A prestige corporate breakfast: how to get it right and what budget?
Porcelain, table linen, flowers, a maître d'hôtel: what turns an office breakfast into a reception, and the real budget for 30 people in Paris.
A prestige breakfast for a board meeting, a client reception or a morning in a reception room does not call for different products from a good office breakfast. What changes is the staging: porcelain instead of disposables, a white tablecloth, flowers, a maître d'hôtel. The photo in this article shows a breakfast served by L'Écrin Traiteur in the salon of a Parisian hôtel particulier (private mansion).
What makes a prestige breakfast
| Element | Classic breakfast | Prestige breakfast |
|---|---|---|
| Tableware | Cups and napkins provided | Porcelain cups and saucers, glasses |
| Table | Meeting table | White tablecloth, wooden boards |
| Decoration | None | Low flower arrangements on the buffet |
| Service | Delivery, everyone helps themselves | A maître d'hôtel who welcomes guests, serves coffee and restocks |
| Products | The same: butter pastries, madeleines, fruit skewers, Alain Milliat juices in glass bottles, coffee and tea in thermos flasks | |
What budget for 30 people?
| Item | Amount excl. VAT |
|---|---|
| Full breakfast (60 mini pastries, madeleines and cake, 30 skewers, coffee, tea, juice), delivery included | €442.60 |
| Maître d'hôtel, 6-hour service | €250 |
| Porcelain and table linen | on quote; tableware hire is observed at €2.50 to €4 per guest in the mid-range |
| Flowers | on quote; a low centrepiece generally costs €25 to €90 |
For 30 people, the L'Écrin base (breakfast and maître d'hôtel) comes to €692.60 excl. VAT. With porcelain, a tablecloth and three flower arrangements, count a few hundred euros more depending on your choices.
How many maîtres d'hôtel?
For a breakfast served on real tableware, caterers count about 1 member of service staff for 50 guests. One maître d'hôtel is therefore enough for up to around fifty people. The detail by format is in our guide how many maîtres d'hôtel for an event.
The details that show
- Drinks in glass bottles: Alain Milliat juices set on the table are part of the decoration.
- Wooden boards rather than boxes: pastries are laid out flat, row by row.
- Low flowers: under 30 cm, so as not to hide the buffet or people's faces.
- Enough cups: one per person, plus a 10% margin.
- Set up before arrival: the buffet should be ready at least 15 minutes before the first guests.
With L'Écrin Traiteur
We deliver from 6:30 am in Paris and Île-de-France. Our maîtres d'hôtel are selected and trained by our house; porcelain and table linen come from Options, flowers from a partner florist, on the same quote. See our breakfasts, our prices, or request a quote.
Sources
- L'Écrin Traiteur prices: 2026 prices, as of 17 October 2026.
- Staffing for a breakfast on real tableware: Firmin Traiteur (1 June 2022).
- Tableware hire: Au bonheur des convives (2 April 2026). Centrepieces: Marie Paolini, florist, accessed 17 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a prestige breakfast for 30 people cost?
At L'Écrin Traiteur, €692.60 excl. VAT for the full breakfast delivered and a maître d'hôtel for 6 hours, plus porcelain, table linen and flowers, on quote.
Do you need a maître d'hôtel for a breakfast?
For a breakfast served on porcelain, yes: a maître d'hôtel welcomes guests, serves coffee and restocks. One is enough for up to around fifty people.
An event in Paris or Île-de-France?
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