How Many Catering Platters to Order?

If you know you are feeding 20 people, you would think ordering the food would be fairly straightforward. Then you start looking at platters.

How many do you actually need? Is one platter that serves 12 enough for 10 people? Do you need another one for variety? What happens when a few guests are vegetarian or gluten-free?

The way I work it out is to start with the main part of the meal first, then add salads, sides and something sweet around it.

At Eat Up, many of our sharing dishes are designed for around 12 people, so that gives you a useful base. The number you need then depends on whether you are serving a proper lunch or simply putting out something for guests to graze on.

How Many Catering Platters Should You Order?

For a full lunch, I would roughly start here:

This is a guide rather than a fixed rule. Always check the serving information on the particular platter you are ordering, because dishes vary.

Catering Platters for 10 Guests

For 10 people, I would keep things quite simple.

If it is lunch, start with one platter that can do most of the work: sandwiches, bagels, wraps or another filling savoury option. Then add something alongside it, such as mezze or salad. If it is a longer meeting or you want the table to feel a little more generous, add something sweet as well.

You do not need six different dishes for ten people. I would rather make sure everyone has enough proper lunch than add lots of smaller options simply for variety.

Catering Platters for 20 Guests

For around 20 people, two main platters usually give you much more room to work with.

You could choose two different savoury options and then add a couple of salads, mezze or sides. This is also where I start thinking more carefully about dietary requirements.

If four people are vegetarian, for example, I would make sure there is something substantial they can eat rather than expecting them to make a lunch out of the side dishes. A sweet platter can then be added if it suits the occasion.

Catering Platters for 30 Guests

At 30 people, I would normally choose three main platters and build the rest of the table around them.

This could mean a mixture of sandwiches, wraps or other savoury dishes, with salads and mezze alongside them. You have enough guests at this point that some variety is useful, but I still would not try to order everything on the menu.

A table with six or seven dishes that work well together is usually easier for guests to understand and easier for the organiser to manage.

Catering Platters for 50 Guests

Once you reach around 50 people, I start thinking about how people are going to get to the food, as well as how much food we need.

Five main platters is a sensible place to start if each serves roughly 10–12 people. Then add sides, salads and sweets depending on the type of lunch you are planning.

It can also help to split popular dishes across more than one part of the table rather than having 50 people trying to reach the same platter.

For bigger groups, I would also check your dietary numbers properly before ordering. “A few vegetarians” is harder to plan for than knowing you have six vegetarian, three vegan and two gluten-free guests.

Is It a Full Lunch or Something Lighter?

This changes the quantities more than almost anything else. If people are coming out of a meeting at 1pm and this is their lunch, make sure there is enough substantial food.

If you are catering a shorter meeting, afternoon gathering or private event where guests will be grazing alongside drinks, you may not need the same amount.

I normally ask one simple question: Will people leave expecting to have eaten a meal? If the answer is yes, plan the main food first. The salads, sides and sweets come after that.

Platters or Individual Lunch Boxes?

Platters work really well when people are eating together and you want guests to help themselves.

Individual lunch boxes can be easier when everyone is eating at their desks, joining and leaving at different times, or when dietary requirements need to be kept very clear.

For some larger orders, a mixture of the two can work too.

Know Your Guest Count And What You Want?

If you know how many people you are feeding and you already have a good idea of what you want, you do not need to email us first and wait for a quote.

You can browse the Eat Up menu online, check how many people each dish serves, choose your quantities and place the order directly.

Most of our orders can be arranged with 24 hours’ notice, subject to availability.

Browse our sharing platters and order your catering online.