Can you help me plan breakfast and lunch for a large group ?

[TheDogsMother]

I'm organising an overseas offsite trip for a group of 10 and there's been loads to get sorted. Next on my list is thinking about a delivery shopping list to cover 2 x breakfast and 1 x lunch to feed them all.

We have 1 x vegetarian, 2 x lactose intolerant, 1 x no nightshade vegetables (onion, tomato, pepper, potato). I'm thinking probably buffet style so people can eat according to their dietary requirements so what food would you include ? It wants to be easily assembled but look really appealing. I'd really appreciate some ideas as my brain is pretty worn out with the rest of the planning 😆

Which country will it be in? I'd probably do a big fruit platter, pastries, bread, butter, jam etc. Maybe some cheese, olives and cured meats or smoked salmon for those that can have it. Tea/coffee/orange juice with dairy free milk. For lunch salads, flatbreads, roasted veg, falafel, chicken kebabs, hummus etc.

Thank you @SendNoods this sounds great. They will be in Croatia.

One thing to consider as well is your budget.

As well as a cold continental breakfast, I would also think about some hot alternatives for breakfast as well. For example sausages, bacon, eggs done different ways, hash browns, toast etc.

For lunch, given that there are nine non-vegetarians and one vegetarian, there is no need to make everything exclusively vegetarian.

An addition to the ideas the PP above gave would be soup, a couple of different quiches, or anything ready made that can just be heated up and kept warm (eg lasagna).

Or perhaps a diy sandwich, roll or wrap set up. Provide a variety of cold meats, vegetables, salad and sauces that people can then use to make their own sandwich, roll or wrap.

People who aren’t vegetarian / lactose intolerant etc will still eat vegetarian or non-lactose food if they fancy it. I’d make sure that either food for people with specific dietary requirements is separate and labelled, or that there’s enough of it for everyone to have some and the person with the requirement to still have enough to eat.

Variations of eggs and baguettes, mushrooms, salads,butter.
Cereals. fruits.

Who is doing the preparation of this food? Assuming that the attendees themselves need to do it (and this scares me so perhaps as part of your planning work in a schedule for this so it's not all dumped on the junior person/woman), it needs to be simple. So all cold, all buffet style. If you are ordering online for delivery, you need as much pre-made/deli style as possible.

Breakfast:
Selection of cereals - I'd go with one chocolate, one rice crispie/weeatbis style and one granola
Yoghurt
Milk - cow and oat
Selection of pastries including things like pre-made crumpets that can go in a toaster etc
2 types of bread
Butter and margarine/spread
Eggs (if someone is willing to scramble/boil them)
Jam/Honey, chocolate spread, peanut butter
Fruit - preferably pre-made in fruit salad or platters

Lunch:
Deli fillers/spreads like chicken liver pate, vegetable pate, salmon pate etc.
Selection of cold meats
Bread and rolls - a few types. Even better if you can add something ike a couple of ciabattas or similar if they can be fresh or there's somewhere to heat them.
Butter and margarine/spread
Selection of cheese
Pre made salads - at least two types, preferably three. I'd go for something like a classic garden, something with pasta/couscous and something with beans. All vegetarian and at least one dairy-free, preferably 2.
A quiche. Ideally vegetarian. or one veggie, one meat.
Pickles and chutneys and mustards
Crisps and nuts
Fruit platters
2-3 types of tart/cake for dessert. At least one dairy free.

@TheDogsMother are you ordering the food for the UK, and taking it with you, or ordering it for collection over there?

Things like crumpets wouldn't be available in Croatia, but presumably you don't want to be travelling across europe with yoghurt etc.

For breakfast, I'd make it easy on yourself and go continental style - pastries, bread to toast with various spreads, including dairy free spread for the lactose intolerant ones, jams, peanut butter. Fresh fruit in a bowl. Tea/coffee/juice with milk/dairy free milk.

Are these British people or Croatians? I think it's lunch that's tricky. I would be inclined to make life easy and either go for meats, cheeses, olives, antipasti type things, salad (nightshade free) with various nice breads, plus something sweet for dessert/fruit salad. If you can find it and you have the facilities to cook, I'd also consider some sort of hot meal you could pre-cook and heat up for the crowd, like a lentil soup if you could make it onion free, with bread, cheeses, salad.

Ploughman s lunch. With a few Mediterranean extras like olives and hummus.

Breakfast. One day I’d do overnight oats in individual portions using 2 different milks with a selection of fruit and yoghurt to top it. Easy to prep the night before.
Pastries and toast the other day.

Are they going to have a very active morning and/or an early start? I love my food but if I have a large breakfast I genuinely don't need all that much at lunchtime. (I have no impulse control, though, so if there is food there I will eat it!) Also, will dinner be substantial? Are you eating out for that?

These suggestions are brilliant, thank you so much.

@mindutopia The group is a mix from Asia/US/UK.

@GerbilsForever24 The whole group are fairly young and though I shouldn't make assumptions I think they'd be able to heat things rather than cook things.

@EmpressaurusOfCats This is good advice. I was wondering about coconut yoghurt for everyone however I haven't eaten it myself so don't really know what it is like.

@MabelMaybe I will be compiling the shopping list and giving it to the villa host who will organise the shop and deliver. I think they may be using a Lidl so that's good for cold meats and cheese.

@TheDogsMother I'm not concerned re skill level so much as inevitably it falling to one person, usually a woman. I think that part of your preparation should be to ensure that this doesn't happen by creating a schedule up front.

Also, if I'm on a work away trip, I don't want to be slaving in the kitchen so yes, warming something up, sure. cooking a whole meal? No.

Coconut yoghurt is awful by the way!

How strict is the nightshade issue? Do you need to avoid things like tomato powder and onion powder in seasonings? A tiny bit of tomato paste in a sauce? potato starch as an ingredient?

How hot will it be?
What are they doing? Eg rushing around walking or lazing by the pool
Is there a large dinner in the evening?

@TomeTome Not boiling hot, low 20s. They will be doing a mix of day trips and work so nothing hugely energetic

@Ponderingwindow I don't think it is that severe, he just avoids those vegetables with his meals. Makes pizzas and pasta dishes a little tricky

@GerbilsForever24 Yes I'm very keen to avoid it all falling to a woman too. They are all young and I think a lot more conscious of this sort of thing. I guess buffet style means they can make their own. Thanks for the tip about coconut yoghurt. Is soy yoghurt any better ?

I'd keep the breakfasts very basic, breads of a couple of different types, jams, honey, jugs of fruit juice, baskets of fruit (whole) possibly mini selection boxes of cereal with a choice of milk types.
Keeping in mind it will all have to be laid out, and cleared away.

Lunch, buffet style, all cold items, platters of meats & cheeses, green salad, bowls of tomatoes, radishes, cucumber, etc. A lot will depend on what is available locally.
Are you planning on glasses of wine with lunch?
There might be a local baker who would do tarts/cakes for you, or think about soft fruits with ricotta type cheese?

The person with the nightshade allergy, I think I'd keep food for them individually. Find out from them exactly what they can eat, and have it prepared separately.

Thank you @AdaColeman this is great. re wine, none of them drink alcohol so that keeps drinks simple.

Personally, if I have to have dairy free, I go soy (not that available I think, but not sure) or oat - we quite like the Oatly ones here. DD is lactose intolerant and hates all the coconut stuff as she says it all just tastes like coconut! I have to agree with her.

I'd go for both, personally unless the bulk of your attendees are lactose intolerant? Having said that, a good friend is also lactose intolerant and she'll eat non dairy yoghurts if she has to, but she's not a fan either.

I’d do a buffer style breakfast and I always liked the coconut yogurt. Although it does taste mildly coconut.
I do a buffet style lunch as well mainly cold foods as it’s just easier.

@TheDogsMother , if you are going too, maybe you should pack your own !!

BREAKFAST, piles of nice bread, jam, hot rolls and bacon or warm boiled eggs or mushrooms to be stuffed inside, caldron of porridge with “toppings” like chocolate chips, cinnamon sugar, syrup, nuts, chopped fruit, cream, etc to sprinkle on top (nb use VERY small spoons in the toppings, people take three scoops whatever the size). Fruit like melon, or grapes.

LUNCH, I’d do a veg lasagne, a meat lasagne, and three salads, plus garlic bread. For the lactose intolerant I’d add individual pasta bake so it’s all shove in the oven and get salads out of the fridge. Buy a selection of choc ice sand cornets and ice lollies to have afterwards.

@AdaColeman If I was going I certainly would 😂

@TomeTome I think veg lasagne, garlic bread salad is a fab idea though does that get left for one person to do. Choc ices and ice creams is a great idea too.

Honestly plonking a lasagne and garlic bread in the oven and getting out salad is NOT work.

If it ends up falling on the most junior woman, which it inevitably will, it is work and it is a problem.

I’m wondering if rather then a buffet which someone will have to set up, you could get some sort of boxed meals made so people can grab their own.

I have a nightshade allergy (and don’t eat meat, which is a nightmare in lots of places).

If not cooking myself I tend to eat at delis/subway type places where all the ingredients are separated. The worst thing is not being able to see what’s actually in a eg quiche/vegetable frittata/pie.