Hugely overladen buffet tables at parties.

The couple of events I attended, where they had a grazing table for about 40 - 50 people surprisingly didn't become messy, folk used serving spoons etc to put onto their plates. Overall it looked lovely, very artistic.
I doubt "any idiot" threw it together, it was a good mix of food groups.

Agree for very large groups not overly practical but is the traditional Sausage rolls and mixed sandwiches really suitable for a large Buffet?

I have recently attended a couple of large group Buffet , hot food was served.

Grazing tables are ok for close friends/family imo, not when catering for large groups at weddings/funerals. I like the mix of hot food and replenished finger food- a bit of ordinary style

When my daughter got married my son and I did the buffet. We were catering for 50 and calculated numbers very carefully. we had a generous looking table but very little was left at the end. In contrast I went to a U3A barbecue this summer at a local pub. Admittedly the landlord had become seriously ill and his son had stepped in so that we weren't disappointed, but the food was very poor and they had to start cooking more halfway through. When dealing with fairly simple items like burgers, sausages and chicken wings it should really be quite simple to calculate what you need, based on the numbers of guests expected.

I think those grazing tables/platters are fine if you're just doing it yourself for family, but as others have said, they can be very messy - not to mention downright unhygienic - at a function or catered event.

Merlotgran - I know what you mean re the Traitors breakfast but most of it seems to be flowers! It's hard to make out anything actually edible. Mind you they're probably too stressed out to eat much.

Actually the more I look at the grazing table the more I don’t like it for large groups of people. I can’t imagine Himself wanting to dip celery bites into a dip shared by others. It would only work if foods were only allowed ‘one dip’. Eating - then going back for a second scoop of dip with strangers? Yuk.
I don’t even like sharing bowls of crisps and peanuts that way.

I read once that a bar in a pub (years ago) had ‘help yourselves’ bowls of salted peanuts to encourage punters (thirstier) to buy more drinks. It seemed a good idea until some bright spark did a control test. Said peanut bowls contained traces of saliva (not everyone does one dip, they shovel peanuts into their mouths then lick the salt from their fingers and plunge them back into the bowl for more). Worse still were the bowls that showed tiny traces of urine and faecal matter because (surprise surprise) not everyone washes their hands after a trip to the lavatory.

No wonder I prefer my own tiny bag of salted peanuts or crisps in a pub!

Oh yes. ... I agree Norah!

I was slow typing Maw - I agree. Can get messy very quickly.

Visgir1

Hope this comes through.

It looks nice as presented, however it would soon be quite messy.

Get a decent caterer - preferably via word of mouth recommendation !

Maybe the local chippy on speed dial? 🤣

I see what you’re getting at Maw. Diving into a ‘grazing tray’ could soon look very messy a veritable dog’s dinner once a good few folk have poked around in it.

I suppose I’m looking for some kind of algorithm.

Perhaps there just isn’t one and that’s why a really good ‘caterer’ and not just an excellent ‘bakery business’ is where we went wrong numbers-wise. We guessed it ourselves whereas a proper caterer would be able to advise and actually offer suggestions?

Young ‘uns seem to like a van parked outside the venue door where guests go and order the pizza of their choice (say one between two) with salads on the table inside. This was suggested for our wedding anniversary party. “No way José”.

What if it poured with rain that evening and shivering guests had to stand around outside to place their orders? My 92 year old stepfather wouldn’t have been impressed!

Golly it’s a bit of a minefield really.
Hit & miss. Best not to overthink,
And maybe choose a recommended caterer.

How are you fixed Maw? 😂

Visgir1 those look very pretty - but wouldn't be my choice if "unknown" people were helping themselves.

It looks more like a large version of a starter for a few friends sitting together - like antipasti.

I wouldn't like other people's children and the fingers of strangers to be dipping in the olives and shuffling the cheese about! 😂
I'd be happy to do this for immediate family - I can tell my grandchildren off if they start messing about handling the grapes!

I've noticed that you can order this sort of spread in America for home-delivery. I nearly ordered a small one for my son/daughter in law a couple of years ago for a birthday when they were both super busy and intended to stay at home. I still think it would make a nice gift in the right circumstances.

We cater at home and I always prepare (or purchase some of the cakes) more than I count as necessary. I'd hate to be under.

Christmas party for my husband's workers at a nicer Pub.

We typically don't push the boat out, but did when our widowed daughter married again at around 60 years old. Feeling it was difficult for her children and grandchildren - we splashed out.

Funeral receptions and wedding parties are usually small and at Church. We don't bother with birthdays, or a wedding anniversary.

I don't expect much. Yes, FGT bits and bobs are enough.

Visgir1

Hope this comes through.

I’ve been to a couple of funerals where this was the type of buffet - “trendily” laid out on big sheets of brown paper and frankly I thought it appalling. Messy did not come close.
Any idiot can put out an array of charcuterie/ salami/ fruit/ celery sticks/slices of ham /cheese/ olives etc on a table with a pile of finger rolls or bread rolls and leave you to assemble your own food plate- of course when you are also standing or circulating, juggling a plate, knife, butter and a wine glass rapidly becomes impossible.
Daintily prepared canapés, finger food, mini bites, tiny sausage rolls, tiny sandwiches, pin wheels, blinis or vol au vents etc are both easier to eat, and show skill on the part of the caterers .
That’s what you are paying for.
Spare us “grazing tables”

FGT - If I'm actually doing the catering I just keep on cooking chopping and baking until it's time to serve up!

Always more than needed but never any actual "waste".

Well that looks very colourful and attractive to the eye Visgirl. And I can imagine if it were set somehow in the midst of those eating it would encourage ‘grazing’. My only thought? Bit light on protein (eggs, cheese, meats) for hungry souls?

Iam lovely story and of course funerals vary. Horses for courses indeed. And yes I agree totally about waste being abhorrent.

Which is why I thought to discuss on this thread.
Who gets it right/better?
Does some hot food in the mix make portion estimating easier?

I think organising catering for an event isn’t something most of us do very often. It all seems a bit hit and miss to me.

“Think of a number. Halve it. Or maybe halve it, worry then add a bit on. Or don’t worry at all, think of a number and when it’s gone it’s gone. I did my best?”

My parents' funeral reception was at the same hotel just a few months apart. Many people had driven many miles to be there and I was grateful they did.

The hotel was very clever and they were able to top up the buffet again and again out of their fridge and their freezer.

Individual little tarts and sausage rolls etc were swiftly baked as people arrived the the food started to dwindle a bit. A new batch of sandwiches appeared as if from nowhere.

The reception seemed to go on for ages till eventually the pretty "fancy" cream cakes largely gave way to tea breads, Dundee cake, small bread and butter puddings, Eccles cakes etc.

The ever changing spread was actually rather nice and encouraged people to move about and mix a bit.
They simply charged a deposit for 70(?) I think (a certain minimum number initially) and then counted people "in" at the same rate after that.

I will be forever grateful for the way they managed this difficult time for me.

I honestly don't think there would have been much waste. Lots of people took a slice of something to eat on their journey home.

I suppose if you have a kitchen and staff on site you can easily bulk out your buffet.

A recent funeral was followed by a traditional buffet and the arrangement was the Venue put out platters of mixed sandwiches, pickles, pork pie, sausage rolls and kept refreshing as the platters emptied.
They only charged for what they provided and not per person.
A different approach and perhaps works more cost-effectively?

FGT I like the home style buffet after a funeral. I catered for mum’s reception, held at my house. Mum was 86, the only one left of her four siblings, dad had died four years earlier. Her gym/dancing pals known of course as the Golden Girls glammed up and danced out if the crem to When they begin the beguine. They came back and I began to think they were here for the long term. They ate and drank and told cracking stories
Mr I was only 70 so many friends still with us, hence a venue and caterers.

Waste really doesn’t sit with our generation does it

https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/202501/medium-804867-screenshot-2024-04-14-08-55-29-47-40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12.jpg%3C/span%3E https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/202501/medium-682746-screenshot-2024-04-14-08-55-17-09-40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12.jpg%3C/span%3E

Hope this comes through.

Could you explain what ‘grazing style’ is Visgirl? I’m genuinely curious. Do you mean tiny bites such as blinis etc then go back for more? Are you standing around such as at a cocktail,party?

The 2 events I’ve mentioned were where guests had gathered, been to the bar then sat down with their drinks, chatting, until the buffet was ‘declared open’.

Big queues so folk just judged when best to join in.

I like the 'Grazing' style of food for parties. That always seem to get eaten more than a traditional Buffet. Well it has in the few events I have been to, that has served this style of food.

If I was doing a Buffet for say 80 people. I would aim for food for 70-75 people that would still enough.

I don't think I've ever been to a buffet which was massively over-catered to that extent, FGT. It does seem like an awful lot to be going begging, as it were.

Cabbie21

At such an event I never know how much to take if I go up first. I take too little for fear that there will not be enough for those coming later.

I also don't want to look greedy, but I always notice some guests piling their plate so high it is amazing how it all stays on the plate, this happens at a breakfast buffet in hotels as well.
If I don't eat enough I always assume I can go back and grab a few more bits.