Entertaining
Feeding a crowd is a shopping problem before it is a cooking problem. These work out the quantities.
8 calculators in this section
- BBQ Food Quantity CalculatorHow many burgers, sausages, buns and sides to buy for a barbecue.
- Buffet Food Quantity CalculatorHow much buffet food to lay on per guest, item by item.
- Soup Quantity CalculatorHow much soup per person, and the pan size you need.
- Salad Quantity CalculatorLeaves, additions and dressing per person, in bags and grams.
- Canapé Quantity CalculatorHow many canapés per guest, split into hot, cold and varieties.
- Cheese Board CalculatorHow much cheese per person, how many cheeses, and what to serve with them.
- Children's Party Food CalculatorParty food quantities for children, with adults who stay counted in.
- Christmas Dinner CalculatorTurkey size, trimmings and quantities for the whole Christmas dinner.
Buy for the guests you have, not the worst case
People eat less at a buffet or barbecue than they would at a sit-down meal, because they graze across many dishes. What runs out first is almost always bread, buns and soft drinks , the cheap things. Buy generously there and normally everywhere else.
Keeping food safe at a party
Cold food should not sit out for more than four hours, so keep half of it chilled and top the table up rather than putting everything out at once. At a barbecue, use separate tongs, boards and plates for raw and cooked meat, and cook burgers, sausages and chicken all the way through, with no pink meat and the juices running clear, unlike a whole steak, mincing or skewering pushes any surface bacteria right through the meat.
How much extra to allow
Ten per cent over the guest count covers the guests who bring a friend. Beyond that, buy generously on bread, buns and soft drinks and normally on everything else. Those are the cheap items that run out first. A grazing table that replaces a meal needs roughly half again what the same guests would eat alongside one.
Questions and answers
Common questions about entertaining and party quantities
How much extra food should I buy when catering for a party?
A little more than the calculated total, generally. Appetites vary more in a group than at a normal family meal, and running short is more noticeable than having a little left over.
How do I count children when working out party quantities?
Count children separately from adults rather than as a smaller fraction of every dish. Most calculators on this site let you enter adults and children as separate numbers so the totals reflect real appetites.
How do I keep party food safe when it is out for a few hours?
Keep cold food cold rather than leaving it out at room temperature for long periods, and use separate tongs and boards for raw and cooked meat wherever a barbecue or grill is involved.
Food safety
Cool cooked food at room temperature and get it into the fridge within one to two hours. Eat leftovers within two days, or freeze them. Your fridge should be between 0 and 5°C.
Source: Food Standards Agency, How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely: chilling food (GOV.UK) · Reviewed 2026-09-11 · Guidance version 2.0.0
How do I know meat is properly cooked at a party or barbecue?
Burgers, sausages and poultry must be cooked all the way through with no pink meat and juices running clear; whole cuts of beef and lamb can be served pink in the middle provided the outside is fully cooked.
Burger Cooking Time CalculatorSausage Cooking Time Calculator
Food safety
On a barbecue, cook burgers, sausages, chicken and kebabs all the way through (no pink meat, juices running clear) and use separate plates, tongs and boards for raw and cooked meat. Charring the outside does not mean the middle is done.
Source: Food Standards Agency, BBQ food safety (GOV.UK) · Reviewed 2026-09-11 · Guidance version 2.0.0
Should a buffet or spread replace a sit-down meal?
It depends on the time of day, how many dishes are on offer and whether anything hot and substantial is included. A generous spread across a mealtime can replace a sit-down meal; a short afternoon spread of nibbles usually cannot.
How do I time several dishes so they are all ready together?
Work backwards from your serving time and stagger dishes so the oven and hob are not needed by two things at once. The meal synchroniser lines up several cooking times against a single serving time for you.
What should I do with leftovers after a party?
Cool leftovers quickly, ideally within 1 to 2 hours, then refrigerate them. Reheat until steaming hot throughout and only reheat once.
Food safety
Cool cooked food at room temperature and get it into the fridge within one to two hours. Eat leftovers within two days, or freeze them. Your fridge should be between 0 and 5°C.
Source: Food Standards Agency, How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely: chilling food (GOV.UK) · Reviewed 2026-09-11 · Guidance version 2.0.0
Guidance
Guides for this section
- How to Cook a Turkey for ChristmasA full Christmas turkey plan: what size to buy, how many days it needs to defrost, when to put it in, and how to keep the rest of the dinner moving around it.