Buffet for 30 People

[VivaciousCurrentBun]

I’m doing the following

Big Charcuterie board of cheese, meats and Olives
Sandwich platters
Quiches
Baguettes
Scones, jam and cream
Small cakes
Mixed salad
Coleslaw
Couscous
Jelly and ice cream
Crisps
Sausage rolls
Feta cheese and red pepper rolls
Hummus and crudités
Cheese and pineapple hedgehog

What I’m struggling with is quantities, I tend to over cater but food is so expensive now I don’t want to do that but I do not want people to go hungry. I was going to get caterers in but I just couldn’t justify paying out so much when it’s such simple food.

Plus would you like this, no allergies apart from me so no seafood anywhere and one vegetarian guest,

Looks great! If you want to stretch the pennies I would add a big bowl of simple pesto salad (cherry tomatoes, cooked pasta, jars of green pesto, black olives and seasoning) and a huge bowl of easy access fruits (apples, grapes, tangerines, strawberries and bananas).

I went to a party once and a woman withheld the crisps until the other food was eaten, i thought this was very clever.

Id add some chicken drum sticks as everyone is low carbing.

Id plan for 2 plates each.

Do you have a slow cooker? Chilli or currey always goes down well.

Looks good but looks a lot of choice and then to have enough of each choice to not run out of each item if you tend to over cater.

On doing big spreads one thing you could do do reassure you don’t run out of is possibly hummus and pitta but not put it out and is available to bulk you the spread if people are hungry. I’ve also put this out earlier than the food to slow the initial rush down. (Usually if there’s a proportion of teen boys)

Ditch the salad and coleslaw because everything else is finger food so you won’t need cutlery and can eat standing up. As soon as you introduce salad you need somewhere to sit and a knife and fork which is a pain

Can I come? It looks excellent.

Do you need the sandwiches? They are a lot of work so I'd probably miss those out as you have other bread.

Thanks all, ford for thought.

I could forgo salad but I like the idea of colour, maybe dodge the coleslaw though. I will add small slices of pitta for the hummus. I have just decided to order catering trays so I can stack it all in the fridge. I do have a slow cooker but I don’t want to go down the hot food route. The last big birthday I did I ordered a take away for 25, it’s just not feasible now as it was a decade ago. I have a big do when it’s a party ending in zero.

I would definitely add a platter of fruit. It always amazes me how much people like a bit as dessert.

I’m going to go purely finger food so no cutlery, add the fruit and loads of crudités for a few vitamins. The biggest do I ever did at home was for 50 at DS christening but as half were family I made it a bit of a fuddle and got people to bring sandwiches along and other stuff. Alas my much older sisters live almost 5 hours away and can’t travel these days as two are very unwell and one has a very unwell DH. It’s my 60th and two of them are very late seventies. My parents and all the Aunts and Uncles and my DD have died so it’s very different these days. It’s very odd becoming one of the older family members, like I should suddenly be wise or something.

Thanks again :)

Good luck @VivaciousCurrentBun Have a wonderful time and a very happy 60th .

If you want colour and veg but no need for forks, mini mozzarella balls with cherry tomatoes and a basil leaf on a cocktail stick would be good.

Well I have got on well and now have quite a bit organised and need to do just one more shop. A friend has offered to do a huge salad and also make a cake and bring loads of disposable cutlery and two others are each bringing a home made cake so it’s not just finger food now. I am going to make two big sheet cakes on Friday, vegetable couscous and a pesto pasta salad. I worked in kitchens as a teenager at school and now volunteer cooking in a kitchen so am used to mass catering. Another friend is bringing her kids outside party games and I am going to set up my retro arcade video game machine. Three friends are bringing fold up tables and chairs.

I have huge lists including what table is going where, how I’m rotating stuff out of the freezer and I also made bunting and table arrangements. DH has an extensive list and has promised to do things in the order I prefer. DS power washed both patios. DH says I always go over board and get obsessed with things I do and he is correct.