Please comment on my buffet for about 30 people

[StealthPolarBear]

I'm awful at this stuff

Mushroom and chestnut loaf x2
Lentil bake.
Ham platter
Chicken platter
Large pasta or rice salad
Coleslaw
Large garden salad
Bread/buns

Pizza for kids

Cheesecake
Small chocolate mousses
Birthday cake(s)

To me that looks like a summer buffet, salad, bead rolls etc. I know you have pizza and mushroom loaf, will they be hot?

Some hot veg, or maybe make the rice dish a warm one, a rice cooker would keep it hot and safe to eat for 10-12 hours.

Or maybe a soup.

I usually have some form of filo pastry parcels, for veggies brie and mango chutney is a bit of a change.

I'd add cheese and crackers to that, people can have as a main or dessert. In our house we always have to have sausages on sticks and crisps etc at any buffet. Apparently it isn't a buffet without them

Pate? Veggie and Normal

Cheese and several baguettes. And bring the cheese out first!!!!

Sorry the 'normal' thing might have sounded a bit off. I meant veggie and non-veggie

Another vote for potato salad!

Although, you’ve put my family spreads to shame. Mine consist of:

Sandwiches - various
Cheese and pickled onion on sticks
Mackerel pate on leeeettle tiny toasts
Cold pizza
Crisps

The end.

Next weekend I’ll be serving this to 15-20 people and behaving like I’ve fed the 5000

Some form of sausage
Some form of potato

Fruit
A lovely soup - esp if winter - minestrone or sweet potato/carrot/hokkaido pumpkin/coriander/turmeric, with cubed feta and toasted sesame seeds to sprinkle on.
Yy to hummus, with crudites (kohlrabi rather than celery) or cold roasted veg
Some little pastry tarts without lids - I make them in fairy cake trays with shortcrust pastry with parmesan in, fill them with roasted veg (spare some from the above)/fresh and sun-dried tomatoes and top with various cheeses.
Parmesan wafers - grate parmesan finely, season with dried thyme and black pepper, place in small flat crisp-sized heaps on a baking tray 8with baking paper), bake for about 10 mins - keep a close eye.

Thanks eveeyone

Pineapple and cheese on sticks!

Or on a porcupine to go really really retro!

The pastry tarts sound lovely, I might try them too.

I recently heard something that sausage rolls are alway the most popular thing at a buffet and it's ingrained into our brain to pick one (or seven) up

Wedges !

I'm a notorious over-caterer so that doesn't look like enough to me. I'd at least add some tortilla chips and dips. And something hot - pizza wheels are fun: ready-made puff pastry sheet, smear with tomato puree & herbs, add cheese and whatever other toppings you like, roll, slice and bake. Homemade sausage rolls, too: ready made puff pastry, naice sausage meat or Delia's cheese and onion mix, roll, brush with egg/milk, sesame seeds, slice, bake. Look and taste like they take a lot more effort!

Weirdly, cheapo jelly beans and/or chocolate raisins have always gone down well with all ages at our dos.

I always try to do too much - was wondering if I could focus on doing fewer dishes well (and plenty of them)

Fruit. grapes, satsumas are the things that get most eaten by children

I would be really Happy with your selection of Dishes OP because I am gluten free and there’s lots of things for me .

Some people’s buffets are entirely made up of pastry and pasta in different forms - sausage rolls, pies, quiche, pasta bake, pasta salad, breads rolls , baguettes, spring rolls, bread sticks, pizza, tarts, samosas, pakora, sandwiches, crackers, cheese cake, pies, muffins, chocolate cake , Christmas cake, all kinds of cakes

I can’t eat any of these as they all contain wheat.

One memorable new year I was a guest at someone’s party and there was literally not a single thing I could eat, even the crisps and nuts were fancy ones with wheat on them. And of course I was scared to drink much alcohol on an Empty stomach so I had mostly water.

Parties are not fun when you are light headed with hunger and drinking water. It was tragic .

So please can I come to your party instead?

Huge cheese board
Crisps
Hummus

It’s basically just sandwiches and coleslaw really, if it’s a party there needs to be more exciting sides that feel like more of a treat

I wouldn't do a cold meat platter, but a large hot roast- pork or ham (or turkey and ham- my family are greedy) plus a big bowl of stuffing, lots of salads and rolls.

Massive greek salad always goes down well.

I would do:
a Greek salad instead of the garden salad
a bowl of boiled new potatoes in a lemon, olive oil, mustard and herb dressing instead of rice/pasta salad
beefsteak tomatoes split in half and roastedwith garlic olive oil, and basil then when cold pour a dressing of olive oil, balsamic, seasoning basil and olives over them,
a large homemade quiche,
a hot from the oven macaroni cheese
and definitely a cheeseboard and grapes.

Fruit and cheese tray

You can't have a buffet without party rings. You must get party rings.

Some kind of potato thing? Mini loaded potato skins maybe?

Baked potatoes and a big bowl of grated cheese. As it's cold, people may like some form of hot food. Easy and cheap to make, and goes nicely with the other cold sides you have. Or a big bowl of roasted potatoes with garlic and rosemary.