Help, please. Ideas for food for about 20 people ...

[carla]

... after a baptism which will probably end about 4.00pmish. Egg sandwiches and Victoria sponge? That's sooooo boring. Please give me some ideas. xxxx

hello carla

well you give me some ideas first:

How much cooking do you want to do?
is this going to be afternoon tea or the evening meal
will it be a buffet or sit at the table
how many kids how many adults?

well I have thought about it over my lunch and I would suggest an thoroughly English theme for afternoon tea

a couple of very good quality large pork pies
chicken sandwiches cut in to neat triangles with a little bit of curry sauce in the mayonnaise and rocket
devilled eggs
cucumber sandwiches because if you do them properly they are really lovely
no salads
your best cake that you make
a whole bakewell tart with fondant icing
fairycakes and cold sausages for the kids
a bunch each of seedless white and red grapes

Thanks for replying, sw!

As little as possible. I want to enjoy the day.
Can't decide - what do you think, for 4.00pm?
Buffet. We don't have a table big enough.
6 children, though some are in their early teens, and some, like mine, have very limited tastes.
Help! It's so blinkin' soon!

No salads?

no salads
faffy to serve and eat
all the things I suggested can be eaten with one hand and you don't want to have to be washing up forks now do you

You could probably get it all from waitrose (or supermarket of your choice, I didn't get involved in the supermarket alliegance thread) or swap cold sliced roast beef and chutney or mustard mayonaisse sandwhiches for the chicken ones

Do you think I could get the local Lebanese deli to do something? Not 'English Tea' enough? Would it appeal to everyone? Want people, and me!! to enjoy it.

Waitrose! Now there's an idea! >

yes that's a good idea too
I always used to push my clients to go for themed catering, it's so much easier

But I would still do the sausages and cupcakes for the kids,

Ask for dolmades and koftas and fattoush salad and tabouleh and baklavas, will be really nice. But then you may have to provide sturdy matching plates and forks

Waitrose 'entertaining' comes up with chickens and ducks . You're so right about the forks, we only have about 10 to our name.

I'm always right

Think we've all gathered that, sw!

God, you do know I meant that in the nicest way, don't you?

S'pose

Is it one of your children being Baptised?

if you went to ikea you could pick up really cheap white plates and cutlery.

Yes. Think we're alright for plates. Any other ideas, anyone? sw's is lovely, just wanted to present H with a choice.

great big vat of chill con carne and rice?

like the sound of the lebanese deli. you could get loads of dips (humous, babaganoush) and pitta bread as well as the things SW suggested.

stop sucking up to me, the pair of you!

Heres my usual pudding suggestion

Eton Mess.

Look on the reduced shelves for crunched up meringues (if not just buy a pack or make them if you fancy)
Crush them up and throw in a load of strawberries and raspberries, then mix with thick double cream.

Really yummy and dead easy to make.