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Sit down meal or buffet

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Let them eat cake – a guide to food choices for your event

One of the main factors which decides if people have had a good day or not when they attend an event, is the food. Think back to special occasions you remember. The likelihood is that the day focussed on eating. Barbecues, sit-down meals and wedding breakfasts are all designed to bring people closer together through food. Eating is a highly social activity, which means that picking the right choices for your event is critical to ensuring the success of your day.

One of the most frequently asked questions of event organisers to their venues is whether they should hold a sit-down meal or a buffet for their guests or delegates. It’s a difficult decision to make. The following outline of advantages and disadvantages to both should make it much easier for you to make the right choice for your guests.

Buffet dining – finger food with a twist.

A running buffet is often associated with large events such as weddings and christenings, though this is not always the case. Buffets can be provided for as few as six people, enabling you to present a wide array of foods for a fraction of the cost that a sit-down meal may occur.

Advantages of having buffet-style dining for your delegates or guests:

Provides lots of choice, allowing people to select exactly what they want
Makes it easy to supply for vegetarian, gluten free or other special dietary needs
Takes up a much smaller area than a sit-down meal
Can be greatly cheaper than providing a three-course meal for all your guests
Usually much easier to organise than a full meal.

Disadvantages

The lack of formal seating plans can make it difficult for certain guests such as the elderly to eat in comfort
You are unable to take any control over seating arrangements, preventing guests from mingling as you would like
Buffets can be difficult to handle. Choices can be limited to finger food and items which are still appetising when served cold
It’s impossible to order just the right amount to please guests, which usually means you order too much – incurring needless expense
Buffets can be messy, which is disastrous for new dresses and black-tie affairs.
You have to decide who goes to get their food first. Everyone going at once will be a nightmare.

Plus points for hosting an event which focuses around a sit-down meal:

Many events use traditional meals as the centre point for all other activities on the day. Guests may expect a more formal catering arrangement than a buffet can provide
Allows for silver service and a la carte menus, for more discerning diners
Makes it easier for speeches to take place, and for the host to keep time on schedule for the event
Makes all your guests feel well looked after and satisfied
Enables drinks provision to be easily monitored, by allocating a certain number of bottles per table
Offers the host complete control over seating plans, so you can organise guests or delegates in to appropriate groups around a single table.

Disadvantages to a sit-down meal:

Provides limited choice for diners, making it harder to cater for faddy eaters and those with specific dietary requirements
Takes a long time to eat, which could detract from your event if you are holding a work or training schedule
Is usually much more expensive to provide than a buffet-style solution.

Regardless of which option you go for on your big day, as long as you take the above points in to consideration, your catering should be a highlight of the event. These days, it’s more important to make sure that guests are well looked after and full, than abide by tradition. Ultimately, the decision about catering comes down to you. Take stock of the kind of event you are hosting, and make your choice accordingly. Most of all; have fun! Keep the drinks flowing and the music playing, and it is likely that your guests won’t notice the food choices available at all!

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Sit down meal or buffet