Is this enough food? Or do people expect a cooked dinner

If you are having a three course lunch, surely your picky bits should be enough!
Also it’s your blinking birthday so why should you have any extra bother🙄

So, what time do you want all your MN friends to come over? 😂

I love charcuterie etc but would want some proper veg/protein too (not bread for me but others would). I’d add a big pan of home made veg soup and a couple of cold roast chickens.

I think that picky bits sounds lovely just make sure there’s plenty & I would just add nice bread & butter to give people something to soak up the alcohol if required. Sounds like a fab birthday🤗

I think you need to do a full buffet. So yeah, add in a few pizzas or sandwiches and it'll be fine

How about just doing pizza, salad, garlic bread and sweet treats - brownies, flapjacks, millionaire shortbread. It’s easy enough to snack on or eat cold later

Depends how substantial lunch is, and how much you’re drinking thereafter,

Posh lunch = small lunch that looks pretty but not much actual food! We normally need a meal after anything posh!

Add in pizzas in the evening with all the snacks to mop up the cocktails and drinks

have fun!

I would do the picky bits and have a couple pizzas and frozen stuff as back up if people are hungry again later on. I don’t think pizzas and charcuterie are the same vibe so I wouldn’t do them at the same time personally.

Agree. I'd get some pizzas in.

Sounds fine to me, chuck some pizzas in. I would prefer picky bits to takeaway

I remember being given this as an O'level Domestic Science question in 1979! Obviously without the alcoholic content. But it was pretty much the same. I had to cook lunch for them & then prepare something for the evening when we came home from the theatre. As it was an exam I made quiches, frittatas & other fancy-pants stuff 😂

I agree with PP. I think the picky bits at about 7:00pm probably won't be enough.

I agree with home made scone-based pizzas (easy & cheap to make) or, even easier, a few frozen pizzas.

Under these circumstances I usually make a veggie curry served with rice. A jar of balti paste added to a mixture of veg & a couple of tins of chopped tomatoes, job done & you can freeze any that's left over (though I find never any left LOL!)

Your guests may appreciate some picky bits towards the end of the evening if they've been drinking as well. But I'd keep that simple - nice bread (the French sticks that are part-cooked & just need to be finished in the oven always go down well), a selection of cheeses, some celery & carrot sticks & some dips.

Have a lovely evening.

We have a party at our house every year with a big 5 course lunch plus cheese board. By 9pm (probably due to all the wine 🤣) everyone wants to eat again so I always make a massive lasagne before hand to stick in the oven. It always gets eaten!

Sounds fine to me. People can fill up on the bread if they are hungry. I wouldn't bother with pizza.

I think it sounds fine but a couple of pizzas in case people are hungry is a good idea as appetites differ

I’d definitely be hungry at 7pm if I hadn’t eaten from lunch. Do most people have lunch them only a snack?

if I’m honest I’d much prefer a take away than picky bits especially if it was scrambled egg 😂

Possibly preppare something that can be cooked later rather than budgetting for a takeaway for example frozen jacket potatoes with some grated chese humus tuna mayo etc. or bags of frozen chips or pizza’s.Possibly some desert options if people would want to nible at that. Wack potato wedges in the airfryer and have with dips and carrot peppers etc. Make a nachos. Hard to know with out knowing what you are eating but wouldn’t want to pay for a takeaway.

Think more carbs would be good to soak up alcohol.

Ah yes, scrambled eggs- the preferred snack of the reveling masses.

That’s why scrambled egg shops can be found on every corner and open late on Friday and Saturday nights. Or, you can order online via JustEggs.

As long as you have more bread/cheese than you think you’ll need, it’ll be great. You can always freeze the bread.

Can you have scrambled eggs and/or hot pizza at midnight if going to bed 'late' means 2am to 4am?

If people are up till midnight then some might need refreshments around half ten (I would).

If you go lighter on the cheese at 7/7.30 you could have Welsh rarebit at half ten.

If lunch was at say noon or 1 pm, then the musical, then drinks, I'd be starving by 7pm.

The picky things sound good, and I wouldn't expect a hot meal, but I'd want something a bit more substantial than a charcuterie board, fruit and beige things. Most of these can be prepped a day ahead (just ideas, not suggesting all!):

-With the dip, you could also have celery and carrot battons or a crusty baguette
-Frozen or fresh pizzas you cook at home, then add some rocket once cooked
-Quiche or fritatta
-These mini quiche things. I've added anything I have in- fresh or semi-dried tomatoes, bits of salami or ham, basil, different cheeses https://www.amummytoo.co.uk/filo-pastry-mini-quiches-great-for-kids-to-make-and-eat/
-Chicken drumsticks using foil as a handle. Either in a sticky, teriyaki sauce or crumbed
-Devilled and curried eggs

Either pizzas or cook a ham joint in advance and get some nice bread and sauces. Then people can at least make a sandwich.

Lots of alcohol needs carbs. As others have said add sone pizzas.