A buffet meal allows diners to line up and choose which foods to eat, as they move from one end of the table on which the food is arranged. Here are some basic tips that will help you organize a buffet.
Steps
Step 1. Arrange the room so that there is enough space for guests to pass through
Start by clearing out the room you want to use for the event, place the table with the food in the center. This will allow diners to access the food from both sides of the table and will ensure that the row moves quickly.
Step 2. Set up a separate drinks table
By placing the drinks table away from the food table, you give your guests the opportunity to choose what to eat and to put down the plate before pouring themselves a drink, in order to reduce the possibility of overturning the glasses. This is another way to make sure your guests can move around easily.
Step 3. Start organizing the buffet table the night before the event
In this way you will not have to make decisions and prepare everything at the last moment, put all the serving dishes together the night before the event and put them on the table with post it notes on them to remind you which dish will be served on which plate.
Step 4. Place the plates at the top of the table
If you are organizing an event with many people, it is advisable to prepare a buffet with 2 or 3 stacks of dishes of about 10 dishes each. Do not stack too many plates together in order to avoid the danger of them falling.
Step 5. Line up foods by temperature
The first foods that guests find at the beginning of the table should be cold dishes. Hot items, which usually make up the main course, should be at the end of the table. This way your guests won't consume the cold main courses when they return to their seats.
Step 6. Arrange the cutlery and napkins at the end of the table
A common mistake that many buffet organizers make when preparing one is to place cutlery and napkins at the top of the table with plates. It can be inconvenient for guests to try to keep knives, forks, spoons, and napkins together with the plate as they try to serve themselves.
Advice
- Plan the menu with your guests in mind, choose foods that are easy to serve and eat both standing and seated and that don't require too elaborate preparation.
- Wrap the cutlery in the napkin to prevent your guests from spilling them. To add a decorative touch, tie the napkin with colored ribbon.
- Present a balanced meal with proteins, veggies, carbohydrates, and salad, unless you are throwing a cocktail party.
