A PA's Guide to Organising Office Meeting Refreshments

Good meeting refreshments come down to five details: how many people are coming, how long the meeting runs, what time it starts, who is in the room and what dietary needs they have. Settle those and the menu almost writes itself.

This guide covers the meeting formats a PA plans for most often, from a 30-minute internal catch-up to a half-day client workshop. It includes information around office fruit delivery from quantities required per person, a dietary checklist, presentation tips and a preparation timeline. Fruit4London has delivered fresh fruit to London offices since 2008, so the practical detail reflects what tends to get eaten, and what tends to be left on the side table.

How to Plan Refreshments for an Office Meeting

Start every meeting with the same five questions. They take two minutes and prevent most last-minute problems.

1. How many people are attending? Use confirmed acceptances, then add 10% for late additions.
2. How long is the meeting? Under an hour needs drinks only. Over two hours needs food at the break.
3. What time does it start? Morning meetings suit pastries and fruit. Meetings over midday need lunch.
4. Who is attending? Internal teams need practical. Clients and board members need presentation.
5. What are the dietary requirements? Ask in the invitation, not on the day.

Meeting Refreshments by Format

Each meeting format needs a different level of refreshment. The table below gives a quick reference for the most common types.

Meeting format	Typical length	What to serve	Order ahead
Internal catch-up	Under 1 hour	Water, tea and coffee	Same day, or covered by a standing order
Team meeting	1 to 2 hours	Hot drinks, water, whole fruit	1 to 2 working days
Interview	30 to 60 minutes	Water, offer of tea or coffee	Day before
Client presentation or pitch	1 to 2 hours	Hot drinks, still and sparkling water, fruit platter or neat whole fruit, pastries	2 to 3 working days
Workshop or training day	Half or full day	Drinks on arrival and at each break, fruit and snacks, lunch for full days	3 to 5 working days
Board meeting	2 to 4 hours	Hot drinks, water, fruit, light lunch if it runs over midday	1 week
All-hands or town hall	1 hour	Drinks, finger food, fruit platters	1 week

Internal team catch-ups

Internal catch-ups need the least planning. Water and hot drinks cover anything under an hour. For longer team meetings, a bowl of whole fruit in the room is enough, and it costs far less than a biscuit tray that nobody finishes. If your office already has a weekly fruit delivery, take what you need from the kitchen rather than ordering separately.

Client presentations and pitches

Client meetings are where presentation matters most. Serve drinks in proper cups, offer both still and sparkling water, and choose food that can be eaten neatly while someone is talking. Sliced fruit, grapes and berries work well. Avoid anything that needs peeling, drips or leaves people hunting for a bin halfway through a slide.

Workshops, training days and away days

Longer sessions need refreshments in stages. Plan drinks on arrival, a mid-morning break with fruit and something light, lunch, and an afternoon break when energy dips. Fruit at the afternoon break is usually better received than more pastries, and it keeps the refreshment table looking fresh into the later sessions.

Board meetings

Board meetings tend to run long and start early, so plan for a full morning. Set out hot drinks, water and a fruit selection before people arrive, and refresh at the break. If the meeting runs past 12pm, arrange a light lunch for a fixed time and agree it with the chair in advance so it does not interrupt a key agenda item.

How Much to Order Based on Attendee Numbers

Plan refreshments per person, then add a 10% buffer for late additions and second cups. These quantities are a reliable starting point:

Item	Meeting up to 2 hours	Half-day session
Hot drinks	1 to 2 per person	2 to 3 per person
Water	1 bottle or 2 glasses per person	2 bottles per person
Whole fruit	1 piece per person	2 pieces per person
Sliced fruit platter	Around 100g per person	Around 150g to 200g per person
Pastries or biscuits	1 per person	1 to 2 per person

Worked example: a 12-person client workshop from 9.30am to 1pm needs around 30 to 36 hot drinks, 24 bottles of water and either 24 pieces of whole fruit or a platter of roughly 2kg. With a 10% buffer, round each up.

How to Cater for Dietary Requirements at Work Meetings

The simplest way to handle dietary requirements is to ask for them in the meeting invitation, with a reply-by date. One line is enough: "Please let me know any dietary requirements by Tuesday."

Once you have the replies:

• Check allergens. UK food law covers 14 major allergens. Ask your caterer for allergen information and label each item.
• Cover common preferences. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, halal and kosher are the ones most likely to come up.
• Remember drinks. Offer decaf, herbal tea and a plant-based milk alongside dairy.
• Keep items separate with their own serving utensils, so nothing is cross-contaminated on the table.

Fresh fruit is naturally vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free, which makes a fruit platter one of the few options that works for almost everyone in the room. Still label it, as some people have individual fruit allergies.

How to Present Refreshments for Client Meetings

Presentation tells clients how organised your office is before the meeting starts. A few details make the difference:

• Use a side table, not the meeting table, so food does not compete with laptops and papers.
• Choose easy-to-eat fruit: grapes, berries, sliced melon and easy peelers like clementines. Skip whole oranges and mangoes.
• Bring proper crockery, small plates, napkins and serving tongs.
• Set out 10 to 15 minutes before arrival and cover anything sliced until then.
• Refresh at the break. A half-empty platter looks worse than a small, full one.

Whole fruit in a bowl or basket suits internal meetings and long sessions where people help themselves. Sliced platters suit client-facing meetings, where people want something they can take in one hand.

Preparation Timeline for Meeting Refreshments

Most refreshment problems come from leaving the order until the day before. Work back from the meeting date:

When	What to do
One week before	Confirm numbers, send the dietary request, book the room
Three working days before	Place orders for catering and fruit, confirm delivery day and time
Day before	Chase any missing dietary replies, check the delivery is confirmed, prepare labels
Morning of the meeting	Check the delivery has arrived, chill water and fruit, set up the side table
After the meeting	Clear away, note what was left over, adjust quantities for next time

Keep a simple record of what each recurring meeting used. After two or three meetings, you will know exactly what to order.

Convenient Options for Meeting Refreshments in London

PAs typically have three options: prepare refreshments in-house, use a caterer, or order fruit and essentials for delivery. Most offices use a mix, depending on the meeting.

For fruit, order from Fruit4London before 2pm for delivery the next business day anywhere inside the M25, with fruit sourced each morning from New Spitalfields Market. You can place a one-off order for a single meeting, or set up a weekly Office Fruit Box that covers both the office fruit bowl and recurring meetings. Build Your Own Box lets you choose exactly what arrives, such as clementines and satsumas for a client meeting or a larger mix for an away day. Items from the tea and coffee range, plus milk and other office essentials, can go on the same delivery. Delivery charges and areas are on the FAQ page.

If you also look after the regular office fruit order, our guide to how much fruit to order for your office covers quantities by team size.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much fruit do I need for a meeting of 10 people?

For a meeting of up to two hours, allow one piece of whole fruit per person, so 10 to 11 pieces with a small buffer. For a half-day session, allow two pieces per person, or around 1.5kg to 2kg of sliced fruit. Fruit4London can deliver a one-off order the day before your meeting.

How far in advance should I order refreshments for an office meeting?

Order two to three working days ahead for client meetings and one week ahead for board meetings, workshops and all-hands events. Internal team meetings can usually be covered on the day. Order Fruit4London fruit before 2pm and it arrives the next business day inside the M25, so fruit can be ordered closer to the date if needed.

What refreshments work best for a client meeting?

The best client meeting refreshments are easy to eat neatly: hot drinks, still and sparkling water, grapes, berries, sliced melon and easy peelers. Serve them on a side table with proper crockery and napkins. Avoid anything that needs peeling or drips, as it distracts from the meeting.

How do I cater for dietary requirements at a work meeting?

Ask for dietary requirements in the meeting invitation, with a reply-by date, then label every item with its allergens. Cover vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free as a minimum, and offer decaf and plant-based milk. Fresh fruit from Fruit4London is naturally vegan and gluten-free, so it suits most attendees.

Can Fruit4London deliver fruit for a one-off meeting?

Yes. Fruit4London takes one-off orders as well as weekly and fortnightly deliveries, with no contract. Order before 2pm for delivery the next business day anywhere inside the M25. For regular meetings or invoice billing, contact Fruit4London to set up an account.