At Manchester Catering Company, we’re always looking for new ways to make feeding your team simpler, tastier, and more satisfying. That’s why we’re thrilled to introduce our brand new Disposable Hot Food Trays — a brilliant addition to any working lunch that takes the hassle out of hot food catering.
Whether you’re feeding a small team or a room full of delegates, our hot food trays are designed to deliver exactly what busy workplaces need: proper, hearty food that arrives hot and is ready to serve the moment it lands on your table. No heating required, no mess, no fuss. Just lift the lid and go.What’s on the Menu?
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We’ve launched three delicious options to kick things off, giving you the flexibility to cater for meat-eaters and vegetarians alike.
First up is our Beef Chilli or Three Bean Chilli, with Beef or Veggie Lasagna. Comfort food at its finest, this tray gives you the choice of a rich, slow-cooked beef chilli or a hearty three bean version for your veggie guests — alongside a classic lasagna option whether you prefer meat or a fully veggie version. It’s the kind of food that keeps people going through a long afternoon.
Next is our Meat Pie or Three Cheese and Onion Tray, with Peas and Pickled Beetroot. There’s something deeply satisfying about a proper pie, and this tray delivers exactly that. The meat pie is a crowd-pleaser for those who love a traditional British classic, while the three cheese and onion option is every bit as indulgent. Paired with peas and tangy pickled beetroot, this is a lunch people will actually look forward to.
Finally, for something with a little more warmth and spice, our Chicken or Chickpea, Spinach and Potato Curry with Rice is a fantastic option. The chicken curry is full of flavour and satisfying depth, while the chickpea version ensures your vegetarian and vegan guests are just as well catered for. Served with rice and delivered piping hot, it’s a real lunchtime highlight.Designed for the Working Lunch
It’s worth noting that these trays have been specifically designed as a working lunch bowl food option — they’re not the same as our standard hot food menu portions. Think generous, informal, and easy to eat at your desk or in a meeting room. They’re ideal when you want something more substantial than sandwiches but don’t need the full formality of a plated hot food service.
Trays are available in sizes to serve 6/8 or 18 people, starting from just £40 — making them excellent value for team lunches, training days, or any workplace gathering where good food matters.Order Today
Adding a Disposable Hot Food Tray to your next working lunch order couldn’t be simpler. Browse all three options in our online shop and order alongside your usual catering. As always, everything is freshly prepared and delivered by our award-winning team.
Hot lunch, zero hassle. That’s the Manchester Catering Company way.
Choosing the right caterer is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your wedding. The food is remembered long after the flowers have wilted — and in Manchester, where the wedding venue and catering scene is thriving, you deserve a caterer who matches the occasion.
Manchester’s Wedding Venue Scene
Greater Manchester offers an incredible range of wedding venues, from the Victorian grandeur of the Midland Hotel to stunning countryside estates in Cheshire and the Peaks. Whether you’re hosting an intimate dinner for 30 or a celebration for 300, the right caterer needs to be able to adapt to your venue, your vision and your guests.
Fine Dining or Buffet — Which Is Right for Your Wedding?
Both options have their place. Fine dining wedding catering — with sit-down courses, silver service and a structured menu — lends a sense of occasion and elegance to your day. A buffet, by contrast, is more relaxed, encourages mingling, and often works better for larger guest lists or more informal celebrations.At Manchester Catering Company, we offer both. Our fine dining menu includes starters such as king prawns with garlic and chilli and chicken liver parfait with brioche, mains including fillet of Scottish Aberdeen Angus beef and wild salmon, and a full dessert selection. Our buffet options are equally impressive.
Handling Dietary Requirements at Your Wedding
With today’s guest lists, allergen management is non-negotiable. We work closely with couples to ensure every guest is catered for — from vegan options to gluten-free dishes and allergen-safe preparation. We recommend gathering dietary information from guests as early as possible so we can plan accordingly.
Booking Your Wedding Caterer
We recommend booking your caterer as early as possible — ideally 6 to 12 months in advance for summer weddings. We work across Greater Manchester, Cheshire, and the wider North West.To discuss your wedding catering requirements, call us on 0161 723 1990 or email enquiry@manchestercateringcompany.com.
Manchester is home to thousands of businesses, from creative agencies in the Northern Quarter to law firms in Spinningfields and logistics companies across Trafford Park. When it comes to feeding your team, impressing clients, or hosting a board meeting, the quality of your food says a great deal about your company.So what should you look for when choosing a corporate caterer in Manchester?
1. Reliability and Lead Times
Business life moves fast. A good corporate caterer should be able to accommodate short-notice orders — ideally with as little as 24 hours’ notice — without compromising on quality. At Manchester Catering Company, we accept orders by phone, text, email or online, and confirm every order before the event.
2. Menu Flexibility
Your team will have a mix of dietary requirements. From vegan colleagues to gluten-free clients, your caterer needs to offer proper alternatives — not an afterthought. Our business lunch menus are fully customisable, with options for every dietary need.
3. Locally Sourced, Freshly Prepared Food
There’s a significant difference between reheated bought-in food and freshly prepared catering. We prepare all our dishes on the premises using locally sourced produce, which means better flavour, better quality, and better feedback from your guests.
4. Proven Track Record
Look for a caterer with references, reviews and a track record of catering for businesses similar to yours. As a National and Regional Caterer of the Year with over 35 years of experience, Manchester Catering Company has served some of the North West’s most prominent organisations.
5. Delivery Coverage
Make sure your caterer delivers to your area. We cover Manchester city centre, Salford, Trafford Park, Bury, Bolton and the wider Greater Manchester region.If you’re looking for reliable, freshly prepared corporate catering in Manchester, get in touch with our team on 0161 723 1990 or browse our business lunch menus online.
The catering world is evolving fast, and 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting years yet. From the way food is presented to the values behind every menu, clients across Manchester are expecting more from their catering providers — and we’re here to deliver. Here’s a look at the key trends defining the industry this year.
Interactive Food Stations Are Taking Over
Gone are the days of static buffets and predictable plated dinners. In 2026, events are embracing chef-driven, interactive food stations where guests watch their meals being prepared in real time. Think live sushi rolling bars, made-to-order pasta stations, build-your-own taco bars, and ramen bowl stations. This transforms dining from a passive experience into something guests actually talk about long after the evening ends. For weddings, corporate events, and private parties alike, the food becomes as much of an attraction as any other part of the occasion.
Sustainability Is No Longer Optional
Sustainability now appears in more client briefs, venue requirements, and event checklists than ever before. Clients want to know where ingredients come from, how waste is managed, and whether packaging is eco-friendly. Local sourcing, compostable packaging, and waste-reduction practices are quickly becoming standard expectations rather than optional extras. At Manchester Catering Company, we are committed to responsible sourcing and minimising food waste at every event we deliver — because doing things the right way matters.
Plant-Based Menus Go Mainstream
The plant-based movement has shifted from a niche consideration to a mainstream requirement. Today’s caterers are reimagining their menus to include sophisticated, flavour-forward plant-based dishes that appeal to every guest at the table, not just those following a specific diet. Whether it’s a vegan wedding banquet or a corporate lunch catering to diverse dietary needs, plant-forward menus are no longer an afterthought — they’re a centrepiece of modern event catering.
Hyper-Personalisation Is the New Standard
One-size-fits-all catering is a thing of the past. In 2026, clients expect menus that feel crafted specifically for them and their guests. From dietary requirements and cultural preferences to themed culinary journeys and bespoke beverage pairings, personalisation runs through every detail. The most memorable events are those where guests feel the menu was designed with them in mind — and that’s exactly the experience we aim to create for every client we work with.
Global Flavours Are on Every Wish List
International and fusion cuisines are dominating catering requests across the UK in 2026. Caribbean jerk chicken, Mediterranean mezze, Asian dumplings, Korean BBQ, and Latin street food are moving well beyond niche appeal into the mainstream of event dining. Manchester’s wonderfully diverse food culture makes this trend a natural fit for our city. We love curating menus that take guests on a genuine flavour journey without ever leaving the room.
Family-Style and Communal Dining Is Back
Individual plated dinners are giving way to generous, shareable spreads placed at the centre of the table. Mediterranean platters, Asian-inspired boards, and abundant family-style feasts are proving hugely popular at weddings and celebrations across the North West. There’s something wonderfully warm about passing dishes around a table — it encourages conversation, accommodates different tastes effortlessly, and creates a relaxed atmosphere that formal dining often can’t match.
Ready to Plan Your 2026 Event?
Whether you’re organising a corporate lunch, a wedding reception, or a private celebration, Manchester Catering Company is ready to bring the very best of these trends to your table. Get in touch with our team today to start building your bespoke menu and make your next event truly unforgettable.
Planning an event — whether it’s a wedding, a corporate function, a birthday celebration or a big product launch — usually starts with a simple question: where do you even begin? Between the venue, the food, the entertainment and the hundred small details in between, it’s easy for even a well-organised host to feel overwhelmed. The good news is that most of that stress disappears once you find one team who can handle it all, rather than juggling five different suppliers who’ve never worked together before.
At Manchester Catering Company, we’ve spent over 35 years catering events across the North West, and along the way we’ve become just as much event planners as caterers. Here’s how we think about pulling a great event together, and how our event planning service can take the pressure off from start to finish.
Start With the Food — It Shapes Everything Else
The menu is usually the first thing guests remember about an event, and it also has a knock-on effect on almost every other decision you’ll make, from timings to table layout. We’d always recommend settling on your catering style early, whether that’s a formal sit-down wedding breakfast, a relaxed buffet, or canapés and drinks reception food for a more informal mingling event.
For corporate events, business lunch menus need to strike a different balance — impressive enough for clients, but practical enough to serve in a boardroom or conference suite without disrupting the day. Whatever the occasion, all of our menus are prepared fresh, and can be adapted for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and Halal guests as standard.
Think About the Whole Experience, Not Just the Meal
Great food matters, but it’s rarely the only thing that makes an event memorable. This is where a proper event planning service earns its keep. We can provide DJs, live musicians and tribute acts to keep the atmosphere going once the meal is finished, along with full PA systems and modern lighting so the entertainment looks and sounds as good as it should.
A fully licensed cocktail bar is another detail that instantly lifts an event — we can provide bars anywhere from four feet up to twenty-five feet long, which works just as well for an intimate marquee party as it does for a large-scale wedding. Add a glass of champagne on arrival, paired with a few canapés, and guests feel looked after from the moment they walk in.
Marquees and Larger-Scale Events
Some of the best events we’ve catered have been marquee functions, particularly weddings held on private land, at country venues or in gardens without an indoor space large enough for the guest list. We’ve catered marquee events for up to 500 people, and the key to making them run smoothly is experience — knowing how to manage logistics, staffing and service outdoors just as professionally as we would in any hotel ballroom or function suite.
If you’re planning something on this scale, it’s worth involving your caterer early. The food, the bar, the entertainment and the practical logistics of a marquee event all need to work together, and that’s much easier to achieve when one team is managing the whole picture.
One Team, Fewer Headaches
The real advantage of combining catering and event planning under one roof is simple: fewer moving parts. Instead of coordinating separately with a caterer, an entertainment agency and a bar hire company — and hoping they all turn up on time and talk to each other — you have a single point of contact who already knows your event inside out.
We work across weddings, birthday parties, corporate functions and celebrity or high-profile events, and we bring the same level of care to every one of them, regardless of size. Whether you need catering for a business lunch, a full wedding day, or a 500-guest marquee celebration, our team can put the whole event together around you.
Get Started
If you’re planning an event anywhere in Manchester, Salford, Trafford, Bury, Bolton or Cheshire, our event planning service is a good place to start the conversation. Call us on 0161 723 1990, email enquiry@manchestercateringcompany.com, or visit our contact page to tell us about your event — we’d love to help bring it to life.
Our mouth-watering menus are freshly prepared on the
premises and we offer a bespoke service to cater for any
individual requirements; making sure all your favourites
are on the menu, no matter the scale of the event, the
number of guests or the dining preferences.
National & Regional Caterer Of The Year
