Start with the time of day
How much people eat depends on when they're eating and what else they'll have that day. A lunchtime buffet at an office meeting needs far less than a Saturday evening party where the food is the meal. Before you count sandwiches, ask yourself one question: is this a snack, a light meal, or a full meal?
Buffets and cold tables
For a working lunch, one plate per guest is plenty. Our office lunches are built on that: three sandwich triangles or half a wrap per guest, plus crisps, a salad pot, fruit and a small traybake. That's a satisfying lunch without waste.
For a party, people go back for seconds. That's why our Hot and Cold Table combines hot dishes, salads, savoury bites and desserts: hot food makes a buffet feel like a proper meal. At 50 guests you choose two hot dishes, two salads, four savoury varieties and two desserts.
Canapés
A common rule of thumb:
- Before a sit-down meal: 3 to 5 pieces per guest for the first hour
- Drinks reception with no meal after: 8 to 12 pieces, ideally with something more substantial
Our canapé menus come as four or five pieces per guest. If the canapés are the food, add manapés, which are hearty, small-plate dishes, or bowl food.
BBQs
At a BBQ, guests usually want a burger or sausage and something else from the grill, plus salads. Our BBQ menus are planned per person, so the chef cooks to your numbers rather than guesswork. Children can have a simpler burger and sausage menu.
Evening food
Evening food is a top-up, not a second dinner. One serving per guest is right, for example a bacon barm, a burger or fish goujons and chips. Plan it for everyone at the party that evening, not just the evening-only guests.
Order for the number of guests, not "plus a few in case". Your caterer already builds a margin into portion sizes.
The easiest way to get it right
Tell us your guest numbers and the shape of the day, and we'll size the food for you. The planner gives an instant estimate, and Marco confirms quantities with your quote.
