Office end-of-year celebrations 2026: formats, budgets and quantities

Office end-of-year celebrations are planned with three figures: the format, the budget per person excl. VAT and the quantity to order. This guide brings them together for 2026, based on the prices of L'Écrin Traiteur, a corporate caterer in Boulogne-Billancourt (92), which delivers in Paris and Île-de-France from Monday to Friday, from 6:30 am. L'Écrin Traiteur prices, October 2026, excluding VAT.

Which format should you choose for an office end-of-year celebration?

The format depends on the time the team has: an hour in the morning for a Christmas breakfast, a break in the afternoon for an afternoon treat, or the evening for a cocktail reception. The table compares the formats we deliver in Paris and Île-de-France, with the budget per person excl. VAT and the quantity to plan.

Format	Who, when	Budget per person excl. VAT	Quantity per person
Christmas breakfast	The whole team, between 9 am and 10 am, no evening to block out	Classic from €8; full €12 to €16	2 pastries (3 for up to 10 people), 1 hot drink
Christmas afternoon break	Teams or works council (CSE), in the afternoon, between 12 and 20 December	Afternoon break from €6; Christmas afternoon break from €8 to €28 depending on the package	2/3 sweet, 1/3 savoury
Drinks, cocktail reception	Teams of 15 to 40 people, 1.5 to 2 hours	€29.90 (L'Invitation, 8 canapés)	6 to 8 canapés
Lunch reception	Replaces lunch, 1.5 to 2 hours	€40.90 (La Réception, 12 canapés)	12 to 14 canapés
Dinner reception	Replaces dinner, 2.5 to 3 hours	€51.90 (La Célébration, 16 canapés)	16 to 18 canapés
Festive lunch trays	Limited space or a team spread over several floors	€28.90 to €30.90 depending on the menu	1 tray
Gift boxes	Clients, partners or teams to thank	Box of 10 madeleines €24.90; of 20, €49.00	1 box per recipient

Each format has its own detailed guide: office end-of-year party in Paris for drinks and the cocktail reception, Christmas afternoon break at the office, Christmas breakfast at the office and Christmas menu delivered to the office.

What budget per person should you plan for an end-of-year celebration?

The budget ranges from €6 per person excl. VAT for an afternoon break to €51.90 per person excl. VAT for a 16-canapé dinner reception, plus €29 excl. VAT delivery per order in Paris and nearby towns. The minimum order is €50 excl. VAT. Here is the total for 20 and 50 people, delivery included.

Format	Price per person excl. VAT	20 people	50 people
Afternoon break	from €6	€149 excl. VAT	€329 excl. VAT
Classic breakfast	from €8	€189 excl. VAT	€429 excl. VAT
Essentiel lunch trays	€28.90	€607 excl. VAT	€1,474 excl. VAT
L'Invitation cocktail reception (8 canapés)	€29.90	€627 excl. VAT	€1,524 excl. VAT
La Réception cocktail reception (12 canapés)	€40.90	€847 excl. VAT	€2,074 excl. VAT
La Célébration cocktail reception (16 canapés)	€51.90	€1,067 excl. VAT	€2,624 excl. VAT

Cocktail receptions are priced excluding drinks. The full price grid is in corporate cocktail reception budget in Paris and the often forgotten items in office Christmas meal budget. To allocate a remaining budget before year-end closing, see end-of-year budget: how to use it.

How many canapés per person for an end-of-year cocktail reception?

Allow 6 to 8 canapés per person for a drinks reception, 12 to 14 for a lunch reception and 16 to 18 for a dinner reception that replaces dinner, then add a 10% margin. For 50 people, that comes to 400, 600 or 800 canapés depending on the package: L'Invitation (8 canapés), La Réception (12) or La Célébration (16).

Split the canapés into two thirds savoury and one third sweet. The full calculation is in how many canapés per person, and preparing a reception in organising a corporate cocktail reception.

How many pastries should you plan for a Christmas breakfast?

Plan 2 pastries per person, and 3 per person for up to 10 people, with a 10% margin. A platter of 30 mini pastries covers 10 to 15 people. For 20 people, that means 40 pastries, plus one hot drink per person: a 1-litre thermos serves 6 to 8 cups and costs €19.50 excl. VAT.

The Classic breakfast starts at €8 per person excl. VAT (pastries, juice, coffee, fruit) and the full breakfast ranges from €12 to €16 excl. VAT. Hot chocolate, seasonal pastries and a festive sweet item give it its Christmas character, as explained in Christmas breakfast at the office.

When should you hold the office end-of-year celebration?

The dates that bring the most people together are the week of 8 to 15 December for a breakfast and the period from 12 to 20 December for an afternoon break. An evening event fits between 6 pm and 8:30 pm or between 7 pm and 9:30 pm, on a weekday, since deliveries take place from Monday to Friday.

Avoid the last day before the holidays: part of the team has already left or is wrapping up their files. A dated schedule from D-45 to D-1 is set out in backward schedule for an office end-of-year party.

How late can you order for an end-of-year celebration?

You can order until 2 pm the day before, for delivery from 6:30 am. For 50 people or more, or for several sites, let us know earlier: 48 hours' notice is recommended. L'Écrin Traiteur has no special deadline for the festive season: the ordering rules are the same as the rest of the year, with a quote within 24 hours.

Which alcohol-free drinks should you serve at an office celebration?

L'Écrin Traiteur's entire offer is alcohol-free: Alain Milliat juices and nectars from €9.50 excl. VAT per litre, herbal teas, waters, and a 0% Chardonnay at €16.90 excl. VAT per 75 cl bottle for the toast. Allow 3 to 4 drinks per person for a 2-hour cocktail reception, with at least three different flavours. The details are in alcohol-free cocktail reception at work.

Are dietary requirements taken into account?

Yes. Everything is halal and pork-free by default, and alcohol-free. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are specified when ordering, with the number of guests concerned. The kitchen handles flour: traces of gluten remain possible. L'Écrin Traiteur does not claim a halal certification: the offer is halal-friendly.

Which format should you choose for a Christmas meal at lunchtime?

Choose the Christmas buffet if you have a room and 1.5 hours ahead of you, from 15 people, or the festive lunch tray if space is short or the team is spread over several floors, from €28.90 to €30.90 per person excl. VAT. The 12 to 14 canapé lunch reception, at €40.90 excl. VAT, suits standing receptions.

Which format for the Christmas party for employees' children?

For employees' children, the format is a Christmas tree afternoon treat, most often organised by the works council (CSE): freshly made crêpes, hot chocolate in a one-litre thermos at €19.50 excl. VAT, madeleines, cookies, chouquettes and fresh fruit skewers. The guide company Christmas tree party and works council details the products and the organisation.

Which food gifts should you give at the end of the year?

A box of madeleines costs €24.90 excl. VAT for 10, €49.00 excl. VAT for 20 and €119.00 excl. VAT for 50, i.e. €2.38 excl. VAT per madeleine in the large size. The boxes can be customised in the company's colours and delivered to one site or to several addresses. See corporate food gifts at the end of the year and the gift boxes page.

What does delivery include, and what does it cost?

Delivery costs €29 excl. VAT per order in Paris and nearby towns; other areas of Île-de-France are priced on quotation. It takes place from Monday to Friday, from 6:30 am. The minimum order is €50 excl. VAT. Invoicing is a company invoice showing VAT, and purchase orders are accepted.

Who is L'Écrin Traiteur?

L'Écrin Traiteur is a corporate caterer whose kitchen is located at 63 bis rue de Sèvres, in Boulogne-Billancourt (92), under the company name L'Écrin des Terroirs. It was founded in 2025 by Ramy Abdelaty. Its Google rating is 5.0 from 29 reviews (checked on 12 October 2026). Request your quote: reply within 24 hours, or call 01 74 54 23 10.

Frequently asked questions about office end-of-year celebrations