Jasper's new buffet finger foods

Jasper's is thrilled to launch our new range of finger foods, available in Classic Buffet Catering menus from the start of July 2017. We have spent  months developing the new range with our in-house team, suppliers and customer feedback groups. The aim has been to continue to deliver what our customers love while providing new innovations of flavour, variety, colour and nutritional diversity in our buffet catering menus. 

Each platter of finger food comes with a vegetarian alternative, and our new marinated chicken skewers and vegetarian skewers are now gluten free - we worked with our suppliers to change the recipe of the marinade so this is the case!

We have also adapted the recipe of classic and vegetarian sausage rolls - we are sure you'll agree that they taste better than ever. The same goes for our pakoras, samosas and bhajis which are handmade to authentic recipes. Our savoury pies and quiches are also handmade.

Our tasty taco cups are cheeky new additions that will certainly brighten up your buffet catering - they come in three flavours: Mexican chicken, BBQ chicken and vegetarian three bean salad.

Mini pizzas are another new item on the menu, along with spicy teriyaki-marinated sausage skewers with sesame and chilli flakes, and Southern-fried Quorn skewers (V).

Wraps come in a number of new varieties including Moroccan falafel (V) and chicken tikka.

We are confident that our customers will love the new finger food range from Jasper's and that we continue to offer more choice than any other caterer.

Catering for your greatest asset

Food is not only essential for life, but is also one of life’s greatest pleasures. Almost every event of significance involves catering: weddings, christenings, birthdays, Christmas and New Year’s Eve just for starters. The food can often be the most memorable parts of these occasions and the memories created by these events stick with us forever, and bind all those involved for pretty much the rest of our lives.

Given that we spend over half our waking life at work - and that without humans businesses cannot exist - why is it that we don’t at least once a week cater for our whole work force?

Why don’t we regularly bring everyone together on an otherwise dull Monday lunchtime? or celebrate the end of the week with a team lunch on Friday? Or have a breakfast club to develop camaraderie and to share understanding?

It seems such a shame that up and down the country people go off in ones and twos for lunch but don’t use the time to “break bread” with one another: something that is certain to deepen connections and build loyalty within an organisation.

It doesn’t have to be gimmicky, it doesn’t even have to be for any particular reason, but we can guarantee that if you announce that once a week, you will be catering for all your employees or colleagues, you would see an immediate uplift in energy and enthusiasm.

We know you value your staff, so try catering for them and watch what happens: see how much more fun the workplace becomes, how deeper team relationships are created and how staff loyalty increases when you celebrate your staff through food within your business.

Fresh fruit and office sundries direct to you

Recent research by the Imperial College London has advised people to increase their intake of fruit and vegetables to 10 day! The World Health Organisation (WHO) still recommends 5 a day, but at the moment only one in three people in the UK is achieving this.

As we spend such a large amount of our lives at work, it makes sense to have ready access to fruit for snacking on throughout the day. Reaching for a piece of fruit - an apple, banana or pot of berries - means a healthy dose of nutrients including vitamins, fibre and antioxidants. It is an excellent replacement for the 'empty' calories of a packet of crisps or round of biscuits which offer no health benefits but that office workers are often slaves to.

Although fruit contains sugar, it is not 'free sugar' - additional sugar which has been added to food or liberated through the juicing process - so (confirms the WHO) has no adverse affects. Eating a high proportion of fruit and vegetables is likely to increase life expectancy. Researcher Dr Dagfinn Aune said:

"Fruit and vegetables have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and to boost the health of our blood vessels and immune system.

This may be due to the complex network of nutrients they hold.

For instance, they contain many antioxidants, which may reduce DNA damage and lead to a reduction in cancer risk."

As your office caterer, Jasper's is always keen to find ways to make our customers' lives easier. We have complimented our buffet catering service with a number of other services, all designed to help workplaces stay well nourished in body and mind. Our fresh fruit box delivery is the easy way to help staff get their 5 (or 10!) a day and demonstrates how much employers value their staff's health and well being. You can choose your selection of fresh fruit and get it delivered direct to you as often as you want. In addition, you can have all your office sundries such milk, tea, coffee and mineral water delivered direct to your workplace, saving inconvenient trips to the supermarket.

Find out more and enquire about Jasper's fruit and sundries delivery here

Try our taste of Rio

We've been inspired by the summer of sport ahead and have created a sizzler of a menu full of Brazilian flavours. Kick things off with traditional Bauru which are sub rolls filled with roast beef, mozzarella, tomato and pickled cucumber. Step things up a gear with saucy, tangy Rio Wraps stuffed with salsa, feta, avocado, refried beans and fresh coriander. Keep the heat then cool down with tasty Hot and Cool Chicken Skewers, then get stuck into Brazilian New Potato Salad - a twist on this favourite side dish which has fresh carrot, celery, spring onion and a twist of lime. Finish off with Cinnamon and Sugar-Dusted Mini Doughnuts with indulgent Chocolate Dipping Sauce.

We may not win a medal for our summer menu but we hope that once you've tasted these 5 Brazilian Bowls you'll give us the seal of approval. Available to order throughout August. Contact your local Jasper's for prices.

Let's take this outside

Yes we're in Britain and we get rainy summer days, but we get plenty of sunshine too. Buffet catering doesn't always have to be enjoyed sat around a meeting room table. Why not take it outside? Let your guests, colleagues and customers tuck into their refreshments whilst taking in the fresh air. The ideal way to break up a focus group, board meeting, business pitch or training session.

Jasper's Picnic Catering range provides picnic food favourites in windowed boxes which are easily transported. Scotch eggs, sandwiches, mini quiches, chicken tikka skewers, cream cakes, scones, strawberries and cream...all your classic picnic food favourites are there. Many of our customers order Picnic for staff away days as the food and drink can be supplied in insulated bags so it stays cool while out and about.

We have a range of Picnic menus available, from Deluxe to a Mini Picnic, see the full range here:  http://www.jaspersonline.co.uk/picnic-catering and contact your local Jasper's for prices.

Seasonal goodies

Spring is all about new beginnings; it’s that glorious time of the year when you see bulbs coming into bloom and the land shaking off the damp dreary winter (particularly this winter!). So which types of foods are flourishing, and which key ingredients could you incorporate into your recipes to celebrate this hopeful season?

Fruit

Juicy citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits are ripe and ready to eat this time of the year. If you’re planning a buffet, why not freshen things up with fruit salad or fruity skewers instead of (or as well as!) cakes. Jasper’s Catering Services offers a diverse range of fruit dishes, as well as boxed fruit delivery to your workplace, making it easy to get your five a day,  every day: http://www.jaspersonline.co.uk/office-fruit-boxes

Vegetables

There are a variety of vegetables that are in season during March, April and May, including cabbage, leeks, potatoes, spring onions, purple sprouting brocolli and watercress. Jasper’s Bamboo range offers a range of lighter and different buffets options including salads and filled flatbreads and wraps which make a change from the favoured buffet sandwich! Served in beautiful contemporary bamboo bowls, our Bamboo buffet range is perfect to share and always has the wow factor: http://www.jaspersonline.co.uk/bamboo-buffets

Meats

Make like a Spring chicken! It’s delicious complimented at home with lemon and fresh herbs such as parsley, chives and mint. Always a favourite with our customers, Jasper’s serves chicken many ways: spicy wings, drumsticks, marinated skewers, in our sandwiches, wraps and rolls and our warming chicken curry.

Special seasonal events

Spring offers a whole host of landmark events, so organise a get-together with friends and colleagues and enjoy lots of fab food at work! Any excuse! There is St. Patrick’s Day (17 March), Easter (25-28 March), the Queen’s Anniversary (21 April), St. George’s Day (23 April) and May Day (2 May).

The BBC’s Good Food website has an excellent calendar showing seasonal foods. Go to: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/seasonal-calendar/all