I've done loads of buffets for all different kinds of things yet its taken me 4 attempts to get it right for the pool players presentation nights. OH is pool commitee chairman and this is my 4th buffet in a row. First i started off with an 'around the world' cold buffet. i was very impressed with the menu and finished product! loads go thrown away, mostly the fancier stuff, even though the menus were dotted around the food table saying what things were! ::) following year, i went a bit more basic with the odd fancy thing. still loads got chucked! last year i thought i'd try some hot stuff as i used to do the pubs food for weekly pool nights and we had currys, hot dogs etc and they went down a treat. so i did a chilli, veg chilli, roast pots & wedges. also did quite alot of cold foods. 150 people turned up, loads of cold stuff got chucked and someone took rest of chilli home! (my fancy mini chicken kebabs had to be eaten mostly by me! and they were yummy!)
Last night I did lamb curry, chilli, veg chilli, rice roast pots and wedges and hot sausages in rolls. and all i did for cold was a few of cheese, egg and salmon sarnies, saus rolls, quiche, mini scotch eggs and crisps! (and not the amounts I used to do). 100 people turned up and it ALL went, i was seeing people going up for thirds! so it goes to show, if your doing food for a northern male orientated bash, keep it simple, recognisable and tasty! and i still made £130 profit for 13 hours work! ;D which i think is more than I made before and i even dropped the per head price this year!
I think the simple fod works well whatever the occasion ;). For my dd's christening I had a posh buffet with lovely bagels, cream cakes, champagne, exotic salads......
but the thing that went first (among my so called foodie friends) was the egg mayonnaise vol au vents ;D
In my youth I did outside catering in historic locations (museums, castles) with appropriate menus for the period. That was fun, but I quickly learned to make comprehensive labels (lucky to have a calligrapher friend), otherwise the buffet line was held up by long explanations. Most frequently asked question - 'Is there garlic in this?'
oh noooo 8)
I agree on faites simple... any 'fancy' items should be taken as a risk and hence kept as a small part of the table (and budget). Having made that comment though, it must be remembered that even simple curry would have been considered rather challenging 25 years ago.
It is very sad to see so much food wasted ...
Gosh i would love one of your fancy buffets!!!!
I HATE with a passion crap buffets which is pretty normal around here. Recently went to a football presentation for my daughter... and the buffet was APPALLING.
3 cold pasta dishes - with the same mayonaise! Sandwiches - choice of cheese and pickle or ham. bowls of crisps, dips from a supermarket that were disgusting.... bread sticks and i think that was it! cold sausages and cold sausagae rolls.
Horrendous!