Determining how much food you need for a party is one of the most challenging aspects of event planning. You should have enough to feed everyone a reasonable amount of food but also make sure there aren’t too many leftovers. At SLICE, we help clients determine how much food they need during a consultation. Here are tips that can help you with the process:
- Basic food guidelines
Consider the portion sizes of every meal per person. While some guests are big eaters, most have a similar appetite as you do. Experienced caterers have a better idea of how much people eat at parties or events so you can ask them for details. Here’s a basic guideline:
- Appetizers – This depends on the type of party you’re hosting. If you plan to offer a full meal, limit appetizers to 3-4 types every hour. If you don’t plan to include full meals, arrange for 5-8 types of finger foods every hour. Provide a good variety of options.
- Full meals – Portion size of each dish in a meal depends on the dish itself. It’s a good idea to assemble a full sample meal for yourself to determine how much is needed. Around 4 ounces per dish per meal is a good rule of thumb to follow.
- Salads – One gallon of prepared salad should feed around 20 to 25 guests. One cup per person of green salad without dressing is suitable for full meal events.
- Desserts – Divide desserts into single servings to determine how much you require. Every guest will consume one serving though it’s a good idea to prepare for big eaters or people with a sweet tooth.
- Wine – You’ll need about 2-3 bottles of wine for every 10 guests. Use this as a base to calculate wine quantity for your party so if you invite 10 to 20 people, get 4 to 6 bottles.
- General tips
- Always get slightly more than what you need. It’s better to have some leftovers than to leave guests hungry.
- Include a combination of light and heavy dishes in your menu. Some people might want more filling foods while others will prefer lighter meals.
- Always keep extra servings of popular dishes on hand. If you think something will be a hit, order more of it.
- Consider the time of day during your planning. People will expect heavier meals during lunch or dinner time and lighter meals in between.
- Number of guests
The last factor to consider is the number of guests. Always add RSVP to your invitations so you get a clearer idea of who will come and who won’t. Some people will not RSVP but will still attend the party, so include a few extras services to be safe.
It’s not possible to be precise because some guests might cancel at the last minute, some will eat more or less than others, etc. But these tips will help you reduce the amount of leftovers and related expense.
If you want to know more about catering or our services, don’t hesitate to contact us at SLICE.
