Provision of food for the craftsmen during the construction phase

We have a coffee machine and always coffee and soft drinks on the construction site. But for us, the garage was the first priority... The hotplate is not used, but the sausage jars are still often empty.
Lead-free beer is still like on the first day, we have to replace the "real" crates quite often. However, drinking always happens only after work.
The cake was always untouched, our craftsmen need something substantial.
On the two setup days, there was pea sausage and chili con carne. (I really didn’t expect that from the vegetarian...). Always with sandwiches.
Otherwise, there is a Rewe with a hot counter next door, which everyone likes very much.
We are rather at the construction site when they finish work, so that doesn’t fit well with the food.

We occasionally had a few bottles of Pepsi and water and a bowl of sweets. These were all quite well received. We once talked about this with some craftsmen. Most find it rather unpleasant when the client shows up at lunchtime with a big meal. However, most don't mind drinks set out and small plates of snacks/cakes.

Most craftsmen said they like to have a coffee or a warm meal sometimes, but it shouldn’t be too much. There are construction sites where everything from breakfast to coffee/cake in the afternoon is provided.

Cold drinks in summer or a hot coffee in winter is considered good manners, and an occasional something to eat is a form of appreciation, nothing more. Drinks are always available from business partners as well, and if a meeting lasts over lunch, there is often something to eat. A full stomach creates a good basic mood.

So, personally many journeymen have practically complained. They were always well cared for with us. Their exact words, this is no longer the rule, but the exception. The builders don’t even look at us with any respect. The richer they are, the bigger the house, the worse it is. There are hardly any topping-out ceremonies anymore. Nobody talks to us either... maybe it’s more extreme in Northern Germany than in the South, but that’s what they say here. and they obviously have a need for recognition beyond the pay. Karsten

How did you handle that? How often is sensible and at which stages of the construction project?

Never at no time

When we lived in the house, the garden landscapers once got an ice cream, but that was it.

There are hardly any topping-out ceremonies anymore

I asked how the craftsmen handle the topping-out ceremony. Quote: "We do 40 houses simultaneously and have one family waiting at home. If it absolutely has to be, a few come but basically no interest."

My experience is rather that many craftsmen have no desire for topping-out ceremonies anymore. The bricklayers were happy about sausage and the like, the carpenters said they would rather finish work earlier, understandable when you almost daily erect a roof. There were no other craftsmen in the house until then anyway. With most of them, you don’t know when they will show up. The construction schedule says 2 weeks, but they only need 4 days. Some come in the first 4 days, others in the last 4, others scattered, the construction manager generally can’t say, as the client you can only be surprised.