Please advise me how to do a buffet???

[krisskross]

It's for my sons first Communion coming up, for around 11 to 16 adults and 8 children.
I've looked at pinterest but not sure what to do....it's inbetween lunch and dinner.

Just sandwiches so we don't need cutlery (we don't have enough and this is really worrying me!)

Also, most of our plates are chipped and mismatched..... Is it poss to get good quality disposable stuff that's not too expensive?

I Really am stressed about it, thanks all.

Most supermarkets do really good selections of finger food, often in the frozen section. Pizza cut into slices. French bread or garlic bread. Cheese and biscuits. i tend to stay clear of sandwiches, to be honest, as bread dries out quickly. I go for things that can be left out for a couple of hours so people can go back and pick.

Lots of different types of disposable plates, etc, so you're bound to find something to suit your budget. Try places like Poundland, Wilkinsons, Home Bargains. Also get those big foil trays for serving food on.

My friend did a lovely afternoon tea for a similar event. 3 or 4 types of sandwich cut into small rectangle shapes. Cake and scones with jam and cream. Bowls of strawberries. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and fizz.

Paper plates from the supermarket are totally fine for sandwiches - they don't need to be that robust if you aren't using cutlery.

Will people have had lunch before they come? Just thinking that if they have then you could just do scones and cake?

Sorry I posted too soon. I meant to ask if sandwiches / finger food would be ok so we wouldn't need cutlery. It'll be around 2pm.

Thanks all and thsnks for suggestions so far.

Sandwich and finger food totally fine

Get some paper plates/cups and you won't need cutlery.

I really like toot sweet party plates and serving dishes (put "toot sweet plates" into Amazon). They are a little bit pricier than some but they are really smart.

I would do some wraps cut into into pinwheels (so you place them with the spiral edge up) as these look really attractive and don't dry out quickly. If you were feeling fancy you could do a mix of brown and white sandwiches with the crusts cut off and cut into quarters laid out on the plate to make a chequer board. Keep in fridge covered in cling film until people arrive back from the church.

Presumably there will be a cake, but I might also get/make some little fairy cakes (I'd probably ice them to make the colours of the plates etc), or those bite sized flapjacks and brownies you buy in tubs.

You could put out some crudités in glasses (just use your own tumblers) and possibly some breadsticks.

Make sure you put out a couple of jugs of soft drinks so people can help themselves. And double the amount of disposable cups you need as people will leave theirs lying around and take fresh ones. Allow 1/2 bottle of wine or 3 beers per person if serving alcohol. I guess at that time of day some people will want tea/coffee but I think it would be fine just to serve cold drinks so you are not messing around sorting out their teas etc, unless you already have a teapot and a cafetiere in which case you might want to put those out with cups/milk jug/sugar etc.

Excellent, thanks t1 mum, really helpful!

For buffets I usually get sainsburys (but other supermarkets do it too) to make up a couple of party platters. Its been a few years since I did one but I got free glass hire and I think they can supply cutlery etc too.

I'm not sure how to do a clever Linky thing, but here is their website

www.sainsburys.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/gb/groceries/get-ideas/delivery-and-guides/instore-services/party-platters?langId=44&storeId=10151&krypto=QZORUtiSiRDfVGX9DoL31JDJRvBL2ljflwFPjHIDYvSiIIseNi93ibqE9iuSTMeeMOXx31NgvzLBqBEOsCx85VApRDN4kzxTBpy%2BUjYccVWvan2kBJDWUanQ%2B6lMoXNDP%2FUhWtKr1%2BQd%2BEb5oBB8ks2PPmcI2Ww6Wvbg0nh%2Bas4%3D&ddkey=http%3Agb%2Fgroceries%2Fget-ideas%2Fdelivery-and-guides%2Finstore-services%2Fparty-platters

You know I think that's a great idea..
.I will perhaps do that, thanks

One more thing...... Can anyone tell me how much food to serve per person? for those of us going to the church it's lunch too. Thanks all

Think of what you'd usualky eat at lunch, then double it! People always seem to eat lots more of a buffet than would if making themselves a normal cold lunch!

Thanks adara, I certainly eat more

It was DS's First Holy Communion on Sunday. We had 12 adults and 8 children. Mass was at 11:45 so buffet was at 2ish by the time photos were done with the Priest etc.
We had a bbq. We went with the very basic numbers of a burger, hot dog and chicken drumstick per person and then a few extra of each. Used a loaf and a bit for sandwiches. Bowl of pasta salad. Salad-y stuff. Crisps. Special request of cheese and pineapple on sticks from DS! We also had a sponge cake and a chocolate cake.
Not sure if that's any help.
Hope you have a lovely day!

Thank you running.... I'd love a bbq but frankly were rubbish at them!!! Hope you all had a great day.

Oh yes, any decent buffet HAS to have cheese & pineapple on sticks!

We're not great at them either! I get a bit too flustered. We did the sausages in the oven and burgers on an ancient george foreman grill thing. Worked a treat.
But if the weather hadn't been as nice then we would have gone for the usual mini sausages, sausage roll type thing. Baked potatoes too. Also, I think you can buy platters of sandwiches from Morrisons. Saves you one boring job.

I did a buffet recently for my DD's 2nd birthday. I made a big Veggie Chilli (in the slow cooker and kept it there for serving), rice, potato salad and lots of other salads (beetroot and feta, chickpea, green and couscous) along with some hot sausage rolls and indian snack selection.

I know you say you wanted to avoid cutlery but I got some decent (ie not the cheapest of the cheap) plastic knives and forks and these plates off Amazon which were plastic and reusable if washed carefully.

It was the sausage rolls and indian snacks that went the quickest without a doubt.

I find sandwiches dry out too quickly, but wraps are a good idea I think.
I have also used the Sainsbury's party platters before and they are good quality.

Not sure if you live near a Morrisons but their deli counter do platters which are extremely good value. They are usually 2 for £10, and you can get a platter of sandwiches, and they also do a ploughmans platter with lots of cold meat, pork pies, cheese, pickles etc. It would cost you an awful lot more to make them yourself and they are really lovely. You just call up the store to order for a specific date/time and just go to pick them up. We have bought them for family picnics before and I got some for my daughters birthday party.

Look in poundland for large foil serving plates if you're making your own sarnies etc.

Thanks everyone, busybea I Do live near Morrisons.....great idea seems cheaper than elsewhere.... Was the quality ok? Thanks all

Cutlery - you can but very cheap packs of plastic ones in the supermarkets - about £1

Buy some bags of crisps - add some salad - tomatoes, cucumber to the platters -

Little sausages are popular with kids - add some tube yogurts for them -

Biscuits - can be fancy add colour

Morrisions IME are great at that sort of thing . We have done similar events and the most popular and easiest was a make your own sandwich buffet (that has been repeated by family and friends).

We got French bread and rolls. A big joint of gammon and a small one of beef, some sliced chicken (this one was purchased). Brie and cheddar (although our friends got loads of core sliced continental cheeses & cold meats from Aldi and that was lovely). Bowls of lettuce leaves, sliced tomatoes and cucumber. Different pickles. Guests just made up their own rolls.
We had cake and a fruit platter for pudding. We just used cheap paper plates which then can be added to the recycling.

Hope it all goes well. Whatever you decide and you have a lovely day.

You can do sandwiches, quiche, sausage rolls, pizza cut into squares or slices, crisps, small sausages for the kids or hot dogs, Indian type snacks, and so on. There are loads of things you can do. To get an ideas for making your own stuff go to web sites like M&S to see what they do then make it fit around what you want.

With the cocktail sausages, jut bear on mind that kids will often grab handfuls of them!

I love seeing kids plates at buffets, they usually consist of 9 sausages, 4 party rings and a mountain of hula hoops

Morrisons fine! Get paper plates and pretty napkins.

I'd do -
Bread sticks and dips (buy some teaspoons)
Cucumber and carrot sticks
Bowl of kettle chips
Bowl of cheese puff type crisps for the kids
A cheese selection and crackers and chutney (one good knife and tea spoon for the chutney)
Cold margarita pizza slices (always seems a bigger hit with kids than sandwiches and much less faff)
Mini sausages
Olives

Thank you! Morrisons it is