How to plan an office ice cream party

To plan an office ice cream party, count your people, order about 150 ml of ice cream each, check freezer space, include dairy-free and gluten-free options, and schedule it mid-afternoon. Have scoops, cups and a server ready before the ice cream comes out, and serve straight from a freezer or chilly bin. Sorted properly, it takes about half an hour of planning and gets everyone away from their desks for a few minutes.

Step 1: work out numbers and amounts

Start with a headcount, including anyone working remotely who might pop in. If ice cream is the whole treat, allow about 150 to 200 ml per person; if it is alongside cake or morning tea, 100 to 125 ml is plenty.

Our full party quantities guide has more detail on adjusting for hot weather, kids and sundae bars.

Step 2: check freezer space

This is the step people forget. Office freezers are usually small and full of frozen lunches. Before you order, measure what space you have:

• Measure a tub against your shelves: tub sizes vary, so check before the delivery arrives.
• Ten 1 litre tubs need a cleared shelf or two in a typical office freezer.
• No space? Time the delivery for just before the party, or keep the ice cream in chilly bins packed with ice packs.

Step 3: include everyone

Ask about dietary needs when you send the invite. A short line works: "Let me know about any allergies or diets by Wednesday." Then cover the common ones:

• Dairy-free and vegan: a plant-based ice cream such as our oat milk dairy-free range.
• Gluten-free: plain flavours without cookie, cake or crumb pieces.
• Nut allergies: avoid nutty flavours entirely, and keep separate scoops.
• Egg allergies: check cookies and marshmallow pieces.

Keep the tubs or ingredient labels on the table so people can check for themselves. Our ingredients and allergens table lists everything in our flavours, and our allergens guide explains how to read labels.

Step 4: pick the format

Think about how your team works. A quick grab-and-go suits busy teams; a proper scoop station suits a celebration.

• Ice cream sandwiches: zero mess, no kit, perfect for big or spread-out teams. See our cookie sandwiches.
• Tubs and scoops: more choice and a bit of theatre, but someone needs to scoop.
• Sundae bar: tubs plus toppings. The most fun, and the most cleaning up.

Step 5: gather the kit

Have everything ready before the ice cream leaves the freezer:

• Two or three sturdy scoops and a jug of warm water.
• Cups or bowls, and reusable spoons if your office has them (wooden ones otherwise; see why wooden spoons replaced plastic).
• Napkins and a damp cloth.
• A bin and a compost or green waste option for wooden spoons and paper cups.
• Labels for each flavour, including allergens.

Step 6: run the day

1. Soften the tubs in a fridge for 10 to 15 minutes, or on the bench for 5 to 10 minutes, before serving.
2. Bring out one or two tubs at a time and keep the rest frozen.
3. Serve allergy-friendly flavours first with a clean scoop.
4. Pack leftovers away promptly, with baking paper pressed onto the surface.

If the ice cream travels with dry ice, handle it with gloves, keep it in a ventilated space and never seal it in an airtight box. Our guide to keeping ice cream frozen in transit explains the safety rules.

Setting a budget

Ice cream is one of the more affordable team treats, but costs add up with big groups. Work out a per-person budget first, then choose the format to match. Tubs are usually the best value per serving for groups that will queue for a scoop. Individually wrapped options such as sandwiches cost more each, but save time and kit. Whatever you choose, add a little for spare servings and a few extra cups and spoons, because there is always someone who missed the invite and hears about it in the kitchen.

A simple planning timeline

Working backwards from the day keeps things calm:

• Two to three weeks before: pick a date and time, set a budget and book or order the ice cream.
• One week before: send the invite with a request for allergies and dietary needs.
• Three days before: confirm numbers and flavours, and arrange any delivery window.
• The day before: clear freezer space, gather scoops, cups, spoons and labels.
• On the day: move tubs to the fridge 10 to 15 minutes before serving, set up the table and line up a volunteer scooper.
• Afterwards: pack away leftovers, wipe down and recycle or compost what you can.

Keep a note of what was popular and how much was left over. Next time, you'll know exactly how much your team really eats, which flavours disappeared first and whether sandwiches or scoops worked better.

Ordering for your office

If you're in Wellington and would like Wooden Spoon for your team, take a look at our office and corporate orders page and tell us your date, numbers and dietary needs. We'll let you know what's available for your event.