New Year greetings ceremony at work: format, budget and quantities (January)

A New Year greetings ceremony is budgeted at €269 to €1,256 excl. VAT for 30 people, €509 to €2,483 excl. VAT for 60 and €829 to €4,119 excl. VAT for 100, delivery included, depending on whether you choose a Classique breakfast or a 12-canapé cocktail reception. Here are the formats, the quantities and a 1 hour 30 running order for January. The galette has its own guide: galette des rois at the office.

Which format should you choose for a New Year greetings ceremony?

Choose breakfast for greetings in the morning without blocking out the day, a cocktail reception for greetings at the end of the day or at midday, and the galette as an extra or as a short format. The table compares the formats with their price per person excl. VAT.

Format	Time	Price per person excl. VAT	Choose it when
Classique breakfast	Between 9 am and 10 am	from €8	The team is back at work, with no evening to block out
Full breakfast	Between 9 am and 10 am	€12 to €16	Senior management or guests are present
Galette and drinks	Late morning or afternoon break	Galettes on quote	A short moment, or as an extra
L'Invitation cocktail reception, 8 canapés	End of the day	€29.90	The greetings carry on into conversation
La Réception cocktail reception, 12 canapés	Midday or early evening	€40.90	The greetings replace lunch

What budget should you plan for 30, 60 or 100 people?

For 60 people, allow €509 excl. VAT for a Classique breakfast and €1,823 excl. VAT for an 8-canapé cocktail reception, including the €29 excl. VAT delivery. The calculation is always price per person × headcount + €29 excl. VAT: 60 × €29.90 = €1,794, plus €29.

Format	30 people	60 people	100 people
Classique breakfast (€8)	€269	€509	€829
Full breakfast (€12 to €16)	€389 to €509	€749 to €989	€1,229 to €1,629
8-canapé cocktail reception (€29.90)	€926	€1,823	€3,019
12-canapé cocktail reception (€40.90)	€1,256	€2,483	€4,119
Cocktail reception drinks	€198.50	€397.00	€667.30

Amounts are in euros excl. VAT. The Classique breakfast includes pastries, juice, coffee and fruit. Cocktail reception drinks are counted at one flute of 0% Chardonnay at €16.90 and two glasses of juice at €9.50 a litre per person: for 60 people, 10 bottles and 24 litres. The 8-canapé cocktail reception with drinks then comes to €2,220 excl. VAT, so €37.00 excl. VAT per person. See the budget for a corporate cocktail reception in Paris and, for 50 people, the menu and budget line by line.

What quantities should you order for 30, 60 and 100 people?

For 60 people, allow 480 canapés with the 8-canapé package, 132 pastries or 10 to 12 six-slice galettes. The table applies the rules: 6 to 8 canapés per person for drinks, 12 to 14 for a lunch reception, 2 pastries per person, one galette for 5 to 6 people, and a 10% margin.

Headcount	Canapés, 8 per person	Canapés, 12 per person	Pastries (2 per person + 10%)	Platters of 30 mini pastries	6-slice galettes
30	240	360	66	2 to 3	5 to 6
60	480	720	132	4 to 6	10 to 12
100	800	1,200	220	7 to 10	17 to 20

A platter of 30 mini pastries serves 10 to 15 people. The price of the galettes is set on quote. The number of canapés per package is detailed in the guide how many canapés per person.

How do you budget New Year greetings for another headcount?

For any other headcount, apply price per person × headcount + €29 excl. VAT delivery: for 45 people, 45 × €29.90 + €29 = €1,374.50 excl. VAT for an 8-canapé cocktail reception, and 45 × €8 + €29 = €389 excl. VAT for a Classique breakfast. The price per person does not change with the headcount; only the delivery is fixed.

What running order for a 1 hour 30 New Year greetings ceremony?

A 1 hour 30 New Year greetings ceremony runs in five stages: 15 minutes of welcome, a 5 to 10-minute speech, a toast, the buffet and conversation, then something sweet or the galette in the last quarter of an hour. A cocktail reception is designed for 1.5 to 2 hours.

1. 0 to 15 minutes: welcome, drinks served, buffet still covered.
2. 15 to 30 minutes: New Year speech of 5 to 10 minutes, by senior management.
3. 30 minutes: toast with the 0% Chardonnay or a glass of juice.
4. 30 to 75 minutes: savoury buffet, conversation.
5. 75 to 90 minutes: galette or desserts, coffee, back to work.

Which message should you send to invite teams to the New Year greetings?

An invitation fits in three sentences: the format, the time slot and the reply deadline. Template to copy: “Hello everyone, senior management invites you to the New Year greetings ceremony on [day] at [time], in [venue], over [breakfast or a cocktail reception]. Please confirm your attendance before [date] and let us know of any dietary requirement (vegetarian, gluten-free, allergy). Kind regards, [First name]”

How do you choose between breakfast, cocktail reception and galette?

Choose by time and duration: breakfast before 10 am, the 8-canapé cocktail reception if the team stays after 5 pm, the 12-canapé one if the greetings replace lunch. If the budget is tight, the Classique breakfast at €8 excl. VAT per person cuts the cost of the 8-canapé cocktail reception by more than three: €269 against €926 for 30 people. Alcohol-free drinks are detailed in the guide to the alcohol-free corporate cocktail reception.

When should you organise and order the January New Year greetings?

Hold the greetings in January, on a date to check against your internal calendar: Epiphany and the teams' return to work need confirming. Orders can be placed until 2 pm the day before, for delivery from 6:30 am Monday to Friday, with 48 hours' notice recommended from 50 people or for several sites. Ask for the quote in December to set the budget.

Which common mistakes should you avoid for the New Year greetings?

• Setting the budget before the headcount: each extra person costs €29.90 excl. VAT with an 8-canapé cocktail reception.
• Ordering for the full list rather than for confirmed attendees plus 10%.
• Forgetting dietary requirements: vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free are specified when ordering.
• Leaving the buffet uncovered during the speech: uncover the platters after the greetings.
• Not appointing anyone for set-up: delivery includes neither laying out nor collection.

Frequently asked questions about the New Year greetings ceremony at work

How do you request a quote for your New Year greetings?

Give the format, the headcount, the date and the address: the quote is sent within 24 hours, with company invoicing, VAT and purchase orders accepted. Request your quote. L'Écrin Traiteur prices, October 2026.