Catering portions estimator
Estimate the total food weight to cater for an event, accounting for the difference between plated service and buffet-style serving.
Result
Total food to cater
How to use this calculator
- Enter the number of guests.
- Set a base portion size per guest.
- Choose your service style — buffet service typically needs more food per guest than plated service.
- Read the total food weight to cater.
Assumptions
- The 25% buffet uplift is a common catering-industry rule of thumb — actual over-serving varies by event type and food on offer.
Technical details: what the fields mean
- Number of guests
guests - Total number of guests expected.
- Base portion per guest
baseGramsPerPerson - A standard single-course portion weight before the service-style adjustment.
- Service style
serviceStyle - Plated service gives each guest a fixed, controlled portion. Buffet service typically needs roughly 20–25% more food, since guests serve themselves and some take more than a standard portion.
Methodology
Total food = guests × base portion × service-style multiplier (buffet uses roughly 1.25× the base plated portion).
Worked example
100 guests, 300g base, buffet
Inputs: guests=100, baseGramsPerPerson=300, serviceStyle=Buffet
Result: 37.5 kg total
Practical guidance
- For a buffet with several dishes, split the total weight across dishes according to expected popularity, rather than dividing evenly.
Common mistakes
- Using a plated-service portion size directly for a buffet without the uplift, which commonly under-caters.
FAQs
Do I need more food for a buffet than a plated meal?
Yes — buffets commonly need roughly 20–25% more food than plated service for the same guest count, since guests serve themselves.