Make your office irresistible: start with the snacks

The ping pong table didn't work. Neither did the expensive coffee machine or the flexible working policy. Your team is still choosing home over headquarters, and you're running out of ideas to encourage them back.

But what if we told you the solution isn't about workspace design or policies, it's about something much simpler, yet completely overlooked?

The hidden home office advantage

While you've been focused on creating the perfect collaborative space, your team has been quietly enjoying something at home that your office can't compete with: better fuel for their bodies.

At home, Michael grabs a handful of nuts when he needs sustained energy. Sarah keeps fresh fruit on her kitchen counter. James has homemade energy balls in his fridge and they cook their lunches from scratch. They're not just working from home, they're eating better from home.

The office snack trap:

Meanwhile, your office kitchen tells a different story. The same processed biscuits that have been there since before the pandemic. Crisps that leave people feeling sluggish by 2 PM. Chocolate bars that create energy spikes and crashes just when focus matters most.

We've created offices that look like wellness sanctuaries but fuel people like petrol stations. No wonder your team feels more energized at home.

The physiological truth about productivity

Here's what most managers don't realize: what your team eats directly impacts their desire to be in the office. When someone eats processed snacks, their blood sugar spikes, insulin floods their system, and then comes the inevitable crash. Concentration vanishes. Creativity dies. Motivation to engage with colleagues? Gone.

But when they eat whole, natural ingredients - like the dates, nuts, and superfoods in Manna treats - their energy stays stable. Their mood remains positive. They actually want to collaborate, innovate, and be around other people.

The wellness strategy that actually works

Forget expensive wellness programmes that nobody uses. Real workplace wellbeing starts with what your team puts in their bodies throughout the day. When you stock your office with natural, energy-boosting snacks, you're not just feeding your people—you're showing them their health matters.

The competitive advantage of better fuel

While your competitors are still stocking their offices with productivity-draining processed snacks, you could be the company that makes people feel genuinely energized and nourished. In a talent market where employees have choices, that's a differentiator worth having.

Your team is avoiding the office because of the commute AND they're avoiding it because home feels like the healthier, more nourishing choice.

The three-step office transformation:

1. Audit your current snacks: Count how many ingredients you can pronounce versus those you can't. The ratio might shock you.

2. Start with quality over quantity: Replace one processed snack with something natural. Our Bronze Box is perfect for teams of 20 looking to test the waters.

3. Make it a talking point: Don't just stock better snacks; tell your team why you chose them. Show them their wellbeing matters.

The bottom line

Your office return strategy isn't missing a policy or a perk. It's missing the foundation of human performance: proper nutrition. When your team feels physically better at work, they'll choose to be there more often.

Because the best offices don't just house great teams, they nourish them.