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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:
ReapAndSow · 13/02/2017 13:21

OP, I really don't know why you asked for everyone's advice. It's weird. I know there were a few unhelpful posts at first but most posters put time and effort into giving you their advice. Now you are claiming you had already done most of the shopping. At best you've wasted people's time. I not saying you are trolling but, at best, you've been disingenuous. It's all a bit pointless.

I don't particularly care as I can't deny that I'm finding a lot of the later posts hilarious.

Anyway, I guess it's name change time for you!

MagicChicken · 13/02/2017 13:22

will probably have leftovers because I'm doing Yorkshire puddings, stuffing and plenty of veg but not enough for another 34 portions

HAHAHAHAHAAAA

NarkyMcDinkyChops · 13/02/2017 13:24

It doesn't even matter if OP had done all of the shopping (although she clearly hadn't), she was apparently still mulling over ideas at 3pm Sunday, yet the entire event was catered for, completed and reported back on by 10 oclock this morning!

LagunaBubbles · 13/02/2017 13:29

I knew I'd get loads of nasty comments and disbelief after posting the buffet and amounts

I'm not making any nasty comments but yes I have a sense of wonder how you could have planned, bought, prepared and cooked all the stuff you did in such a short space of time Confused

sunflowerblue · 13/02/2017 13:31

Weird thread!

Lots of smug and disbelieving comments from people who've obviously never been truly truly skint.

I knew you'd do it op, because I would set myself a similar sort of budget.

NarkyMcDinkyChops · 13/02/2017 13:32

Lots of smug and disbelieving comments from people who've obviously never been truly truly skint

Nope. Just from people who have never used a time machine!

skerrywind · 13/02/2017 13:33

notso- you are just not shopping wisely enough.

Artandco · 13/02/2017 13:38

I have been skint. Skint means you simplify meals, use seasonal, make basics. A skint lunch for £50 for 40 would be as mentioned, a hearty basic soup and bread, lots of baked potatoes and basic toppings, a simple desert like apple crumble and custard. The above could just about be done for 40, for £50. 101 meaty dishes with non seasonal expensive strawberries cannot be done.

AliceThrewTheFookingGlass · 13/02/2017 13:46

Well this thread has turned out to be a lot more entertaining than I thought it would be.

welovepancakes · 13/02/2017 13:48

Early hours of Sunday, potential menu is being considered. OP asks for ideas / comments

Sun 12-Feb-17 12:41:45 "The menu isn't set in stone. I'm just thinking of ideas."

Mon 13-Feb-17 10:25:16 "Well it worked out amazingly."

So, menu is finalised, ingredients are bought, food is cooked, served, all in that time? I don't buy it.

MixedGrill · 13/02/2017 13:49

Cheese platter/ rolls etc not costed in....

Notso · 13/02/2017 13:54

Clearly not skerrywind I'm going to be having words with my butcher and tell him to get me the special pork that not only feeds 40 for £5 it slow cooks in half the usual time.

MagicChicken · 13/02/2017 13:54

The menu isn't set in stone. I'm just thinking of ideas.
I love cooking so actively enjoy it. I'm excited to provide the food. It's for a charity event.

This was what the OP said at 12.41 yesterday afternoon.

And this is what she said at 13.39, so still mulling it over....Confused

While it is for a charity event the standard still needs to be half decent and enough food for everyone.

Most people will be coming back from a very long walk so will be hungry and cold.

They won't expect as much but no one wants a buffet to be a disaster.

Once I did a pancake party and that cost less than £1 a head.

Pancakes and then different fillings in bowls. It was wonderful.

But I think something a bit more interesting is needed here.

So she hadn't even decided on the menu then, yet she'd managed to shop for most of it, cook it all and serve it by the end of the day. Confused

citybushisland · 13/02/2017 13:57

Actually I've just costed this out on my supermarket (aldi prices) and it's doable, just, if the cakes etc were cheap as. A good cook can make cheap food taste amazing. I feed a family of 5 (inc toiletries etc) on £50 a week, we eat well, but everything is cooked from scratch, otherwise not doable.

GinIsIn · 13/02/2017 13:59

city does that also include the cost of the time machine to make this possible? Grin

NarkyMcDinkyChops · 13/02/2017 14:00

A good cook can certainly make cheap food taste great, but they can't make 5 quid of pork feed 40 people.
And you can't get all the ingredients OP claims in Aldi for 50 quid, you costed it wrong!

welovepancakes · 13/02/2017 14:01

but it's not just the pricing which is raising eyebrows. It's the timings as well. This doesn't stack up.

citybushisland · 13/02/2017 14:01

FenellaMaxwellsPony Yeah, I was kind of ignoring that bit and focussing on the costings :)

citybushisland · 13/02/2017 14:06

NarkyMcDinkyChops OK, I used to be a restaurant owner, I know how to cost food, for a buffet for 40 pax you do not need 40 pax worth of each dish. As I said I didn't cost cakes but pork shoulder is £2.59 a kilo in Aldi, beef mince £3 per kilo etc, so it is doable, for a good cook.

NarkyMcDinkyChops · 13/02/2017 14:08

No, of course you don't, but its not doable. Did you miss the strawberries, marshmallows, smarties, sauces, almond tarts, ice cream...... not to mention a cheese platter!
There is no way you can get all that in Aldi for 50 pounds.

citybushisland · 13/02/2017 14:12

NarkyMcDinkyChops I was working on the original menu, just seen the 'revised' version, the original was doable (although I'd question the wisdom of pasta for the masses unless a pasta salad)

giraffesCantReachTheirToes · 13/02/2017 14:16

I need to know what else had pear and almonds in it?

Best thread ever

giraffesCantReachTheirToes · 13/02/2017 14:24

Was it some kind of midnight event? If yesterday afternoon you said the menu wasn't set in stone then this morning is has happened as was a success?

Westfacing · 13/02/2017 14:29

I'm old and experienced enough to know that when catering for a buffet you don't need to cook 40 portions of each dish, even allowing for people who like a bit of everything, but still can't get my head round so much food for so little cost.

And I'm now very confused as to the timeline - one minute it was in the planning, next all over and plaudits all round.

DubiousCredentials · 13/02/2017 14:31

Op was also posting on other threads during the evening whilst quick slow cooking pulled pork and making 500 pancakes.