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Original poster

Quick Buffet Poll (Help please!)

135 replies

Buffetornot · 22/05/2024 19:33

OK everyone, quick poll here.

Hosting a party for about 50 people next week. It's at a venue and the time is from 7-9pm so not over a meal time.

Not many drinkers, so providing tea and coffee, cash bar if anyone wants a drink.

I have a large cake, brownies, selection of crisps, a sweet station so everyone can make a pic n mix. Is this enough, would you expect a full buffet?

YABU- Yes, provide some sandwiches and sausage rolls you miserable git.

YANBU- Everyone will have eaten already, snacks are fine.

OP posts:
PerfectTravelTote · 22/05/2024 21:48

After your last update I think what you're now planning sounds perfectly fine.

EmpressaurusOfCats · 22/05/2024 21:47

olympicsrock · 22/05/2024 20:34

@EmpressaurusOfCats depends on who the guests are. In my family the vege options would be left in favour of meat options.

@olympicsrock there have been a few buffet / catering threads lately where the meat eaters have been very pissed off at the idea that the non-meat options should be just for vegetarians, because they want to eat them too - either as mains or as sides with their meat. And the vegetarians get even more pissed off because then we risk having nothing to eat.

So making most of the food veggie with some meat for the people who want it seemed to make sense. I get that it wouldn’t work everywhere though.

Original poster
Buffetornot · 22/05/2024 21:43

Nobody will expect anything fancy. A cheeseboard is lovely but also potentially expensive.

I'll stick to the 'safe' traditional buffet foods (sandwiches, wraps, sausage rolls, veg alternative, crisps, fruit)

Cake, tea and coffee.

OP posts:
Foxy1616 · 22/05/2024 21:29

It does depend somewhat on what the occasion is!
if you are all turning up at the scout hall to celebrate a scout leader gaining a long Service award, then tea/coffee/squash and cake is all that will be expected (unlikely as they don’t usually have cash bars!)
If it’s at a social club celebrating a member of the community receiving a local hero type award, or the reopening of the refurbished library etc a broader demographic will be attending and will likely appreciate more nibbles, savoury & sweet but not a full blown meal
If it’s somebody’s 80th birthday party, a full-blown buffet will be expected
what do the invitations say?

GivePeaceAChance · 22/05/2024 21:22

GivePeaceAChance · 22/05/2024 21:20

Personally I’d drop the pizza maybe other stuff too
and go for a selection of cheeses, grapes, bread and crackers.

( think vegan cheese too just in case )

Show quote history

Ooo
i see @coxesorangepippin has already mentioned this. Like minds and all that 😁

GivePeaceAChance · 22/05/2024 21:20

Buffetornot · 22/05/2024 20:13

OK,

Sandwiches, wraps, sausage rolls, some other savoury (quiche etc, does pizza not just go cold and horrible?) crisps.

Tea, coffee, cake

Personally I’d drop the pizza maybe other stuff too
and go for a selection of cheeses, grapes, bread and crackers.

( think vegan cheese too just in case )

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 22/05/2024 21:19

BCBird · 22/05/2024 20:14

if I was going to an event at 7 I would save myself for the lovely buffet😅 woukd expect a good feed

Agreed

coxesorangepippin · 22/05/2024 21:18

Could always do a massive cheese board too

It'll get eaten

coxesorangepippin · 22/05/2024 21:17

Pie and peas is your friend here

Pic n Mix indeed!

NewName24 · 22/05/2024 21:14

I think the fact you've put the word 'party' in the thread has meant lots of folk have gone for the answer of "Yes, you have to offer food at a party"

So, if I'm going to a party in the evening, I'd expect there to be a bar, and yes, I'd hope / presume there would be some food when I'd had a couple of drinks.

Personally we tend to eat around 6.30 , but you have to remember that if the 'do; starts at 7, even us earlier eaters won't be able to have had a proper meal before hand, then travel etc.

But it sounds to me like this is more of a 'social gathering' at a time when people would be at a meeting. I go to lots of things in the evening, and it is quite common to have a bit of a 'social' coming up to Christmas or at the end of a series of things. In which case - tea / coffee / squash and some cake would be fine.

pinkspeakers · 22/05/2024 21:13

Buffetornot · 22/05/2024 19:45

Looking to keep it simple. The guests will have eaten their main meal by this time.

I'll get some savouries too. Sandwiches, wraps, sausage rolls, small quiche or similar.
Followed by cake, coffee /tea then sweets to take away.

This is quite contradictory. If you are absolutely confident that the people you are inviting will have had their main meal by then (not people I know, other than some kids who eat before parents) then you don't need to put out substantial food and it will go to waste. Some nice puddings and cheese board will be fine.

pinkspeakers · 22/05/2024 21:10

7-9pm is absolutely meal time. We normally eat at 8pm. If you didn't say in advance, then I'd absolutely assume we were getting a meal, not just pudding.

Provided you let me know (and you were fairly local) then obviously I would be fine to have an early light dinner first, and then come and eat a bit of cake with you. But it would all be a bit of a rush! A proper buffet tea would be much nicer.

If you're not going to do proper food then I think it would be better to start at 8pm for a drinks party. Or 3/4-5/6pm for afternoon tea.

MsLuxLisbon · 22/05/2024 21:02

OP, why won't you specify what the occasion is!? So annoying when posters leave out details like that, you've been asked loads of times.

Vettrianofan · 22/05/2024 20:58

HoldingTheDoor · 22/05/2024 20:18

Even my primary school children haven't had diner by 7pm. Unless they are in hospital, I don't know any adult who has diner by then either. So a group of 50 people?

Plenty of adults, including me, eat before 7. I don’t know why so many people on MN are puzzled by the fact that so many people eat at a different time from them. I know that many people eat later than I do but it doesn’t perplex me.

Though to me you feed people at a party regardless of what time it is as it’s just a basic part of hosting so yes I’d definitely include savoury options.

I eat dinner at 4/4.30pm. Sup around 7.30/8pm. So I would be ravenous and be expecting sausage rolls at the very least at this buffet.

Original poster
Buffetornot · 22/05/2024 20:55

A lot of the guests have additional needs and will be supported to attend. They will have eaten their evening meal by this time. Not late bedders.

Some of the other adults may not have eaten though so I take on board everyone's comments re providing a proper buffet.

Costco order it is! 😊

OP posts:
Bbq1 · 22/05/2024 20:51

Buffetornot · 22/05/2024 20:49

Yes, it would have been better as an afternoon do but can't facilitate that.

A 9pm finish is fine for the people going and a couple of hours is manageable for them.

Show quote history

Is there a reason we can't know the occasion? People might be able to offer better advice if we knew why you are having the party.

boyohboys · 22/05/2024 20:50

That sounds great OP. Still intrigued by your insistence that everyone will have eaten - what time do you eat in the evening?! We usually eat around 7:30/8 sometimes nearer 9 at the weekend so if I was invited to a 7-9pm party I'd assume this was for dinner.

Original poster
Buffetornot · 22/05/2024 20:49

BigPandaTinyDragon · 22/05/2024 20:45

I’m intrigued about the occasion too - it sounds like it would have been better as an afternoon thing rather than a half-hearted evening do.

Yes, it would have been better as an afternoon do but can't facilitate that.

A 9pm finish is fine for the people going and a couple of hours is manageable for them.

OP posts:
BigPandaTinyDragon · 22/05/2024 20:45

I’m intrigued about the occasion too - it sounds like it would have been better as an afternoon thing rather than a half-hearted evening do.

Vettrianofan · 22/05/2024 20:44

Haha, that's my porridge time 🤣 so YABU provide some sausage rolls. Savoury stuff please!

PotatoPudding · 22/05/2024 20:43

If people are being invited somewhere with a buffet at 7pm, it’s unlikely they will have had an evening meal. They’ll definitely be expecting things like sandwiches, quiche, sausage rolls, crisps, etc. They won’t be expecting just dessert.

CrushingOnRubies · 22/05/2024 20:40

7pm-9pm is prime time to eat in the evening. Even if they had a large lunch they might be feeling a bit peckish and want to nibble on some savoury bits by then

Maybe get some olives and a small selection of cheese too and some fruit

As for drinks I'd at least offer something non alcoholic like squash. Some people dont want caffeine in the evening.

Interested to know what sort of event this is

GoodAfternoonGoodEveningAndGoodnight · 22/05/2024 20:40

Bbq1 · 22/05/2024 20:38

Op, what's the occasion?

Yeah I was wondering that too

Bbq1 · 22/05/2024 20:38

Op, what's the occasion?

Original poster
Buffetornot · 22/05/2024 20:38

Sandwiches
Wraps
Sausage rolls (and veggie alternative)
Some sort of other savoury.
Crisps
Fruit platter

Tea/coffee
Cake
Sweets

Surely now OK for 2 hours?

OP posts: