Posh simple food

[alwaystrying2]

My DD is having a party and I've said I'll make food. She is 30. I'm looking to cater for between 30 and 50 and want to make some posh simple food. I want people well fed but I want something extremely simple that if possible is trendy and looks cool! There will need to be a veggie option. Ideally keeping costs not too high!

Does this exist?

Thanks!

Have you catered for that many people before?

Will it be a buffet?

No I haven't! I honestly don't know - I'm just looking for advice!

Can you do charcuterie cones? Little paper cones with individual servings of meats / cheeses / crackers / olives etc in? You can make them veggie / vegan by changing the contents, they're easy to eat and hold and individual servings so no double dipping fingers!

Then a few classics like crostinis / vol-au-vents / fancy Waldorf salads?

What time is the party - are you thinking main meal or just bits to have with drinks?

Veggie chilli in a big pot, black beans in the slow cooker, and lots of trimmings like tortilla chips, iceberg, cheddar, guacamole, salsa. If you want meat too do bbq pulled pork in the slow cooker the day before and reheat it under the grill. Feeds dozens of people and looks posh without trying too hard.

Bonus points if you do the pulled pork in a can of Dr Pepper.

bite size mini quiches can be made ahead and warmed quickly or eaten room temp and be veggie

honey mustard cocktail sausages always popular

if it is a stand up drinks thing, nothing that anyone needs to put their glass down to eat. In in one mouthful without looking like a cheek bulging pig.

end with mini cheesecakes or brownies to get everyone to realise it’s the end of the evening.

Oh wow you're all amazing - these are great ideas. I'm just not sure I can cater for 30/50 hot meal with a normal oven can I? I'm useless at knowing what I can do before and reheat without poisoning people!!

How posh is posh? Is it posh, or is it trendy? They aren't the same thing.

Is it sit down or stand up? And what budget do you have in your head - it may or may not be realistic?!

Without the answers above I would tend towards "classic" rather than trendy -something like cheese, charcuterie, crackers, bread etc. It's not "posh posh" but if you buy really good cheese (and with 50 guests you could buy a wheel of something decent as a centrepiece) it would be utterly delicious.

Burrata with tomatoes, pesto and some nice sliced bread.

Could you do bowl food? A bug vat of Thai green curry, a veggie curry, rice and then a big platter of cupcakes and brownies and a massive cheeseboard for pudding?

no gimmicks. Good cheese, good bread, antipasti, sweet and sticky sausages, slices of pork pie, some falafel, antipasti bits (veggie and meat)

and actual solid plates so people can hold them one handed whilst they stand up and have a drink

My most successful catered events (without thinking about poshness) have been:

Afternoon tea - all cold - and who doesn't feel a bit posh if you do smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwiches, then I like cucumber and cream cheese with mint in them, and a really good cheese with pickle, then I'd usually do ham and mustard, only scones need to be made on the day.

Cheese and cracker arrangements as described above.

Massive vats of pulled pork and ratatouille. But I don't think this could really be described as posh.

She said posh though (sorry)

Need more details really. Is it sit down meal or cocktail party. How long is the gathering going on for?

If it's casual, something like pizza and salad or big pots of chilli, rice and tortillas.

Cocktail party, large square pizzas cut into slices, quiche squares, skewers with tomato, basil, mozzarella, chicken wings, marinated sausages, samosas. Allow about 6 savoury pieces pp, then a couple of dessert pieces - brownie squares, choc dipped strawberries, mini muffins.

I would do a whole salmon (so easy), Delia's chicken with grapes and tarragon folded into dbl cream and mayo, really good bread, lashings of green salad, beautifully dressed, cherry toms, mozzarella pearls and black olive salad, trays of salamis, goats cheese and beetroot tarts, vegetable pate, a good cheeseboard: brie, blue Shropshire and a crumbly white hard of Yr choice. And grapes.

I'd go for good ol' picky foods that can be cooked in advance.
Pigs in blankets, nice homemade sausage rolls, Scotch eggs, cold meat selection, cheese board, crackers/bread, Patè, salads etc....graze board type.
And a few individual puddings/cup cakes.

Bloody hell why would you offer to do this?! That is a lot of people to feed. I don't think you can really do 'posh' without it costing an absolute fortune. You could probably do one of those tiktok charcuterie boards, there are loads of examples if you Google. And/or the butter boards that are all over the place now.

I did party food once and did mini crustinis.
Toasted some sliced baguette in olive oil- mixed a load of goats cheese with cream cheese, spread it over the toasted bread and then add a scoop of caramelised onion chutney.
Also some with chopped tomatos and pesto.

Example of the charcuterie board - it's all in the presentation!

What will make it posh is having herbs, nice crockery, candles (fake) some greenery on table.

or…go totally retro and pick the kind of stuff from decade of birth.

Food on boards is not 'posh'!

Is it that her friends have money to eat out in expensive restaurants and you're trying to provide the same quality food?

Ok sorry I've misled people with posh. I think I mean trendy. It's night time and definitely stand up rather than sit down.
I was just thinking not sausage rolls and cocktail sausages and crisps. It needs to be a bit different.

Thank you all so much

Do one of those horrible sharing tables where you just chuck the strawberries on top of the chorizo and sausage rolls resting on bunches of grapes etc.