Canapé ideas for a corporate event: 16 savoury and sweet canapés
16 savoury and sweet canapé ideas for a corporate event, how to put them together in a menu of 8, 12 or 16 canapés, and 5 live food stations to make the evening memorable.
A good corporate cocktail reception mixes three families of canapés: meat-free bites that everyone eats, one or two more filling meat or seafood canapés, and something sweet to finish. Here are 16 canapé ideas, the ones we serve at L'Écrin Traiteur, and how to put them together in a menu of 8, 12 or 16 canapés.
16 canapé ideas, savoury and sweet
| Canapé | Type | L'Invitation | La Réception | La Célébration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puffed cheese gougères | Savoury | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Craquelin choux with tapenade, tomato and mozzarella | Savoury | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pissaladière tartlet with confit onions | Savoury | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Beetroot and goat's cheese millefeuille | Savoury | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Marinated tandoori chicken skewer | Savoury, meat | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini cheeseburger | Savoury, meat | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sweet potato, feta and kalamata olive bite | Savoury | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Marinated salmon and yellow beetroot | Savoury, seafood | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Organic prawn, mango and black radish | Savoury, seafood | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Carrot and chervil moelleux | Savoury | — | — | ✓ |
| Melon, feta, fresh mint and kalamata olive | Savoury | — | — | ✓ |
| Rosemary focaccia with aubergine caviar | Savoury | — | — | ✓ |
| All-chocolate tartlet | Sweet | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Seasonal fresh fruit skewer | Sweet | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Praline dome | Sweet | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Blueberry tartlet | Sweet | — | — | ✓ |
All these canapés are halal and pork-free, with no alcohol in the recipes. Packages start at €29.90 per person excl. VAT: the details are on the corporate cocktail receptions page.
How to put together a balanced menu?
- Two thirds to three quarters savoury, the rest sweet.
- A majority of canapés without meat or fish: gougères, beetroot and goat's cheese, sweet potato and feta. They suit the greatest number.
- One or two filling canapés: tandoori chicken skewer, mini cheeseburger. These are the ones that feed people.
- One seafood canapé as soon as the reception replaces a meal: marinated salmon, prawn with mango.
- One fresh sweet and one indulgent sweet: fruit skewer and chocolate tartlet.
How many canapés to choose?
8 canapés per person for drinks or an afterwork, 12 for a lunch reception, 16 for a dinner reception that replaces dinner. Our guide how many canapés per person explains the calculation, and the one on the cocktail reception for 50 people gives the quantities and the budget.
5 live food station ideas to make the evening memorable
| Station | What your guests see | For which occasion |
|---|---|---|
| Mini burger station | Mini burgers assembled to order | Afterwork, team evening |
| Fresh salmon carving | A salmon sliced in front of the guests | Partner evening, inauguration |
| Sushi and maki station | Pieces rolled on request | Dinner reception |
| Mocktail bar | Alcohol-free cocktails made by a bartender | Any reception |
| Chocolate fountain | Fruit and sweets for dipping | End of the evening, end-of-year celebrations |
A station replaces part of the canapés and gives guests a reason to move around. They are all presented on the live food stations page.
What about dietary needs?
When ordering, tell us the number of vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free guests: we identify the suitable canapés and prepare the extra separately, labelled. For an event where halal matters, our guide to the halal corporate cocktail reception lists the points to check.
Order your corporate cocktail reception
Order until 2 pm the day before, platters delivered arranged and ready to set down, in Paris and Île-de-France. Ask for a quote, reply within 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Which canapés should you serve at a corporate cocktail reception?
A mix of meat-free bites (gougères, beetroot and goat's cheese millefeuille, sweet potato and feta), one or two filling canapés (tandoori chicken skewer, mini cheeseburger), one seafood canapé (marinated salmon, prawn with mango) and something sweet (chocolate tartlet, fruit skewer).
How many different canapés should you plan?
8 different canapés for drinks, 12 for a lunch reception, 16 for a dinner reception, of which two thirds to three quarters savoury.
Which live food station should you add to a corporate cocktail reception?
A mini burger station, fresh salmon carving, a sushi and maki station, a mocktail bar or a chocolate fountain. A station replaces part of the canapés and gets guests moving around.
An event in Paris or Île-de-France?
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