If you’re putting on a wedding or a corporate event, then there’s a lot to be said for the classic buffet. Compared to a sit-down meal, you’ll need fewer catering staff, and a buffet will make it easier to provide more choice – which, given that at a few people at your wedding are bound to have specific dietary needs, can only be a good thing. What’s more, getting up to the buffet will promote mingling, which is surely what a party is all about.
So what to include in a wedding buffet? Let’s find out!
Meat
Most of your guests will want a little meat on their plates. This typically comes in the form of chicken drumsticks and sausage rolls. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, then you might go for lamb meatballs or miniature kebabs. Bear in mind that you’ll be serving scores of people, so splashing out for a veal carpaccio (and meat in general) is sure to escalate your overall costs.
Chilled pasta salad
Pasta salads are a fantastic way of providing your guests with something a little more colourful, and avoiding everyone returning to the table with a plateful of beige pastry. Pasta shells in tomato sauce or pasta twirls alongside olive oil and sweetcorn will both suit. Naturally, not everyone likes pasta; provide miniature potatoes as an alternative, along with a choice of coleslaws.
Cheeses
This is the Cheesy Smiles blog, so it would be slightly remiss of us not to include any cheeses. They’re a perfect post-dinner snack. Now, a piece of pineapple and a block of cheddar on a stick might be a classic addition to the buffet. But, dare we say it, it’s become a little bit of a joke. You can go a little different by serving chunks of brie, camembert and Roquefort.
Don’t force your guests to carve their own portions from a block; they’ll create a spectacular mess. Instead, divide the cheeses up ahead of time. Cheese tends to be served after the main course, but before the desert. Speaking of which…
Deserts
If you can’t treat yourself to something sweet at a wedding, then when can you? As such, you’ll want to equip your buffet with a selection of desert offerings. Ideally, they should be bite-sized and moreish. After all, the best deserts are those that leave everyone wanting more!
Profiteroles, brownies and (of course) slices of wedding cake will all do the job. But if you’d like to really create an impression, you might order in some waffle sticks. Ours come with a choice of four tasty dips that’ll provide your buffet will a little extra sparkle. What’s more, there are considerable savings on offer for bulk purchases. What better way could there be to round off the dining experience?