18th party food for 180 people where/how do i start?

chardonnay_2 · 12 November 2006 at 12:43AM

just remembered at another friends 21st her mum got the caterers and spent 5 pounds a head. we had lasagne and things like that. to be honest i think it was mainly the older relatives who ate this and there was loads left. the teenagers will be too busy getting drunk / not spilling food on their party clothes to bother. at my 21st it was in a proper nightclub and there was no option of a buffet and we all had an excellent time. the food will be the last thing on your daughters mind. keep it simple and enjoy the party.

Uncle_Cuddles · 12 November 2006 at 1:22AM

We have quite a few parties, but not on that scale (probably about half). We tend to buy a lot of pre-cooked/fresh food from Asda. Snack type things like sausage rolls (large ones, cut into two), cocktail sausages, savory mini-eggs, pork pies (cut in two), mixed chinese/indian snack (mini spring rolls, onion bahjis, samosas etc.). We buy cooked sliced cold meats from Makro (beef, ham and turkey/chicken usually), and the only things we cook are roast chicken drumsticks and pork/bacon ribs (can't you tell we're from up north!), but you can even buy them freshly cooked from our local Asda and they will cater for parties if you give them enough notice. We also prepare a couple of salads, maybe a tuna and sweetcorn pasta, some baked potatos, bowl of grated cheese and onion, lots of sliced bread rolls with butter pats, sliced french sticks (or garlic bread - its the future!), lots of dips, bread sticks, crisps, nuts, etc. Finally a fresh salmon usually goes down well, but maybe ott for a teen party! And don't forget the veggies! Oh and gateaux and trifles for afters (with squirty cream or pouring cream).

A couple of other things - make sure you don't cater for too many. Are 180 people invited, 'cos you can probably knock 30 who won't turn up, or who will turn up too late for the food. And if you are doing it yourself, don't forget you have to clean up afterwards!

We once paid a caterer for a big party, similar amount to you, then when we added up the "certainties to arrive" we had more than we were catering for, so we paid the caterers more to cover them, and then quite a few didn't turn up. I wouldn't mind but the caterer just made more chicken drumsticks and ribs, and they were still there at the end of the night!

sal · 12 November 2006 at 1:30AM

Another thought.

We bought his cake from Asda, they do large sponge cakes at the bake counter that you can have one of your own photographs copied onto. We've used them a lot for different occasions and they go down really well.

We used a photograph of him that we knew he was particulary keen on, a footie type of style and banged lots of candles around, he loved it. Plenty to go round with relatives etc, didn't bother to cut it at the party, just blew out candles and sang after a quick speech, again we had realised by then that no-one was going to eat it there and then!

sal

TheRehn · 12 November 2006 at 2:03AM

Snack bowls dotted around the place with cheap food from lidl and some pizza slices with napkins as previously suggested is all you are gonna need.
Chocolate fountains/fondues go down quite well, but people might be concerned about getting messy. You could have some packs of crisps and things at the bar for people to help themselves to, but really I don't think much food will be wanted, chat to your daughter and her friend tho' after all they will know what their friends will like best.

Lillibet_2 · 12 November 2006 at 9:05AM

jaxxy00 wrote:

Th
I dont think there are cooking facilities so serving hot food wouldnt be an option. If i done the choc fountain how do you stop the cut fruit pieces going black?

Use wedges of satsumas, strawberries, grapes, etc. Things which you don't need to cut.

I assume that the club doesnt have fridge facilities either because when we looked round he told us that we could use the cellar/chiller room for the trays of food until they were needed as it was chilled in there. He said we could lay them all out on top of the barrels that were being used.

A chiller room will be as good as a fridge

Something else im also wonderous about is how to decorate the place. He said we are not allowed to use drawing pins to put balloons up, only to use blue tack. I just want it to be really wow!!! and im kinda so excited but at the same time nervous. Im sure it will all go fine and like ive seen on some of the wedding threads people have had little do's in a pub etc and the guests have said it was such a great time etc. I suppose it just natural to be nervous though.

How about helium filled balloons? They look much more classy than bunches stuck to the walls IMHO. You can buy a small canister of helium for about £30 IIRC & fill ordinary balloons yourself, they don't have to be posh shiney ones at £4 a pop! Weight them with rice in cellephane tied with a curly ribbon to look professional, add bunches of curly ribbion or streamers hanging off the balloons to fill out the displays & use less balloons/helium.

Just had another thought i could take the popcorn machine and they could have popcorn!!

Fab idea, nice & cheap too if you get the big bags of kernals in Holland & Barratt!

HTH;)

bobsa1 · 12 November 2006 at 12:32PM

I really would not do any desserts at all. Even at the best of parties (ie for older people like me!) these get left. 18yr olds really will not eat this.

I like the chippie/indian idea!

Bogof_Babe · 12 November 2006 at 3:41PM

I once went to a party in a village hall, and the food was just huge slabs of cheese cut into generous chunks, tubs of butter/spread, dozens of french sticks cut into thick slices (or let people cut their own, to save it drying out), and a big bowl of apples. Suitable for veggies & non-veggies alike, no fuss, minimal waste and good blotting paper for the booze. Bowls of crisps will make it look more buffet-like too.

If you wanted to do something really simple like this, you could add bowls of pickles, pickled onions, coleslaw, potato salad, cherry tomatoes. Paper plates from a Pound Shop, pack of plastic knives and forks, stack of cheap paper napkins - sorted! (Don't forget a couple of bin liners for the clearing up.)

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18th party food for 180 people where/how do i start?

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