DIY buffet advice? (on a tight budget!!)

[milkysmum]

I am having my son christened and the party afterwards will be at the local social club. Looked at getting outside catering but would be way out of our budget as worked out about £7 per head for basic finger buffet, numbers for buffet about 60 meaning around £420 for food!!! I'm currently on maternity leave and money just will not stretch this far. So where do I start with the planning?? What can be done the night before and what really needs doing that morning? where the heck can I store stuff done the night before that needs refrigerating? Christening is at 12.30pm. I can drop food off at club before (maybe even evening before) but they have no fridge- said the cellar is really cold so could put food down there to keep cool- is this ok? Any advice welcome as finding the thought of this quite daunting.

If money is really tight I would be tempted to ask all close friends and family to cook a few dishes and bring them along. Solves your refrigeration problem!

You can pad it out with crisps and breadsticks

I thought about doing this originally but some people I ran the idea by seemed to think it was a bit cheeky!

Yes, just ask people (and keep a list). I've been to parties where we've all been asked to bring something and I really like the opportunity to contribute.

Alternatively try somewhere like Costco for buying in bulk. Ask to borrow friends and neighbours fridge space.

or a BBQ if there is an outside space?

You can try this 'all in this together' theme and make it a team effort. ;)

Go to Iceland!

Firstly, you only need to cater for 75% max of your numbers, as there is always leftovers! I found this out at my wedding, and was given this advice :)

Dont buy Iceland, their stuff is quite rank.

A Christening doesnt need a huge fancy buffet, plan for half a sandwich, some crisps, a sausage roll, cake etc per person. You could also do chicken drumsticks, cocktail sausages and quiche.

bumping for any more advice!

If I was you I'd cook a big ham and a turkey crown and preslice it. Big bowl couscous salad, coleslaw potato salad, bread, crisps, and some cakes

You could bulk-buy some baguettes and cheese (Costco?), letting people DIY. Visit your local butcher and see if they can cut you a deal (I used to work for one and he'd do it for bulk orders) to buy chipolatas (saus on sticks), ham & beef (to add to DIY pile). Then just need a couple of salads, maybe a rice salad or pasta salad to bulk it out and some veg bits like carrot sticks (buy a value bag etc.) or cucumber sticks.

If someone in your family/friends is known for their special dish how about approaching a couple of them and asking whether they could make it as 'everyone loves it so much'... flattery will get you everywhere!

Like the idea if DIY baguettes- don't have a Costco near here though so don't know how expensive this would work out from supermarket? What do people think about having food in the cellar for a few hours rather than the fridge? Don't want to give anyone food poisoning if the food isn't kept chilled enough!!

As long as you're not serving fish it should be fine. Cheese should be at room temperature anyway. Re: baguettes, Lidl and Aldi do part-baked half baguettes that are very, very cheap. You could buy those and bake in the morning or on-site as village halls normally have an oven.

My aunt keeps all her salads in the garage for the day (we have a massive family - over twenty people to feed three times a year) and hasn't given anyone food poisoning yet :)

would it be enough to do one baguette per person do you think? or is that a bit stingey! (sp?)

I think one baguette (at 12" long) could do two people, unless you know a lot of people who like their food. If you also do a massive bowl or two of pasta salad/rice salad then it will bulk it out. You could also buy things you could eat at home with a long shelf-life (like breadsticks or crisps) that will fill people up and pop those out if you think food is running out too fast.

a few quiches from Aldi to go with your baguettes, you can do them either cold or hot...
pickled onions, beetroot...
cherry tomatoes

how much cheese, meat etc would you allow per person? sorry I must sound really useless!

Not at all :) I used to work in catering so did a lot of lunches with salad etc. If you aren't used to it it can feel like a minefield.

I would say, imagine what you would put on your plate for lunch and then x it by the number of people. Most people would probably take a slice each of ham and beef (allowing for the extra salads, pickles etc. - if you don't have those then maybe up to three or four slices, which is why it's good to bulk out with those cheaper items). Cheese is difficult... perhaps go to your cheap cheese place (Aldi, Lidl or the big supermarkets do value versions of cheese, Sainsburys is v good for that) and just mentally divide the block up into slices. You know your family and friends best but I would say the average adult would take a slice each of meat and one or two slices of cheese - people can overestimate how hungry they are on their first buffet serving.

Don't forget that the big eaters will be balanced by the elderly and younger children who may not eat as much.

Another tip is to keep some behind when you put the first lot of food out. People should self-regulate to allow for everyone to get a share and then you can top up with the spare food.

thanks for the advice, i'm feeling slightly calmer about the whole thing now. excuse poor typing as now feeding the little one so only one hand free!

Could you cook your joints and slice up.

Tescos at the moment have 2 x 1.3kg gammons for £10.00, 2kg of beef for £14.00 and 2 chickens for £8.00.

This should be plenty of meat for £32.00.

Little tip from Nigella (and personal experience!) about feeding masses: do fewer things, but lots of it.

If there are zillions of diff things on a buffet table, most ppl want a bit of everything so they don't feel they've missed out.
If you have fewer choices, but bigger amounts of it, a) it looks more 'feasty' and b) ppl end up taking less food as they won't want 7 spoonfuls of coleslaw or whatever.

Will it be a sit-down job or will ppl be milling around chatting and eating?

Cut things up into smaller than you think is necessary, but make shed loads of them ie baguettes 39p in lidl for 2, cut in half, topped with whatever and each half cut into 8 pieces = 32 mini sandwiches.

Chicken wings are cheaper than drumsticks - frozen even more so. Pre-cook and don't worry about the cellar issue - everyone worries but it's always fine.

Go to a butcher and ask for a massive bag of liver - then make your own pate to top your baguettes. For £3 you'll get enough liver to make a huge vat of the stuff!

A value tray of eggs (despite my hatred of them) are excellent buffet fodder - boil, slice in half, mash up all the yolks with mayo and curry powder and refill the egg halves. Always popular.

Good luck and don't worry :)

I would be inclined to ask people to bring stuff. I went to a DIY wedding years ago. We all knew in advance that they had no money so that was their present; we all paid for food and drink. It was one of th best weddings I've been too. A real inclusive, welcoming atmosphere - honest

ooh great tips rhifaf APART from the boaky egg thing...every time I see that sort of thing at a buffet I think SALMONELLA!!! It's just the look of it.

Makes me so sad to read that people thought it was cheeky. Dh's family is huge and when anyone has a party we all makes bits. My sil does the best minted new potatoies you've ever tasted. My other sil does a fab pasta salad. (I have 6 sil's). I do a fab gammon and a lasagne. Sil does curry and chilli. The french stick is a good ide. Just buy long ones and cut them up into 3 inch or so bits. A few picked onions. And totally agree with charmingly about imagine what you woudl put on your plate. don't worry about the storage, will be fine in the cellar.
Hope you have a fab time.

"I would be inclined to ask people to bring stuff. I went to a DIY wedding years ago. We all knew in advance that they had no money so that was their present; we all paid for food and drink. It was one of th best weddings I've been too. A real inclusive, welcoming atmosphere - honest"

I agree. We all contributed food to my cousin's wedding and it was by far the best wedding reception I have ever been to.
I'm surprised at the numbers you have invited for the christening. Most people I know tend to keep it low key and for immediate family only.

Oblomov

I think it depends on your family.

Like yours we happily help with food.

Don't store rice salad in the cellar as it can get funny bacteria.

Yes, unless you have refrigeration I would avoid rice salad.