The Key Principle: Describe the Item, Not the Occasion
Categories should describe what a menu item is, not when or how it's served. This is the most important rule for building a category structure that stays useful long-term.
When a category is tied to an occasion — like "Morning Tea" or "Conference Lunch" — it limits where that item can appear. A scone is a scone whether it's served at 10am or 3pm, at a wedding or a board meeting. If it lives in a "Morning Tea" category, you'll find yourself duplicating items or creating workarounds every time a client wants that same item in a different context.
Instead of placing a scone in a category called "Morning Tea", place it in a category called "Baking". It can then appear on any breakfast, morning tea, lunch, or afternoon tea menu without needing to exist in multiple places.
How Many Categories and Items?
A well-structured menu in Puree works best with:
- 10 to 15 categories
- 10 to 20 items per category
This keeps your item library easy to navigate when building quotes, without categories becoming so broad that items are hard to find.
A Sample Category Structure
Here's an example of what a well-structured category list might look like, covering both office catering and events:
- Baking
- Sandwiches & Wraps
- Finger Food
- Canapés
- Platters
- Salads
- Soups
- Buffet – Mains
- Buffet – Sides
- Buffet – Salads
- Desserts
- Dessert – Platters
- Cakes
- Breakfast
- Extras
Notice that none of these are occasion-based. "Finger Food" works for a working lunch or a children's party. "Canapés" works for a cocktail function or a wedding pre-dinner. "Baking" works for breakfast through to afternoon tea. "Buffet – Mains" works for a corporate dinner or a Friday office lunch.
Occasion-Based vs Item-Based: A Quick Comparison
Here's how occasion-based categories compare with item-based alternatives:
| Avoid (occasion-based) | Better (item-based) |
|---|---|
| Morning Tea | Baking |
| Working Lunch | Sandwiches & Wraps |
| Cocktail Nibbles | Canapés |
| Wedding Dinner | Buffet – Mains |
| Conference Refreshments | Platters |
Practical Tips
- Keep names short and broad. "Baking" is better than "Freshly Baked Goods".
- Use nouns, not occasions. Ask: what type of thing is this — not: when would I serve it?
- Sub-categories work well for large groups. If you have a lot of buffet items, splitting into "Buffet – Mains", "Buffet – Sides", and "Buffet – Salads" is cleaner than one large "Buffet" category with 30+ items.
- Don't use dietary requirements as categories. "Gluten Free" is not a category — it's a filter. A gluten free muffin still belongs in "Baking". Only create a dedicated dietary category for items that exist solely to meet a specific requirement and don't fit anywhere else.
- Review your categories when adding new items. If a new item doesn't fit anywhere cleanly, it may be time to add a category — or rename an existing one.
Already Have Occasion-Based Categories?
If your current categories are occasion-based, the Puree support team can help you transition to a cleaner structure without losing any data. Get in touch and we'll walk you through it.
As always, if you have questions or feedback, reach out to us at email@puree.app.