Ordering for large events and get togethers, or even a small party of 10 people can get confusing. It would require a fairly high level of clairvoyance to predict how much food your guests will finally consume.
For those, like me, who dislike buffet food wastage and try to aim for minimum leftovers - the challenge is even more vexing. And for those, like Rohit, who shudder at the thought of a disappointed hungry guest turning away with an empty plate; over-ordering may seem like the better approach.
But there are simple ways to predict food consumption at a party. Here are 5 key considerations gleaned from our years in the event management industry - use them as your guideline, the next time you plan an event:
- Meat Eaters: So you’ve factored in 'The Vegetarians’…well, at a buffet, you’ll generally find that non-vegetarians will help themselves to the vegetarian food. So remember to count the meat eaters into your vegetarian numbers.
- Time of Day: People will eat more for dinner than lunch, so your menu can safely go lighter for lunch over dinner - in terms of the number of dishes and portion sizes.
- Weather: This plays a role in the kind of food you order. It’s true that people eat more when it’s cold and lesser when they are hot and sweaty.
- Kid Count: Make sure you count kids as 'half portion’; only if they are below 9 years of age. Most 10 year olds and above are hearty eaters, and much quicker to waste since their parents are no longer serving them.
- Range Guidelines: Good catering menus will give you guidelines with a range. For example, if a dish serves 8-12 people, it generally means around 8 if that’s all you are serving, and closer to 12 as you have other accompaniments.
At Spice Ladle, our catering menu includes clear guidelines on the number of people that can eat from an order. We also add a price range for you, to help with budgeting. Anytime you feel confused, give us a call and we’ll help bring it all together as per preferences.
Check out the menu and give us a try soon…we deliver to all cities along the Peninsula, and to SF city and San Jose.
