Food for after a funeral - please can someone help me?

[anchovies]

Have said I'll sort out the food for after FILs funeral on Wednesday, was wondering if anyone could give me there thoughts on what I should do, there are going to be about 40 people.

Was thinking
Tea and coffee (obviously!)
Sandwiches (how many per person and what fillings?)
Crisps
Coleslaw
Salads (prawn and duck, ready made big bowls from costco)
Pork pie

Is that enough/alright?

sorry "their thoughts..."

Any cake at all?

Told you I needed help!

Yes defo cake

i would put out some cakes, even if people dont want food they may have tea and cake.

If you have salads, you will need something to eat it with, eg forks. If you stick to finger foods, you won't. This is not a criticism, just something to bear in mind. Presumably, there will not be room for everyone to sit down?

I am sorry that your FIL has died.

And probably less food than you think...I am not sure people are particularly hungry at funerals...more a distraction...

Personally I would keep to finger foods so there was little washing up - suasage rolls, cocktail sausages etc and not do coleslaw and salds. Remember you will be exhausted at the end of the day.

i would think thats fine.

Sandwich fillings, stick to easy things

ham
salmon
cheese
chicken.

then I would do a selection in white and brown bread, say a loaf of white ham and half a loaf of brown ham, loaf of white salmon and half a loaf of brown, etc etc etc.

HTH

sandwiches
egg mayo
cheese & tomato
tuna mayo
ham & cheese

I would make 3 or 4 platters - about 2 or 3 quarters for each person

what about sausage rolls
carrot sticks, celery and cucumber with dips
cheese and pineapple sticks
cocktail sausages
fruit cake

Finger food always goes down well at occasions like this rather than meals you need to eat with knives and forks

have you got seating? eating a plate of salads and coleslaw will need knives and forks and sitting down

if you dont have space for that stick to the sandwiches, cakes etc which will be lovely

go for loads of sandwiches and clearly label what they are somehow

perhaps cooked sausages instead of the pork pie for cost/ease of eating?

So sorry for you and dh's loss, anchovies.

It all needs to be stuff that people can eat easily while standing up talking to others (unless you have plenty of space for people to sit down and have plates on tables or laps). Do you really need salads and coleslaw? They are quite fiddly to eat with just a fork and plate in your hand. I think sandwiches and pork pie slices are good, and then what about vol-au-vents or other things you can eat even with just a plate and napkin (don't forget lots of paper napkins). Something sweet too, esp if there are many older people there as they like a bit of fruit cake or flapjack with their tea. Re amounts - it does vary a lot, I remember my great aunts funeral was like a plague of locusts and there was barely a crumb left, but at other funerals I have been to, people have eaten less. As a massive generalisation, if the death was expected and the person had reached a decent age, people eat and celebrate the life more, if they were young and the death is a shock, it will be a more brief thing and you need less food.

Sorry about your loss.

mustard for the pork pie
a round of sandwiches (2 slices of bread) per person, simple and easily identifiable fillings like ham & mustard, cheese and pickle, egg and cress, chicken salad.
some little cakes and biscuits
whisky to fortify the tea!

Posts crossed but agree with other that sausage rolls and cocktail sausages a good idea.

I realise it's probably too much work, but we also had a little photo album with pictures of the person who has died for people to pass around and look at. People really liked that and very much enjoyed seeing pictures of their friend - it was not upsetting, more comforting.

If you have many from an older generation coming then perhaps a bottle of sherry?

Thanks everyone, so the revised menu is:
Tea and coffee
Sandwiches, 10 rounds each of ham, cheese, beef and chicken
Crisps
Pork pie slices (and mustard)
Little sausages
Fruitcake
Other cake

Thanks for the fab photo album idea, I am definitely going tofind time to do this as I am sure my MIL (and everyone else) would love it.

Last couple of questions:
cups and saucers or would mostly mugs (except for the nans) be ok?
Do I need to find a load of teapots?
Am I right in saying no to paper plates?

Anchovies, I should think with 40 people, you will need a few teapots. I wouldn't worry about whether you need to use mugs or cups. Older folk often only want a small cup though. Ditto plates: have you got 40 china plates? If not, you are going to need to paper surely?

I would get paper plate, then you can just bin them after.

I can get (borrow) 40 plates if they would be better?

get some paper napkins too
can you borrow a large teapot from somewhere (church/community hall?)
and borrow a kettle too.

china plates fine, some folk like to wash up as a distraction.

Thanks everyone, feel much better with a plan!