Most offices need around 0.8 pieces of fruit per person for each day that person is in the office. Multiply the number of people in on a typical day by the days they attend, then by 0.8, and you have a sensible weekly order. A full-time team of 10 needs roughly 40 pieces a week. A hybrid team of 10, in three days a week, needs closer to 25.
That figure is a starting point, not a rule. Attendance, work styles, delivery frequency and what your team actually likes to eat all move it up or down. This guide from Fruit4London, which has delivered fruit to London offices since 2008, walks through each factor, with worked examples for small, medium and large teams that will help you decide how much fruit you should order for your office.
How to Calculate How Much Fruit Your Office Needs
The simplest way to size an office fruit order is to count office days, not headcount. Use this formula:
Weekly pieces = people in the office per day × days in the office per week × 0.8
The 0.8 allows for the fact that not everyone takes fruit every day. Some people bring their own, some are out at meetings and some simply skip it. If your team already eats a lot of fruit, use 1.0. If fruit is a new perk, start at 0.6 and build up.
Ordering against total headcount is the most common reason offices over-order. A team of 30 with 18 people in on an average day needs a fruit order for 18.
Office Fruit Quantities by Team Size
The table below shows suggested weekly orders for common team sizes and attendance patterns, using the 0.8 rule of thumb.
|
Team size |
Attendance |
People-days per week |
Suggested weekly order |
|---|---|---|---|
|
10 people |
Full-time, 5 days |
50 |
40 pieces |
|
10 people |
Hybrid, 3 days |
30 |
25 pieces |
|
25 people |
Full-time, 5 days |
125 |
100 pieces |
|
25 people |
Hybrid, 3 days |
75 |
60 pieces |
|
60 people |
Full-time, 5 days |
300 |
240 pieces |
|
60 people |
Hybrid, 3 days |
180 |
145 pieces |
Small teams (up to 15 people)
Small teams usually need one weekly delivery of 25 to 50 pieces. The risk with a small office is that two or three absences make a big difference, so order for a typical week rather than a full one. A mixed box of apples, bananas and easy peelers, with one seasonal extra, covers most tastes without leaving a surplus by Friday.
Medium teams (16 to 50 people)
Medium teams typically order 60 to 150 pieces a week. Once an order passes around 80 pieces, two deliveries usually work better than one, because soft fruit stays fresh and the bowl looks full all week. If you have more than one kitchen or floor, split the order so each area gets its own share.
Large teams (more than 50 people)
Large offices often need 150 pieces or more each week, delivered two or three times. Nominate one person per kitchen to check what is left at the end of each week. Their count is the most reliable data you have for adjusting the order, and it takes two minutes.
How Hybrid Working Changes Your Office Fruit Order
For hybrid teams, base the order on who is in, not on who is employed. In many London offices, Tuesday to Thursday are the busiest days, while Mondays and Fridays are quieter.
Time your delivery for the first busy day, so the freshest fruit arrives when most people are there to eat it. If you use a desk booking system or entry pass data, take the average daily attendance from the last month and use that figure in the formula. Review it every few months, as attendance shifts around school holidays, August and December.
How Work Styles Affect How Much Fruit Gets Eaten
The type of work your team does changes how much fruit disappears. Adjust the 0.8 multiplier up or down based on these patterns:
- Early starts, long days or shift work: people eat more through the day. Use 1.0 or higher.
- Meeting-heavy teams: fruit tends to drift into meeting rooms. Allow a little extra, or order separately for big meetings.
- Active roles: studio, warehouse or on-site teams often eat more than desk-based teams.
- Offices with a canteen or busy lunch spots nearby: fruit is competing with other options. Start lower.
How Often Should Office Fruit Be Delivered?
Most offices ordering fewer than 80 pieces a week are well served by one delivery. Larger orders, or orders with berries and grapes, are better split across two deliveries. The deciding factor is how long each fruit keeps.
|
Fruit |
Roughly how long it keeps |
Best time to eat it |
|---|---|---|
|
Apples |
1 to 2 weeks, longer somewhere cool |
Any day |
|
Easy peelers (satsumas, clementines) |
1 to 2 weeks |
Any day |
|
Kiwi |
Up to a week |
Later in the week |
|
Pears |
3 to 5 days once ripe |
Early to mid week |
|
Bananas |
3 to 5 days |
First two days |
|
Grapes and berries |
2 to 4 days, refrigerated |
First two days, kept in the fridge |
If you take one delivery a week, lean towards apples, citrus and kiwi for the back end of the week, and let bananas and berries go first.
Matching the Fruit Mix to Your Team's Preferences
Ordering the fruit people actually eat is the quickest way to cut waste. In most offices, bananas, apples and satsumas make up the bulk of the order because they need no cutting and no washing up. One or two seasonal extras, such as kiwis or whatever is in the seasonal range that week, keep the bowl interesting.
To find out what your team prefers, run a short poll when you start, then check what is left at the end of the first two weeks. Whatever is still in the bowl on Friday is the fruit to cut back.
How to Avoid Over-Ordering and Food Waste
The most reliable way to avoid waste is to start slightly low and add to the order once you know what gets eaten. These habits help:
- Start at the lower end of the suggested range, then increase after two weeks if the bowl empties early.
- Count leftovers on Friday for the first month. It is the fastest way to calibrate the order.
- Put soft fruit at the front of the bowl so it gets eaten first.
- Plan for quiet weeks. Reduce or pause the order for bank holidays, school holidays and the Christmas period.
- Have a leftovers plan. Encourage people to take remaining fruit home on Fridays.
- Choose a supplier with no contract, so changing quantities costs you nothing.
Waste matters beyond the fruit itself. Fruit4London delivers by electric van and cargo bike, and reuses boxes and baskets before recycling them. You can read more about how Fruit4London sources and delivers.
How Fruit4London Helps You Get the Quantity Right
Fruit4London hand-packs office fruit sourced each morning from New Spitalfields Market and delivers next day across London, six days a week. You can order weekly, fortnightly or as a one-off, and change or cancel at any time with no contract.
If you already know your team's favourites, Build Your Own Box lets you choose every item and quantity yourself. If you would rather start with a ready-made mix, Fruit4London's office fruit boxes come in sizes to suit different team sizes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many pieces of fruit per person per week does an office need?
Fruit4London suggests around 0.8 pieces of fruit per person for each day they are in the office. For someone in five days a week, that is about four pieces. For someone in three days, about two or three. Teams who already eat a lot of fruit may need closer to one piece per person per day.
How much fruit does a 20-person office need?
A 20-person office with everyone in five days a week needs around 80 pieces of fruit a week. If the team is hybrid and in three days a week, around 50 pieces is a better starting point. Fruit4London recommends reviewing the order after two weeks and adjusting based on what is left.
How often should office fruit be delivered?
Once a week suits most offices ordering fewer than 80 pieces. Larger orders, or orders with soft fruit like berries and grapes, are better delivered twice a week so the fruit stays fresh. Fruit4London delivers next day across London, six days a week, so you can pick the days that match your busiest office days.
What fruit lasts longest in an office fruit bowl?
Apples and easy peelers such as satsumas and clementines last longest, typically one to two weeks. Kiwis keep for up to a week. Bananas, pears, grapes and berries are best eaten within a few days, so Fruit4London suggests putting them at the front of the bowl early in the week.
Can I change my office fruit order if attendance changes?
Yes. Fruit4London deliveries are available weekly, fortnightly or as a one-off, with no contract, so you can increase, reduce or pause your order as attendance changes. Many offices reduce their order over school holidays and the Christmas period, then scale back up in January.