Buffet for 200, vegetarian help please

[lilibet]

The thread title may be a bit misleading, but I wasn't quite sure how to phrase it succinctly.

I have been drafted onto a small team to cater for Bil's wedding which is on the 12th February becaue I'm a vegetarian who loves cooking and catering but I've never catered for so many.

I know all the pitfalls of being a vegetarian at a buffet but not how to overcome them. I have been to many buffets where if I'm not in the first half of the queue lots of the vegetarian food has gone because it's been taken by the meat eaters.

so, how do you make sure that the vegetarians get a fair crack of the whip in the food stakes? A seperate table seems a bit divisive, but I can't come up with anything else.

anyone?

Just make sure that there is a lot of vegetarian food?

My ex-boss (catering) would keep a vegetarian main (usually quiches at a buffet) under the table/in the kitchen and tell whoever was in charge of the guests that vegetarians should let us know. We usually put one quiche on the table and spent most of the time rapping the knuckles of meat eaters who couldn't understand why it was polite to let the veggies get a crack at the food as well. If a hot buffet we either kept the cover on the veggie option or had someone standing behind to dish it up to vegetarians only. Meat eaters could always come back for seconds if they wanted some.

I always work on the assumption that the vegetarian option will be popular with everyone and make plenty of it. Saves the effort of policing all the meat eaters and making sure that they don't scoff all the veggie food. That and holding some back just in case, like CharminglyOdd's old boss, makes sure that there is plenty for the actual vegetarians.

Cold veggie sausages (cooked) make quite a good buffet food and provided they're clearly labelled, meat-eaters will usually prefer the properly meat alternatives.

Maybe make the buffet around 2/3 or 3/4 vegetarian, and yes, hide some veggie food for "emergencies".

If the meat eaters want veggie food I can't think why they shouldn't have it, most meaties don't need to eat as much meat as there usually is at buffets. When I've done food for family parties I have usually done all veggie food, with a couple of plates of cold meats (done by someone else ) with pickles and things, for those who want meat.

If it's a hot buffet, again why not do a couple of meat dishes, and loads of veggie dishes that meaties can have as "sides" if they want to.

Thanks for your ideas, we're haing a 'buffet ladies' meeting next week so I shall fight the veggie corner!

Knowing numbers of vegetarians, and even names, might be helpful (to identify those that need the vegetarian food most!). You could ask the vegetarians to go up first, so at least they all get a plateful of vegetarian food. I don't think there's anything wrong with a separate table, as it avoids confusion. Providing lots of veggie dishes in general is a good idea, as has already been suggested. Or just make everything vegetarian and neglect to tell the meat eaters!