Lunch for 25 people...buffet? I have a confused face.

[LynetteScavo]

25 people are coming for lunch.

It all needs to be prepared ahead.

I don't have enough space for us all to sit down, so it needs to be buffet...I can do hot buffet, ie jacket potatoes. (I think )

If I do a cold buffet I don't want to do 2,000 different dishes. Is there a rule about how many different dishes to do? I'd rather do a few huge bowls of things, like a pasta salad, a rice salad....what do you think? Normally I don mid afternoon buffet, and people aren't that hungry, so a mini quiches are acceptable, but I think these people might be hungry.

I think your idea about the few big bowls of pasta salads etc sounds nice. I don't think there is any rule - perhaps go for a couple of different pastas, some leafy salad, a rice salad and then some baguette or garlic bread. Then maybe an easy pudding. If there is some left over it will all keep for the next day too.

I've done a load of jackets with a variety of toppings in bowls for people to help themselves to eg cheese, coleslaw, prawn mayo etc, plus a green salad type thing to brighten up the plates... Easy and quite cheap.

I think baguette is a good idea: it's filling, cheap and easy. I'd get tons of that.

You could get loads of cold meats to go with it - ham, salami etc. Potentially cheese too, pre cut into cubes / slices?

Then I think big bowls of pasta salad, rice salad, green leafy salad etc would work well.

If you have kids coming, naice chicken nuggets could be good. You could pre-cook and serve them cold.

Or you could do chilli ?

I like your ideas. I would add some protein, cheese, tuna, chicken, maybe coronation chicken too, ham type things, they can be put on jackets or eaten along side salad.

I would go with the loads of jackets, 5 different fillings and a few big bowls of salad idea - cheese, coleslaw, beans, tuna mayo, chilli and jobs a good 'un

I did a buffet a while ago and I found the food that went the quickest were the fresh foods. I made a salad with cucumber, tomatoes, feta, olive oil, salt and pepper with some home made croutons. It went so quick I never got to try it.

Big cheese board with grapes, celery, bread, crackers, radishes
Bowl of green salad
Bowl of coleslaw
Couple of quiches
Couple of trifles and a couple of cakes

Or the baked potato idea is a good one but harder to eat standing up.

Mary Berry does a great cookbook called Cook up a feast which is basically a how to entertain cookbook - recipes for every sort of occasion, with quantities for 6 or 12. I've done lunch for 70 from it, and she has ahelpful section on how much salad, bread, etc. per person.

We have about same amount over on Monday for party and we just raided tesco, sains and waitrose, we have

10 packs of kebabs ( between 4-8 in different packs) lamb, chicken, beef , lamb and pork all different flavours

Loafs of fresh prawns will get on day

20 mini burgers from waitrose ( they are packs of mixed flavour burgers)

20 naice sausages

2 large quiches

Chicken wings

Crisps and dips
Will also do a huge tray of new potatoes roasted with garlic, rosemary and bacon

Huge load of salamis, chorizo, hams

Huge Cheese board

Sausage rolls, mini sausages

Bilinis and smoked salmon

Plus sure I have forgot some, but we always like to over estimate rather than not have enough , plus enough wine, beer and spirits for the whole street but doubt lots will be drunk and most have work next day.

Sandwiches, Quiche, pizza, dips and veg, cheese, bread sticks, salad, olives, ham/salami

Stick half a dozen reasonably OK supermarket pizzas, & maybe some bhaji/samosa type packs in the fridge in addition to whatever you've decided to do.

Have the oven on, & if it looks like everything is getting scoffed faster than you'd bargained for, just keep the pizzas & bhajis coming to top up.

If they aren't needed they'll freeze for next time.

I think the jacket potato idea is great....then a five toppings and a salad.

I'll get some pizzas and then if people don't go home, I can stick them in the oven later.

What time do people normally leave these things if they come for lunch, have to travel an hour or two and have work/school the next day?

Hope whatever you decided to do was a success. If they're still there, start clearing up, yawning, and talking about your busy day tomorrow.

People should leave a lunch party by 3.30-4 pm I would say. Maybe do trifle, tiramisu type lunch puds and have some cakes ready in case people are still there after 4pm. You could say 'would you like a cup of tea and piece of cake before you head off?' That way no unwanted guests still lingering in the evening.