Tips on catering a buffet for 80 people

[Apocketfulofposies]

It's my husband's fiftieth in about 6 weeks and we are having a party at a rugby club with a band and some money behind the bar. I am in charge of catering and have said in the invite there will be snacks provided (rather than dinner). 80 people ish and we'll be buying food in not making it, but not using a caterer. So I was thinking some huge celebration pork pies (says they serve 40 people each), baguettes, cheese, some pickles etc to have on the side with these. (I hate both cheese and pickles but I am told this goes!). There will also be birthday cake enough for everyone (chocolate).

What else do I need? Not spending huge amounts but not on the cheap either.

Potato salad. LOTS of potato salad.

Are you having tables to sit at or not?
If you don't then don't do things that people need to make themselves.
Precut everything, stops the greedy ones.
Do you have an oven?

No oven, no tables. Just standing around with plates.

This is brilliantly helpful - thank you!

Love the idea of bulk buying samosas but think they would not be so nice cold even if I bought them that day?

I wouldn't do half of what others have suggested. If you do pasta bowls, coleslaw, salad bowls, you'll need to provide cutlery and plates.

Do only small bites that you can pick up and eat.

sausage rolls

quiches

sausage on sticks

cheese & pineapple sticks

pork pies

cheese straws

chicken drumsticks

vol au vonts

mini pizzas

Mini quiche

Do not serve cold sausage rolls.
They are rank
Nope best part of the buffet cold previously frozen mini sausage rolls.

Er, I'm sure you've got this covered, but does the rugby club know you are bringing your own food?

I'd stick to canapes, crisps and things you can eat with one hand and no plate if you've said snacks, people will have already eaten and it's just a bit of a beer sponge. Those big pork pies are bit crumbly.

Look finger food on Pinterest
Cheese cubes wrapped in ham look fun.

Samosa's - we arrange them to be picked up at 4 / 4.30 and then put them in a cool box / cool bag (which obviously is actually just an insulated box/ bag - so keeps things warm in just the same way as it would keep them cold).

Same with anything like sausage rolls, you have cooked in oven at home.