Tips For Ordering
Finger buffets are ideal for both formal & informal events. They can vary in complexity and depth of planning dependant on menu choices and volume of people attending. There should be a wide range of food offering everyone a choice & it keeps the cost down as people tend to serve themselves.
Fork Buffets are slightly more formal allowing the guests still to choose from a variety of food choices; however the guest will require real crockery & cutlery as disposable alternatives will still be ok to use, but be less practical. Fork buffets often have a combination of hot and chilled food offering still more choices and can be left unsupervised allowing the guest to help themselves. In our opinion it is worth having a few staff to ensure the presentation is always good and that clearing up can be conducted without interruption of the event, plan for 2 waiting staff per 30 guests.
Hot Buffets are easily managed as above; the choices tend to be one pot cooking style such as Curries or Lasagne for example. We can cook the hot food at our kitchens and transport it in thermal boxes setting it up in hotel style chafing dishes which will maintain the heat of the food for a further 2 hours.
Cooking on site will broaden further the types of hot food available; however we will require full access to a hygienic kitchen with hot running water and will have to arrange a visit to ensure everything is in working order.
Use the following tips as a guide:
Age – a major factor: food which generally appeals to a teenager will probably not appeal to most people over 30
Culture - traditional simple choices suit most people, but try to introduce more interesting choices from around the world, this will broaden the appeal of the food. Also think about the culture of the people who are likely to attend, ensure you do your research!
Specialist diets– consider who is going to attend, if you have no idea as to who is attending then assume that at least 5 - 10% of your attendees will be vegetarian. Take real care to avoid cross contamination of meaty/veggie use separate preparation areas, chopping boards & utensils as a bare minimum. Coeliac or wheat intolerant attendees are also becoming more commonplace and are easily accommodated with forethought, flexibility & planning. With specialist diets it is essential to clearly label, & separate the food into easily identifiable groups.
Event – Consider the occasion, Funerals for example the food should be varied & appeal to a wide age group, finger buffets are ideal as they allow the guests to walk around chatting to various groups whilst eating.
Portioning - a finger buffet should have a wide selection of freshly made buffet sandwiches, depending on budget go for at least 1 buffet sandwich per person & at least 4 – 5 buffet items per person particularly if your party/group is not going onto eat another meal in the next few hours.
Ingredients – The Red & Green Buffet Co make most of the food from scratch, we try where possible to source our food locally and make a concerted effort to use British and ethically farmed foods.
Colour & variety – The food should always look appealing. The use of natural colour such as stuffed cherry tomatoes make the buffet more appealing, there is nothing more unappealing than a “varying shades of brown buffet”. Also use a fresh salad garnish, as not only does this help with colour, but assists in keeping the food fresh.
Keep cool & fresh – The Red and Green Buffet Company ensures that the cold buffet food is stored at between 0C & 8C to maintain the food in a safe, edible condition, prior to delivering to our customers. The food is made fresh on the day, covered, refrigerated and delivered as close to the actual time of eating as possible. This is a really important food safety point; if you are considering making your own buffet, plan where it is going to be stored safely before you embark on preparing lots of fantastic buffet food.
Additional sauces and dips – often overlooked, however really enhance the food; they add colour and offer more taste options.
