leaves and mayo | $13.95 |
| Roast Beef & Horseradish Sandwich | Roast beef, rocket and horseradish mayo | $14.15 |
| Veggie Reuben Sandwich | Swiss cheese, marinated chargrilled eggplant, Monty’s slaw, sauerkraut, dill pickles, tomato and dijonnaise | $12.85 |
For after lunch, our menu also has Caramel Slice ($5.50), Chocolate Brownie ($5.00) and Pistachio Cookie ($5.00).
How long can platters sit out at a long lunch?
Up to 4 hours in total, and under 2 hours if you want to save the leftovers. Long lunches have a way of rolling into the arvo, so it pays to watch the clock.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) sets out the 2-hour/4-hour rule. It covers food that needs temperature control.
The rule adds up all the time food spends between 5°C and 60°C. That includes the trip back from pickup and time on the table.
| Total time between 5°C and 60°C | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Under 2 hours | Use it, or put it back in the fridge |
| 2 to 4 hours | Use it, but don’t put it back in the fridge |
| Over 4 hours | Throw it out |
The rule is written for food businesses, and it works as a guide for an office lunch too. A few habits help.
- If the office fridge has room, keep platters in it until people sit down. FSANZ says chilled food should be 5°C or colder.
- Count the trip back from 52 Spring Street as part of the time.
- Bring platters out in rounds rather than all at once.
- Leftovers that have been out for 2 hours or more don’t go back in the fridge for tomorrow.
How do you order Christmas lunch catering in Sydney?
Up to 20 people, order online. 25 or more, get a quote. Either way, order by 4pm the day before and pick up from 52 Spring Street, Bondi Junction NSW 2022.
| Platter | Price | Per person | How to order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platter for 10 | $145.00 | $14.50 per person | Order online |
| Platter for 15 | $215.00 | $14.33 per person | Order online |
| Platter for 20 | $284.00 | $14.20 per person | Order online |
| 25 or more | By quote | By quote | Get a quote |
Choose your pickup time at checkout. Pay online, pick up in store. Questions before you order? Call 0474 507 747.
Once the Christmas lunch is done, our office lunch catering works the same way for the rest of the year.
Lock in the team’s Christmas lunch
Set the date first, then work back through the timeline. Up to 20 people, order online and choose your pickup time at checkout. For 25 or more, get a quote with the date, the time and the number of people.
Frequently asked questions
When should I order food for the office Christmas party?
Order by 4pm the day before, because platters need 15 hours and can’t be made same day. For a December lunch, set the date six weeks out, confirm numbers two weeks out and pick the fillings in the week of the lunch.
How much is Christmas lunch catering per person?
At Monty’s Sandwich Shop in Bondi Junction, a platter for 10 is $145.00, $14.50 per person. A platter for 15 is $215.00, $14.33 per person, and a platter for 20 is $284.00, $14.20 per person. For 25 or more, get a quote.
Can I get same day catering for a work Christmas party?
No, not for Monty’s platters. Platters need 15 hours, so they can’t be made same day, and you need to order by 4pm the day before. For lunch today, order sandwiches online from the shop, ready from 15 minutes after you order.
How long can party food sit out?
Keep it under 2 hours if you want to save leftovers, and never past 4 hours. That’s FSANZ’s 2-hour/4-hour rule, which counts the total time food that needs to stay cold spends between 5°C and 60°C. Between 2 and 4 hours, eat it but don’t put it back in the fridge.
What are some easy Christmas staff lunch ideas?
Start with a shared lunch in the meeting room. Order a platter for 10, 15 or 20, let each person choose a filling from the menu, then finish with a Kris Kringle. Up to 20 people can order online from Monty’s Sandwich Shop.
