How do you dish up?

[FusionChefGeoff]

I like to try to serve family style so everything on the table and help yourself but everyone's rubbish and just sits there whilst I'm bringing last things out then it takes ages to pass everything up / down and it's all cooling rapidly.

I don't think I have the kitchen space to plate everything up plus then how do you know how much people want?

We have a turkey crown so easy to carve and usually do that at the table so it does straight onto plates.. Big fans of sides so have at least 8 different dishes to serve up.

Any tips?

I put mine all on the table then call everyone through.

We do a buffet style service. I have a large peninsula worktop luckily so all dishes are laid out on that, everyone comes up and fills their plates.
Then all leftover bits are put on a big platter and put in middle of table. I usually have between 10-16 people for Christmas dinner tho.

My table isn't big enough to put all on there, and like you said, it takes ages with everyone passing dishes to one another. Then there is room on the table for all the condiments and bottles of wine!

I put all the sides on the table but the meat on each plate. Then the leftover meat gets added to the table.

Theres only 4 of us, but I lay all the serving dishes out along the kitchen counter. Plates at one end. We serve ourselves buffet style then sit down.

The table isnt massive and by the time I add cutlery, glassware and a bit of festive razmataz it's not leaving a lot of room for serving dishes

We do it family style and instruct those sitting at the table to start taking the veg whilst we bring in the rest . We also have a www.wayfair.co.uk/kitchenware-tableware/pdp/masterclass-professional-two-light-food-warmer-u001652108.html?piid= pair like these, it's surprising how well they keep food warm with just a couple of tealights

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

Theres only 4 of us, but I lay all the serving dishes out along the kitchen counter. Plates at one end. We serve ourselves buffet style then sit down.

The table isnt massive and by the time I add cutlery, glassware and a bit of festive razmataz it's not leaving a lot of room for serving dishes

This is what we do too.

Two of these www.aldi.co.uk/ambiano-buffet-server/p/810592542228400?gclid=CjwKCAiAhreNBhAYEiwAFGGKPPwhLlmPNX-OBfzJ9QIkaBd3J-cIF9awJZKd6Y9a-xp6zH69_2qSrhoCeh4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
on my kitchen island to keep everything warm help yourselves. We usually have around 10 adults and 4 kids, t the point of serving I don't have the time or inclination to remember Aunty Doris likes 3 pigs in blankets and sprouts, but no parsnips.

Everyone sits at table.
All plates lined up on the kitchen counter.
Everything straight from the oven, onto individual plates and taken through to begin eating straight away. One person in charge = quicker plate up and warm food!

If you get it out the oven, place on a serving dish, then by the time it's been taken to the table and dished onto each plate after waiting for someone else to finish with the serving spoon - most of the food is already bloody cold and it's a pissy system.

Everything goes on the table. I much prefer it that way. Easier for everyone to get what they want.

Call for help with putting out hot food. Not do much for the actual.help as the focussing of attention! Family style (we do have a big table though) warmed plates, gravy just off the stove, make sure I get my own food hot thus providing a visual prompt for the reticent😉, leave all the grown ups to help themselves.

Everyone sits down at the table except me and a couple of helpers. They take stuff to the table. I come in last with the turkey and carve from there. People help themselves to the other stuff.

It's a bit crowded on the table, but once everyone has a full plate, I put some of the stuff on the sideboard to get it out of the way. I have a hot plate on that, with an inside bit, which keeps stuff warm.

We do meat, mash, roasties and yorkshire puds on each plate before they're brought to the table, then sides like stuffing, veg and condiments are laid on the table in dishes with lids.

We use metal tureens (not the most glam!) and they get dishes into and then put back in the oven on a low heat to keep warm. Then all pulled out when everyone is sat down.

Turkey/stuffing/pigs in blankets is on plates that have been warmed first and those set out first, then all tureens out. Tureens placed on warmer tray thingies - like you get in the indian restaurant with candle tealights underneath? Gravy last in boats.

It is a quick pace and a two man job in our house but it keep everything hot!

Table not big enough so we do the same as above, lay out in dishes on kitchen side and everyone helps themselves.

Our table isn't big enough to put the food on it so it's put on platters on the kitchen side for people to help themselves.

We put everything on platters on the kitchen work top, and everyone helps themselves. I have no interest in working out how much people want to eat/what they like or don’t like.

Dh carves and dishes out the meat while everyone shouts their preferences at him. I pass dishes of veg and potato which are passed around the table and then left up on the side for anyone who wants seconds to help themselves.

I’m getting hungry now.

Everything on the table

We have a fold out table that we set up as a buffet style, and everyone helps themselves and then join at the table.

I like having my table displayed nicely with flowers and decorations, makes it feel more xmasy

It's just the five of us but we find it much easier to lay out the food on kitchen island and everyone serves themselves and we eat in the dining room.
Last year as they were clutching their plates and queueing the dog also joined the queue-very seriously and moved and sat at each bit of queue progress.
We put the gravy tureen on the table as gravy doesn't travel well on the plates, as well as condiments, butter and of course the wine!

Warm your serving dishes first OP will stop it from cooling. I like to get everyone sat down ready while I bring stuff to the table so they can dig straight in while I finish up

Someone ( usually my DD or DSIL) will dish up from the kitchen .... we will be 10 for lunch so no room on table to dish up there ....gravy , bread sauce and cranberry on table to help yourself

Platters and bowls work well

Growing up we always had a huge crowd at Christmas, meat/ stuffing/ roastie was plated in the kitchen by mam + helpers, mash/ vegies etc were on the table. Tell people once they get their plate to start filling their plate, not just all waiting until everyone has a plate.
Even with just 3 now we do the same.