The question we are asked before almost every booking: how much food do I actually need? These are the quantities our kitchen works to for London events, by service style and by length of event. Use them to sanity-check any quote, ours included.
Canapes
- Drinks reception before dinner (1 hour): 4-5 pieces per guest
- Extended reception (2 hours): 6-8 pieces per guest
- Canapes instead of a meal (3 hours): 10-14 pieces per guest
- Aim for a third hot, a third cold, a third sweet or substantial, with at least two vegan options in every round.
Bowl food
- Alongside canapes: 2 bowls per guest
- As the main event: 3-4 bowls per guest, roughly equal to a two-course meal
Finger buffet
- Light lunch: 5-6 items per guest
- Main lunch or evening buffet: 8-10 items per guest
- Allow 2 sweet items per guest on top if dessert is included.
Fork buffet and hot service
- 1 main dish per 25 guests, minimum 2 mains so there is always a vegetarian or vegan choice
- 150-180g of protein, 120g of carbohydrate and 150g of vegetables or salad per guest
- Add 10% to the headcount for a standing event, where guests graze more
Sandwiches and working lunch
- 1.5 rounds (6 quarters) per guest for a midday meeting
- Add 1 savoury item and 1 piece of fruit or a sweet bite per guest for a full working lunch
- Half-day meetings: add pastries at 1.5 per guest in the morning
Grazing and sharing platters
- One platter serves 8-10 guests as a starter or reception nibble
- For a grazing table as the main food, allow 250-300g of food per guest across cheese, charcuterie, breads, dips and fruit
Breakfast
- Continental: 1.5 pastries plus 1 yoghurt or fruit pot per guest
- Hot breakfast rolls: 1.25 per guest
- Coffee: 2 cups per guest for a two-hour session
Drinks
- Wine: half a bottle per guest for a two-hour reception, 2-3 glasses over a dinner
- Sparkling for a toast: 1 bottle per 6 guests
- Soft drinks and water: 500ml per guest per two hours, more in summer
The adjustments that matter
- Time of day: guests eat most between 12-2pm and 7-9pm. Food outside those windows goes further.
- Standing vs seated: standing guests eat roughly 15% more of the light items and less of the substantial ones.
- Long events: past three hours, plan a second wave rather than a bigger first one.
- Dietary requirements: vegan and gluten-free portions should be counted as full portions for those guests, not as extras to share.
What this costs
Per-head prices for each of these formats are published in our London catering price guide. If you tell us your headcount, timing and venue we will send a quote within 48 hours.
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