Blog
How Much Food Should You Serve at Your Party?
When you’re throwing a party, whether it be for a birthday, graduation, wedding, or special occasion, you are excited to be in charge of a memorable event. But you must make sure it is the right kind of memorable. You want your guests to remember your party for the good, not the bad. It starts with food. You don’t want people walking around your event with a grumpy attitude because they didn’t get enough grub to satisfy their hunger.
Of course, all parties expect a different amount of guests, which means a different amount of food. While there are a number of factors to consider in order to ensure the party goes off as planned, one of the toughest challenges lies with food preparation. If you are throwing a party without outside help, or if you are hiring a company like Village Catering to prepare the dishes, how much food do you need? When placing your order, there are a few things you have to consider.
–How many people are expected at the party? This is obvious, but more people results in a bigger order. Get a finalized list and order 1.5 servings for every guest. This way you’ll have enough for everybody and a little more for those who want seconds.
–What is the menu going to be like? Will everyone find what you’re serving enjoyable? A variety of menu options means smaller portions so guests can pick and choose what they want to eat. The less variety you have, the more of each dish you have to order.
–Is it a sit down meal, or buffet style? When you’re making a meal for a select number of guests, you know roughly how any pounds, or how many servings you will need. When it’s a buffet style, people tend to eat more. Take this into consideration.
–How long is the event going to last? The longer the event lasts, the more your guests are going to eat. Plan your food order accordingly. Think Hors D’oeuvres to start, appetizers, main courses, desserts, and sandwich platters or chips and dip to fill the gap for an all day party.
–Dessert? What kind of dessert are you serving? Plan on 1 serving of each dessert for each guest, just to be on the safe side.
Remember, it’s always better to overestimate than it is to underestimate. Some people will eat more than others, but it’s a balancing game and overestimating gives you more breathing room. Food is an essential part of any party, and no matter how much fun other guests are having, the ones who didn’t eat are miserable. Throw a good party. Make sure it’s memorable. Sit back and enjoy the moment by hiring Village Catering.