The EOFY lunch nobody forgets (and the one they always do)
It is the last week of June. The books are about to close, the year is wrapping up, and someone has sent a calendar invite titled "EOFY Celebration". The whole team shows up, and on the table there are... cold wraps. A grain bowl situation. Maybe a fruit platter with the grapes already looking tired.
Nobody will talk about this lunch tomorrow. Nobody will tell their friends about it. And the person who organised it will spend the afternoon being quietly haunted by the energy in the room.
EOFY is a real moment. Twelve months of work, a hard close, clients looked after, targets chased (or smashed, depending on your year). The food you choose says something. It says: the year was real, the team worked hard, and we are doing this properly.
At EATALO, we have been feeding Sydney CBD offices through EOFY season since we opened. Here is what actually lands.
The main event: lasagna or the Italian parmy?
If you are building an EOFY lunch around one centrepiece dish, you have two options from our kitchen. Both are made fresh that morning. Both feed 6 to 8 people from a single tray. And both will make whoever organised the food look like an absolute hero when the lid comes off.
Option 1: the lasagna (the classic)
Pork and Beef Lasagna Tray - $110. Slow-cooked pork and beef ragu, silky bechamel, tender egg pasta, parmigiano and mozzarella baked golden and bubbling. The recipe our nonnas taught us, made in our Bent Street kitchen the morning it gets delivered to your office. No shortcuts. No exceptions.
This is the tray that makes the room go quiet when the lid comes off. We have had offices email us the same afternoon to say thank you. We have had a Barangaroo office manager send us one line: "the room went quiet." In our business, that is the highest compliment possible.
For EOFY, we also offer the Vegetarian Lasagna Tray ($110) - mushrooms, green peas, four-cheese medley. Halal, vegetarian. The one that makes your vegetarian colleagues feel like the lasagna was made just for them. Because it was.
Option 2: the eggplant parmigiana (the Italian parmy)
Australia loves a parmy. We respect that. But the parmy we grew up with in Italy is not a crumbed chicken breast. It is this.
Eggplant Parmigiana - $110, serves 6 to 8. Layers of tender eggplant, rich Napoletana sauce, provolone cheese, and fresh basil baked until perfectly melty and aromatic. Gluten-free, halal, vegetarian. The real Italian version of the dish Sydney has been eating all year.
For EOFY, this is the move for offices that want to do something a little unexpected. A table with a lasagna and a parmigiana on it is a table that has thought about the food. Your team will notice. Your clients will definitely notice.
La parmigiana giusta. Fatta come si deve.
The right parmigiana. Made properly.
The brioche buns: one of our best sellers, for good reason
We want to say something clearly. There is nothing wrong with a great sandwich. The issue was never sandwiches. The issue was bad sandwiches.
The Soft Brioche Bun Platter ($120, 16 pieces, serves 8) is one of our most consistently reordered items. Soft, fluffy potato brioche buns filled with a variety of savoury options, 25% vegetarian, every one individually wrapped. Light enough to serve alongside a pasta tray, substantial enough to anchor a morning tea or a working lunch on their own.
For EOFY: put a lasagna or a parmigiana on the table, add a platter of these alongside, and you have a proper spread. Not a catered event that feels like it was put together in twenty minutes. A proper spread.
The Italian finger food spread
Some EOFY events are not sit-down affairs. They are cocktail-style: people standing, drinks in hand, moving around the room. For these, Italian finger food is where we do our best work.
Pork and Beef Arancini Platter - $110 (9 pieces, 180g each). Golden, generous arancini with a rich pork-and-beef ragu and a soft, molten mozzarella heart. Crispy outside, incredibly tender inside. The first thing your guests reach for, and the one they come back looking for when the platter is already gone. Gluten-free option available.
Mini Lamb Croquette - $7 each (minimum 10). Tender lamb with a silky touch of bechamel, wrapped in a golden crispy breadcrumb coating. The canapé that makes a cocktail hour feel like a proper event. Halal, gluten-free option available.
Watermelon and Prosciutto Canape - $10 each (minimum 8). Sweet, juicy watermelon topped with delicate Serrano prosciutto, Maldon sea salt, fresh basil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Light, salty-sweet, and the most photographed thing on any table we have ever delivered. Dairy-free, gluten-free.
Mini Polpette - $6 each (minimum 6). Tender mini pork-and-beef meatballs simmered in our house Napoletana sauce, finished with freshly grated Parmesan. The one your guests eat first and then quietly go looking for seconds of. The polpetta is not trying to be clever. It is just very, very good. And sometimes, for a Friday EOFY afternoon, that is exactly right.
Dress to impress
For client EOFY events, boardroom lunches, or any occasion where the food needs to do some professional heavy lifting, these are the spreads we build the table around. Generous, considered, and very hard to walk past without taking something.
Antipasto Platter - $90 (9 pieces, serves up to 6). Prosciutto, smoked salmon, halloumi, portobello mushrooms, boiled eggs, avocado, hash browns, olives, and seasonal salad. Nine things on one platter, all of them good. This is the spread you put on the table when you want people to feel genuinely looked after from the moment they walk in.
Gourmet Bruschetta Platter - $75 (9 pieces, gluten-free option available). Nine handcrafted bruschette across three flavours: Smoked Salmon and Herbed Ricotta with caramelised onion; Egg and Prosciutto with cracked peppercorn and fresh basil; Avocado and Heirloom Tomato with basil, feta, dukkah, pomegranate, and toasted sesame. Made fresh to order, delivered ready to serve. The opener that sets the tone for everything that follows.
Warm Savoury Breakfast Platter - $80 (serves up to 6). Bacon and egg wraps, sausages, toasted ham, vegetarian frittata, ham and provolone croissants, and tomato gratin. Everything warm, everything proper, everything made in our kitchen that morning. For EOFY morning events and early starts, this is the platter that makes people glad they showed up. Vegetarian and halal options available.
End on a sweet note
In Italy, you do not skip dessert. Not on a normal Tuesday, and certainly not at the end of the financial year. The year was long. The team worked hard. They have earned something sweet.
Panna Cotta Tray - $95 (serves up to 15). Soft, creamy panna cotta paired with bright forest berries for a fresh, clean finish. Light, elegant, and never overdone. The kind of dessert that feels indulgent without being heavy. One tray covers 15 people - the most effortless way to end an EOFY lunch properly.
Tiramisu Tray - $110 (serves up to 12). Velvety mascarpone, espresso-soaked savoiardi, and a light dusting of cocoa for a beautifully balanced finish. A timeless Italian dessert. There is a reason this is the most famous Italian dessert in the world - and it is not because of marketing. Order one for the table and we promise the conversation will still be about it on Monday morning.
La vita e dolce. Life is sweet. Especially at the end of the financial year.
Book early - this is not optional in June
Every office in the CBD has the same last week of June circled. EOFY is our single busiest season, and dates fill from mid-May. If you have a hard date, lock it in now.
- Standard EOFY orders: at least 5 business days ahead
- Large events (50+ people): 1 to 2 weeks recommended for late June dates
- Last-minute and same-day: call us on 02 9241 2127 - we will do what we can
EOFY catering delivery across Sydney CBD
Our kitchen is at Shop 2, 8-18 Bent Street, Sydney CBD, 50 metres from Martin Place. Everything arrives hot and fresh, prepared that morning. We deliver to:
- Sydney CBD and the Martin Place precinct
- Barangaroo and Darling Harbour
- Circular Quay and The Rocks
- Pyrmont and Ultimo
- North Sydney (call to confirm for larger orders)
- Surry Hills, Darlinghurst and surrounding inner suburbs
Book your EOFY catering with EATALO
Tell us the date, the headcount, and any dietary requirements. We come back quickly with options and a quote. Most bookings confirmed within 24 hours.
→ Browse the full lunch and dinner catering menu
→ Request a custom EOFY quote
→ Call us on 02 9241 2127 or come say hello at 2/8-18 Bent Street, Sydney CBD
Your team has earned a proper meal. The year is closing. Let us cook for you.
Buon fine anno finanziario.
EATALO: fresh Italian catering for Sydney CBD offices. EOFY lunches, boardroom catering, cocktail finger food, Italian dolce, and corporate events - delivered hot from our Bent Street kitchen to your door.