We all know hosting a party can be a lot of fun, but it can also require a lot of work.
Catering doesn’t have to be though, if you’re prepared ahead of time.
How much food you should prepare for an event depends on a number of factors, including;
- Guests – will there be children at the event? Children usually eat approximately half of an adult serving.
- Time of day – is it morning or evening? Meal time or between meals? People tend to eat less in the morning and more in the afternoon / evenings.
- Menu style – are you planning on serving a plated meal? Or canapes?
Canapes are a good option for an event with minimal seating or that doesn’t fall on a designated meal time. They are also useful for long events where you want to keep your guests contented before the main meal.
For a short-medium length party where you’re only serving canapes, a good rule of thumb is to factor in 4 canapes per person per hour. So for an event lasting three hours, you should prepare approximately 12 canapes per person.
Here are some of our favourite easy-to-prepare nibbles to get you inspired.
Savoury
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Sweet
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If you’re hosting a large event and preparing a hundred or more canapes isn’t feasible, consider platters or a grazing table. These are quick and easy to prepare, and require minimal effort throughout the event as guests can help themselves.
Antipasto platters are great, and usually contain a mix of cheeses, breads, dips, cured meats, olives, dried fruit and tapenades. Grazing tables are a larger version of these and have the potential to be dressed as a centre piece for the room.
