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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think feeding 40 people for £50 is more than possible

361 replies

user1486841477 · 12/02/2017 00:00

I was planning to make a chilli con carne, curry, pulled pork, meatball pasta, carbonara in large pots.

Add sides of rice, garlic bread, potatoes, chips, pizza.

Snacks of crisps, nuts, quiche, cocktail cheese and pineapple, cruidetes with dip,

Large homemade cake

Different desserts.

My mum thinks this doesn't sound that interesting and I should be doing fancy canapés etc.

Caterers all wants £6 a head which I can't afford and don't need to ask I'm a good cook.

Am I being too ambitious?

What would you do to feed 40 people on £50?

OP posts:
NarkyMcDinkyChops · 13/02/2017 12:35

Maybe it's a weird ad for Park Cakes

That's an idea. Just in case it is, here is another review of them: Biggest st hole in the nowthwest I won't be eating any of the products

Original poster
user1486841477 · 13/02/2017 12:35

Sorry I didn't realise I had to do ALL my shopping for a 40
Person buffet a day or two before the event.

I love mumsnet. Writing and commenting on threads. But I don't 'prove' myself or get into arguments not worth it. Enjoy your speculation 😂

OP posts:
Freddorika · 13/02/2017 12:36

It's put me off Marks and Spencer cakes as well Confused

CantSleepClownsWillEatMe · 13/02/2017 12:38

You're right Op it really is too funny!

So if you won't explain your costings/portions can you at least talk us through the wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey thing? Cos that would be useful to a lot of us.

SolomanDaisy · 13/02/2017 12:40

Umm. That's such a bizarre thing to inaccurately fantasise about.

user1478860582 · 13/02/2017 12:40

wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey thing

Isn't it obvious? The OP is replacing Peter Capaldi in Doctor Who!

AndNowItsSeven · 13/02/2017 12:41

*their

Freddorika · 13/02/2017 12:42

I'm a 50 year old mum of three. I'm a bloody good thrifty cook. There's no way you've provided everything you've said for £50. I don't care if you are scraping the floor of bloody Park Cakes, it's just not doable. End of.

NarkyMcDinkyChops · 13/02/2017 12:44

Sorry I didn't realise I had to do ALL my shopping for a 40 Person buffet a day or two before the event

No, you're right, my bad. Obviously the centre piece of your marvellous buffet was an Ikea bag full of stale penny cakes that you bought last week.
Smile

Vandree · 13/02/2017 12:44

Nope

SoupDragon · 13/02/2017 12:44

So, just to be clear, 24 hours ago you were "just thinking of ideas" and the menu wasn't "set in stone" and now it's all done, dusted and the feedback is in? Confused

It it will be all homemade.

Apart from the bags of shop bought cakes, obviously.

CantSleepClownsWillEatMe · 13/02/2017 12:44

user1478860582

Can't wait for the first episode - Dr Who does Extreme Couponing!

titchy · 13/02/2017 12:46

Obviously OP used Mumsnet chicken which feeds a family of 8 at least three decent meals with enough left over for home made stock Wink

MagicChicken · 13/02/2017 12:46

Did you buy some stuff in advance then? Because I have to admit it didn't sound in your first few posts as though you had done your shopping yet as you were still asking whether your menu might be 'too ambitious' for £50 even though you'd 'priced it up'. You never said anything about having already bought most of it. If you'd already bought loads of the stuff already why didn't you just say so? Confused

Carveitup · 13/02/2017 12:48

I'm baffled by this. I cater for people coming in from cold outdoor activities too (horse riding activities in the winter) and you keep things simple. Hearty veg soup and bread all round, lots of sausage rolls, and plenty of homemade cake that's not too messy to eat with your fingers like ginger cake, fruit cake and flapjack. We also serve up tea and coffee and squash - these (and the soup) are generally served in disposable cups. I could bring all that in for 40 for about £50, but there's only one choice of main course.

The OP seemingly served up a massive range of tiny amounts of stuff - how much pork can you get for £5? and where did the strawberries (currently out of season therefore expensive) come from? They, and the Smarties, marshmallows, raisins, pancakes, chocolate sauce, cheese, chutney, bread, potato wedges, coleslaw and a variety of other stuff, as well as anything to drink, were not costed. And even if the OP says the stuff that wasn't costed was just lying around at home, who has strawberries just lying around, enough to feed 40 people? (I did strawberries as the dessert for my 40th birthday a few years ago, and even in season, buying from a wholesaler, enough to feed 100 people came in at about £60. That and a giant jug of cream and I thought that was a bit of a bargain idea myself.)

Just so we know, I've done enough horsey events and cricket teas and parties at home for large numbers of people that I also think I am quite good. I did soup, bread, cheese, sausages, mince pies, crisps and dip and something to drink at Christmas for nearly 40 people and it came to nearly £100.

I am weirdly invested in this thread!

BriefParanoidNameChange · 13/02/2017 12:54

LOVE this thread! OP, with your wee crying with laughter emojis, your world with its elastic timezone sounds fab Brew

BriefParanoidNameChange · 13/02/2017 12:56

No, you're right, my bad. Obviously the centre piece of your marvellous buffet was an Ikea bag full of stale penny cakes that you bought last week.

Hahaha!

Imaginingdragonsagain · 13/02/2017 12:56

This does all seem very odd.

MagicChicken · 13/02/2017 12:56

Well done Fenella and I've found a photo of the charity event with some of the attendees tucking into their pork.

Freddorika · 13/02/2017 12:57

ROAR MagicChicken

Artandco · 13/02/2017 13:00

I must be a mug then. I just bought almonds for £1.50 for 150g. I use 300g almonds in an almond tart. So would cost me £9 on almonds alone to make. Plus additional flaked almonds ontop, eggs, butter, flour, sugar, erm pears! Etc. I don't think I could make three regular pear and almond tarts for much less than £20 for 3. Plus you would want cream/ ice cream to serve surely?

And yes I could make a nice vegetable chilli for £5. But that's for 6 people. Not 40. Couldn't make meat one for £5 for even 6 people as meat would cost that alone.

skerrywind · 13/02/2017 13:14

I find this thread quite insulting to people who are struggling to feed their family, and may be using food banks etc.

The suggestion that we could all eat this cheaply if we are resourceful enough.

Notso · 13/02/2017 13:19

How many portions of chilli, chicken and pork did you get for those prices?

I'm doing slow roast pork for dinner for 6 of us and my smallish piece cost £7.60, will probably have leftovers because I'm doing Yorkshire puddings, stuffing and plenty of veg but not enough for another 34 portions

DubiousCredentials · 13/02/2017 13:19

I could almost believe the costings I suppose, if the op had maybe a huge store cupboard of things that she had used, but the timings? 2pm Sun - still mulling over ideas, 10am Mon, done and dusted. Maybe it was a midnight charity walk in February? but that still doesn't explain shop closure.

Am enjoying the thread though BrewCake