@00100001
You've NEVER had or even seen a cold breaded chicken product
I've seen them but would not choose to eat them. I've never been served/seen cold chicken nuggets at a party. With the pre cooked chicken things from a supermarket I would heat them. If I were just picking up things for a picnic lunch I'd buy things that are usually eaten cold.
But there's a difference between cold chicken nuggets and reheated nuggets
Yes but neither are how I would choose to eat them. If I had to then reheat in the oven but they are low effort so I'd just put them in the oven on a timer to be ready when they are needed.
I agree with you re prepping food and all the cold food would be prepped in advance so it's only a matter of heating the hot food, most places have their party food ranges to be heated at the same temperature.
It clearly is a done thing in many circles, just genuinely something I have (luckily for me) not experienced before in many, many parties.
I would expect nuggets or drumsticks, sausage rolls, pizza to be hot.
Quiche or scotch eggs hot or cold.
Cold food would be dips, carrot sticks, sandwiches, egg mayonnaise, salady things.
I would eat cold pizza at the end (to help with clearing up!) but wouldn't deliberately serve it cold.