Am doing the catering for FIL's funeral on Monday so does this sound okay for funeral fare?

[handlemecarefully]

You don't need to send me your sympathies we weren't all that close (although he was a nice enough old gent). It is dh who is feeling the loss.

This is what I am planning to do:

ham sandwiches
cheese sandwiches
sausage rolls
carrot and cucumber crudites with dips
tortilla chips
filled vol au vents
bacon, leek and cheese quiche
and some bottles of champagne to toast FIL

Is this appropriate / okay?

I've actually never been to a funeral so don't know what food is laid on for mourners

Oh and this will sound tight - but dh and I are paying for all the food and wouldn't dream of asking MIL to contribute...so, would sparkling wine suffice rather than champagne (don't shoot me for saying that!) - it's just that champers is a minimum of £20 per bottle

Oh I'll throw in some cherry tomatoes as well.

Do I need to do salads?

Mourners won't have any lunch so probably will be hungry

Bump

Hi handlemecarefully-your 'spread' sounds fine.
I have been to quite a lot of funerals for elderly relatives over past few years so quite a veteranof the funeral buffet.
Like the idea of toasting your fil.

Thanks ArticRoll - just wasn't sure what is 'expected'. Do you think I need some cake / dessert?

for my grandad's funeral i did

platters of sandwiches, one veggie, one meaty
chicken legs
posh pork pie
two quiches, one veggie, one meaty
warm bread rolls
pasta salad
green salad
plain crisps

didn't do champagne/sparkling wine, just had red and white.

sounds fine.

I'd be tempted to put some chopped up french stick and butter out too.

oh yes, we had two big desserts, a tiramisu and a trifle, someone offered to make and bring them. otherwise i;d have probably had mini fruit tarts from m&s i think.

oh and plenty of tea and coffee, and milk and sugar to go in it.

if your going to do cake and have a tesco's near you they do tesco finest cakes for about £1.50, a choc one a fudge one and carrot cake each serves about 8 i think

adn BOOZE

Do at least some of the vol-au-vents veggie if there will be any veggies(since the sausage rolls and quiche aren't veggie?)

Sounds fine for me.

I am sure saprkling wine is ok - it's recognised now that a vintage cava, or sparkling burgundy or method champagnois may well be superior to some champagnes. Have you got an Oddbins or Majestic near you? they are generally good at recommending reasonably priced but good sparkling wine (and cheaper champagne)

What about bottles of asti?
You can usually get that quite cheap.

Good point about catering for the veggies too - will do.

Yep - french stick is always a winner. Perhaps I'll do some chicken legs too.

Ok - will get some pud / cakes in

Thanks for all these suggestions

HMC - we had scones with big bowls of jam and cream for people to add after my grandmother's funeral.

I think older people liked scones more than carrot cake (sweeping generalisation).

It also gave everyone lots of opportunities to say - "ooh, these are nowhere near as good as your grandmother's" (but in a nice way, because the scones were very yummy).

Ooh yes, booze, a lot of older people prefer sherry to wine (at a funeral anyway)
However finding enough sherry glasses may be a problem.

We had similar food at FILs funeral. we did small rolls rather than sandwiches. we also offered a glass of sherry when we got back to the house.
The older ladies particularly seemed to enjoy this

i owuldnt do chicken legs

they are too messy and are always left at the end

i LOVE the idea of scones with a big bowl of jam and cream

have lots of tea and coffee too

Where are you having the 'do'? At home or a hall or somewhere?

Perhaps whiskey as well-usually for the people left at the end of the wake.
Gosh I sound like a boozer!

Ok - sherry to be added to the list!