How Much Food Do You Need to Cater a Party?
Two things go wrong when people order catering for the first time. They either order for the number of guests as though everyone eats the same amount, or they panic and order half again as much as anyone can eat.
Here is how to think about it properly.
Six dishes in moderate quantity beats three dishes in large quantity every time.
Count appetites, not heads
A room of thirty adults at a evening reception eats considerably more than a room of thirty at a mid-morning office meeting. Children eat roughly half an adult portion, and often less of the mezze.
A useful rule: for a sit-down meal, count one full portion per adult and add ten percent. For a standing event where people graze, count three quarters of a portion per adult but widen the variety.
The shape of a Mediterranean spread
Unlike a plated dinner, a mezze-led spread works on proportions rather than portions. For a group of twenty-five, a balanced order looks roughly like this:
- Three or four dips — hummus, baba ghanoush, muhammara, yogurt with cucumber
- Two salads — one herb-led like tabbouleh, one substantial like fattoush
- Two proteins from the grill — usually one chicken, one beef or lamb
- One rice dish
- Two or three hot vegetable sides
- Bread, generously — people always eat more than expected
- Dessert for about two thirds of the group
Widening the variety matters more than deepening any one dish. Six dishes in moderate quantity beats three dishes in large quantity every time.
Timing
Food should arrive close to when people eat, not hours ahead. Hot dishes hold well for a while but salads with dressing and anything fried have a shorter window.
Tell your caterer the time you want people eating, not the time you want delivery. Any caterer worth using will work backwards from that.
Things people forget
Vegetarians and vegans. Mediterranean catering handles this better than most cuisines, but say so up front so the balance is right rather than leaving your guests eating only salad.
Serving equipment. Trays, tongs, plates and napkins are easy to overlook until the food is on the table.
Somewhere to put it. A spread needs more table than people expect.
Ask for help with the order
The most useful thing you can do is tell your caterer the headcount, the type of event, the time and your budget, and let them build the order. We do this daily and you almost certainly do not. It costs nothing to ask and it usually saves money.
If you are planning something in Texas, tell us about it and we will put an order together for you.
