If you have an event where you need to feed an enormous number of people, you may feel that this act is almost impossible. But with careful planning, this task is not as difficult as you might think, even if you will be feeding 250, 500 or even 1,000 people.
Consider Holding A Buffet
One of the easiest ways to feed a lot of people is to hold a buffet. This will allow you to cook the meals in batches. Preparing each plate individually can be much more time-consuming.
Limit The Meal Selections
You will need enough meal selections to offer variety while also reducing the amount of work that needs to be done. If you will be preparing individual plates, you could offer as little as two or three options. For instance, many events will offer chicken, steak or a vegetarian option. With buffets, make sure to include all of the food groups and to offer several meat options.
Hire Plenty Of Servers
You will need to hire a lot of servers in order for your event to be run efficiently. Typically, there is one person for every 20 people. Some of the servers will be preparing the food and other servers will be providing floor services, such as bringing out food and cleaning up.
Cook As Many Items As Possible
Cook as many items ahead of time as possible. It is better to heat up items you will serve rather than cooking them from scratch. This not only saves time, but also reduces the risk of an error.
Stick To The Plan
It is best to stick to a plan rather than making changes unless absolutely necessary. For instance ,it is not a good idea to cook a special meal for an individual guest unless he or she is a VIP. Anything that deviates from the original plan can hurt the overall event by slowing things down.
The best way to have an event catered for a large number of people is to hire a catering service. Catering professionals routinely handle events in which hundreds of people are served and will have the staff and equipment necessary to make it work. For example, when you are serving over a thousand people, you will definitely need a field kitchen. This kitchen comes with several grills, hot boxes and thermal carriers that can keep food hot or cold until it is ready to be served.
