What’s the maximum number of people you reckon you could cater Christmas lunch for?

[Sidebeforeself]

Comfortably I mean. Taking into account chairs, table space, oven room etc?

Eight for me

In the old house, when the kids were little, my record was 26 - it was usually around 22. We brought tables in from the garden, expanded into the conservatory, used the garden folding chairs for the teenagers (who were less likely to have problems reaching the table 😆). MIL brought the turkey, SIL brought deserts, I did the ham, veggies, vegetarian/ vegan options (every year a different one of the kids was vegan , one whole family unit was veggie).

timings were crucial, due to oven space, so I knew what had to be done the day before. Younger Dsis would come to stay for a week and she and I would open a bottle of red, let my kids look after her Ds, and crack on with military precision. We worked to a list and strict timetable. ExH did the shopping for drinks/ nibbles - he and BIL were in charge of furniture movements- the kids did the table. Loved those Christmases, happy times. My meals were always on time too!

These days the adult DC alternate between me and ExH, Dsis and lovely BIL both dead. Other in-laws divorced / in new relationships ….all the cousins marrried and doing their own alternating with in-laws routines. It’s ExH’s year this year so I will be having a quiet Christmas meal with a friend who is also on her own - and we are both honestly looking forward to it. Very happy memories of the huge Christmases but things change….

20. Do it regularly, not just Xmas.

12 is normal for christmas lunch. Oven space and chairs then becomes an issue. I did cook christmas dinner for 48 at Scout camp but had a much bigger catering oven and plenty of seating!!

To be fair we regularly cook for 8 to 10 people most weekends. So it's not a huge jump to cook for a couple more at Christmas.

Living overseas in the sunshine and eating outside I’ve done 30.
Now in the UK and could do 20 with stressing, above that would be manageable but not something I’d want.

Big family?

15 people was the norm back in the 1970s when in-Laws were still around.

I’ve done 8 before, maybe 10. So probably 10, though someone would have to bring some chairs.

Dh’s auntie has, with help obviously, hosted 40 of us. They have to hire plates, cutlery, glasses. We each pay £20 per adult and bring some drinks to put behind the bar, but 3 courses for 40 people in a standard farmhouse kitchen with a bit of help from neighbours. We eat in one of their barns which they heat and decorate for the occasion. It is a feat! And one I would not attempt.

Could do 20 without missing a beat, the table seats 14 and we could squeeze another small table into the dining room.
With thought and planning I reckon I could manage a further 10 in another room.
You just know that the dishwasher would break 5 minutes into the 2nd load though.
The biggest challenge would be finding fridge space for all the ingredients and precooked or prepped bits in the few days preceding.

Big DH's family and hangers-on. There's only 2 of us at home now....but every Sunday the place fills up.

You can cook some of Christmas dinner in a steamer, an airfryer, a pizza oven with grill tray, a slow cooker, a camping stove, a microwave, a barbecue or an open campfire outside.

We have genuinely used all of the above to assist us with the cooking of a traditional Christmas Dinner at one time or another over the years...

So I have reached the mind set that it's all doable with creative thinking.