Help, I need to cater for 100 people

[moneytree]

Hi,

I am doing a function for around 100 people and I need to provide food which will be served at their tables. I don't know how much to budget per person and I need some ideas on what to serve.

I am real need of help, any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Crikey! Sounds like a great challenge!

Have you got further information like whether this is a 3 course meal? Hot or cold? Any dietary requirements? Is this function in a location where there is a kitchen that has good facilities or are you prepping off site?

Waitrose Entertaining

I am doing an Auction of Promises for our PTA and we are providing food and entertainment. In one of more silly moments I volunteered to take it on (I am new!) I would love to do Waitrose Entertaining but we simply do not have the budget. I am thinking 3 course or maybe 2 course. I also havent decided on hot or cold, it depends on the advice I get here

OK - what facilities do you have at the event ? Ovens/hobs, or just plug points ?

In this sort of case, its best to keep it simple - pizza if you have oven access, or chilli/curry with rice or jacket potatoes - those can be prepared ahead and kept in slow cookers (borrow all you can).

Then get donations of puddings (cold) and auction them off

We do have a small kitchen at the village hall.

Chilli/curry sounds good...how much should I budget per person

I would do 2 courses, maybe something that can be served cold? (salads, cold meats, breads, pickles) or jacket potatoes. So you could put a platter of meat (beef, ham and a veg option) on the table with bowls of salad (potatoe salad, leaf salad etc..) and some nice crusty bread. Then people can put what they want on their plates (saving you time) and then a choice of 2 cold puddings?

Or a huge stew/curry (would be cheep to make)?

I used to do a lot of functions (before i had the dd's) ,i am a bit rusty , i have been asked to do a wedding for 200 and i havn't got a clue how to price it (as food pices have shot through the roof).

Chille and Jacket potatoes definately.

So 100 jacket spuds.

Say 11 kilos of mince.

2 kilos of soya mince (assume say 10% vegetarians)

40 tins of tomatoes

A couple of tubes tomato puree

spices obviously!

1 kilo of cheese

couple of litres sour cream.

Pudding - just get ready-made cakes

Great ideas, much appreciated. Just need to figure out how to price this up and what to charge for tickets

Thats a massive thing to take on, and you need to be really careful about food safety - you would be up shit creek without a paddle if there is an outbreak of food poisoning.
If it were me, I would be getting in professional outside caterers, its way too risky otherwise. I'm up in a heap doing a Christmas dinner. You have no experience with the catering facillities available and I'm assuming no experience catering for that amount of people.
If I absolutely HAD to do it, I'd contact a catering wholesalers to find out what catering size frozen meals they had (shepherds pie, lasagne etc. ). They will be able to tell you what the cost per portion is.
What will happen with insurance if there is an accident in the kitchen?

Pop down to your local butcher, and ask him how much 11kg of mince will be for your school fundraiser - they will prob do you a deal.

I'd think you can bring it in at under 1.50 a head, less if there is someone with a cash n carry type card so you can get catering size tins, and bulk paper plates and cutlery

Does your hall have enough plates / cutlery etc as if not you will need to cost those in ?
I think it sounds a great idea and good luck !
I second jacket pots as they can be done inadvance and then reheated. FOrget Rice as in large quantities it always sticks to the bottom .
If doing a starter do somethingthat can be plated and then cligfilmed before hand savingtime and space.

I (stupidly, when I was a student) volunteered to be in charge of food for a ball, which involved cooking for 150 (IDIOT).

It was three courses:

• salads (which can be done before hand, have some stuff on the table) with humus
• grilled salmon with mashed b'nut squash, mayonnaise based save(done the day before) and green beans
• cheese cake and ice cream for desert (bought GIANT cheesecakes from Macro, or something like that?)

For the salmon, we made giant trays of salmon with a slice of lemon on each, shoved into a preheated oven for about 10 to 15 minutes at the time.

the complicated bits was the vegetarians (still having cold sweats about that, so would rather not discuss it) as one person who had ordered the meal came up to me half way through dinner and said "BTW, I'm extrememly allergic to nuts, are there any in this?" BLIND PANIC.

It wasn't too expensive (90% of the budget was for booze).

sauce, not save

Most years I cater for about 50 for a whole weekend, and budget under £10 per head for the weekend. But obviously some things do for more than one meal. Some meals are much easier than others for big numbers - it partly depends on what dishes / facilities you have. I always find I run short of those big oven dishes, and 4 hotplates isn't really enough.

Easy dishes for big numbers - chilli, casseroles, pasta bakes (probably easiest of all!),sausages, salmon fillets / chicken portions.

Dishes that are harder than you would think! - pizza (how to fit them all in the oven?), anything involving peeling potatoes.

Definitely think about doing a hot course and a cold course. Prepare as much as possible in advance and recruit some help for the day itself.

Personally, I wouldn't do jacket potatoes. At a sit down dinner like this, I think people are forgiving but want something "nice" if that makes sense?

A good chilli or stew is an excellent idea though and is easy and relatively inexpensive. I'd serve it with rice which can be done in large batches relatively easy and can be prepared slightly ahead and kept warm very easily.

For starters, agree with something cold and ideally done on platters that can simply be placed on the tables - greek dip type things are good such as hoummous, tzatiki etc. Also, a good tip is assuming you have a committee, ask everyone to bring enough for say 20 - doesn't matter if the tzatiki on one table is slightly different to the tzatiki on another table.

For dessert, again, keep it simple and I'd avoid anything that needs careful cooking/baking. You could do something like a tiramisu which works well in large amounts. Or chocolate brownies and icecream as if they're a bit wonky etc, they're still delicious.

Oh, and on the costing, work out what it you would need to feed 10 people, multiply that by ten then go directly to butchers, greengrocers etc to get quotes on that amount of food.

Also, don't forget to check if you have to hire cutlery and crockery of if that's available? Can you get volunteers to help with the cleaning up and preparation or will you have to pay students to help you out?

The problem with baked potatoes is, what happens if more than 100 people turn up? You might be safer with pasta and meat/veg bolognaise... that way, you can serve portions of decreasing size as unexpected extras arrive...

The advice about food safety is seriously worth considering - you could end up in some serious problems if someone became ill.

In these recessionary times you would be surprised what some caterers might do for you. Its worth a chat with them to see. I bet they can do you a 2 course for £5.00 a head - if they make half that per head a a profit, you still can get a reasonable meal out of £2.50. I used to cook 3 courses for up to 90 pax for £1.20 per head!

And check out licensing restrictions in the hall if you saying people can BYO or if its alcohol free.

Def stick to 2 courses. main and pudding.

I would do chilli and rice for one option Mince is always good and can stretch, say 1kg raw mince should feed 8 - 9 people, say 4 peppers, 6 onions, etc.

Veg option - pasta bake, salmon is nice but is very expensive.

and chicken curry/in tomato sauce with noodles or taglettie, mash is good too.

Jacket spuds are gross if left to go cold or reheated in microwave.

Pudding - go for huge sponge with custard? Those huge cream cakes you get from wholesales etc are discusting! Even through you are catering for many I dont think standards should slip. You want the backing of many and for people to come back.

My experience of caterers isnt very favourable, you have to pay a lot of money for decent food. Food safety, come on, surely with dishes that require good slow long cooking will be fine and we all managed well before the FSA started banging on! Majority of people have common sence and many people have food hygine cert.

Go direct to a good local butcher who will give you a deal and be cheeky saying that you'll advertise him at the event. Veg go direct to veg stall or wholesaler.

Do not use paper plates! either plastic (wilkinson do good deals) however you can hire which isnt that bad.

Wow, thanks everyone. So much to consider. Food safety is def worth bringing up! I will look into a Knife/Fork buffet served at their tables. Good points re: cutlery. I will have volunteers to help and we have Public Liability Insurance. Fish & Chips...never would have thought of that one! I will be selling tickets so will know how many are going to turn up.

could you do a pie and pea supper??

Local bakers for pies if you dont want to make them and then about 40 tins of mushy peas?

if you stipulate its pie and pea supper nooone would complain, veg option could be a veg type pie?

Another good one!

It does depend on what resources you do - would recommend a keep it simple - simple done well beats too compleicated and mess it up. Hva edone a few big catering jobs too - maybe not 100 though.

Last one we did sausages and mash with gravy and a couple of 'sides (beans & red cabbage). Pud was apple crumble (homemade) and custard (bought in).

This way we could limit wht was in the oven and what was on top. Making sure you have enough space to serve up is a good idea too. Maybe paper plates too saves on washing up - clearing up is a killer too (find someone else to do that is my advise).

Thanks and I shall def take your advice on the clearing up