Buffet for 86

[LongDuckDong]

Help
I need to cater for a buffet but I am looking for food ideas where the guests do not need to touch other food in order to pick up what they want to eat. For example there will be cupcakes instead of birthday cake, and fruit kebabs. We dont want to have knives and forks so very much finger food.
Ideas of quantities and items that I can buy please.

I can’t see how that will work in practice. Even if you’re picking up a cupcake you can still knock the ones next to it. What’s the thinking with this?

I agree if it has to be a buffet you're best off with a catered one but quite honestly in current circumstances I'd be avoiding buffets altogether

Eighty six people?! That's a lot!
I don't think you will be able to do no handling of food AND no cutlery. Things that require spooning onto a plate rather than picking up will require a fork to eat them, otherwise you are going to have a lot of satay chicken and cheese and pineapple on sticks.

Hot, cold or both?

Have plenty of serving tongs

Mini sausage rolls
Mini cheese and onion rolls
Mini quiches
Crudités
Mini pork pies
Chips/sweet potato fries
Sandwiches
Cocktail sausages
Croquettes
Mini kebabs
Halloumi fries
Mini pies
Mozzarella sticks
Cherry tomatoes
Mini pizzas
Voluvents
Cheese cubes on sticks
Filo or Panko prawns
Mini toad in the whole
Cut pieces of asparagus wrapped in Parma ham
Arancini

Mini brownies/flapjacks/eclairs

Things - eg the pork pies - will need to be far apart from each other that you coild pick up one and not touch another. You'll need SO much space! And even then, people are greedy and grubby and will think nothing of pushing some things away to reach the 'better' one.

Woild it be an idea to do lunch packs, ie you put the bits together in advance and then hand them out? So minimum handling. You could use Google forms or similar for people to sign up in advance.

Cake boxes, packed with a selection of items are going to be your best way.
You could have a couple of options, eg vegetarian or meat, possibly offer chicken or beef also.
Sandwiches, individual quiche, sausage roll, vegetarian sausage roll, slices of frittata, pot of greek type salad ingredients.

Cakes of various kinds
Quiche
Crisps
Fruit
Sausage rolls
Pork pies
Cheese board
Wine
Canapes and dips
Raspberry tarts
Yoghurt

At our wedding did pizza and salad and had two people serving. Went down a right treat. I didn't even get a look in!

No eating irons? Ugh.
People will be licking their mucky fingers before picking up their next item.

The only way I think you can totally eliminate cross contamination with that many people self serving, would be individual packed deli style boxes. But, it doesn’t feel very celebratory and doesn’t allow for personal choice. If you must do a cold buffet I would just ensure that there are loads of tongs and serving spoons and dispensers of hand gel at the start of the buffet. I’d probably stand at the start of the line handing out plates and squirting hand gel but I fear that is due to the fact I spend too much time with 7 year olds.

The virus isn't transmitted via a surface as much as first thought, and then only if you touch a contaminated surface and then stick your fingers in your mouth, nose or eyes. It isn't transmitted through food.
Hotels wouldn't have buffet breakfasts if that was the case (I know some removed buffets but I have been to plenty that still have them).

I would provide a large box of disposable gloves and insist people use them and that avoids your problem. Put a bottle of sanitizer on each table and ask people to use it before and after using the buffer.

The bigger issue I would think is people being too close to each other when helping themselves to the buffet. Far more likely to spread the virus that way than through serving implements

There's really no need for this and as pp has pointed out, this is actually increasing your risk as people maybe licking their fingers!!

If you're happy to have 86 people in a room together, a bit of sharing spoons etc (provided they use sanitizer as they approach the buffet) really isn't an issue.

Maybe pre portioned 'packed lunch' type might be easier? How about mini afternoon tea boxes? Sandwiches, scones, cake?