Organising/catering a wake

freyasmum

Hello All

I apologise if this is in the wrong place, but it seems like the most appropriate place for the thread. I digress...

Following two bereavements in four days, I have the job of organising one of the wakes to help take the pressure off. It will be in our home and is a mid afternoon affair.

I am planning to cater per person:
1 round of sandwiches
2 sausage rolls
1 cake
1 teabread (scone/pancake/crumpet)

OH has also suggested chicken pieces, quiche, french stick with pate and crisps.

There will be copious amounts of tea and coffee, with biscuits and cold drinks also available.

My problem is that I am also pregnant and my brain was addled enough before this week and now, well, I'm sure you can imagine! So, my question is, what 'extras' will we need to get for a finger buffet?

We will need more cups (I'm thinking cups and saucers are best?)
Napkins
Paper plates
Jugs for milk

Is there anything else that you can think to add?

Also, if anyone has any advice on the cheapest place to purchase individual butter portions, without access to a wholesalers, it would be greatly appreciated. I've found jam portions in poundland 16 for, well, £1...

Many thanks in advance x

jackyann

This sounds very nice, and I personally have found that doing something like this really helps with the 'goodbye'.
Some suggestions:
It is much easier if you don't do anything that people need 2 hands for! So, if scones, split & butter beforehand, if french stick /pate do the same. It looks very nice if you cut into rounds, and spread the pate, and do the same with some spreadable herby cheese. An alternative to the french stick would be some of those toasty / biscuity rounds (Lidl usualy have them). Think about what willing friends & relatives can be pressed into service to do this (there are usually a few) and will keep well if cling-filmed.
This saves a great deal on cutlery & washing up. Also,by spreading the bread rounds beforehand, you save the need to put butter out. You could have a french stick and a pack of butter in the kitchen for any 'hungries'.
The other advantage of doing 'finger food' only is that people can better circulate, which is what they usually want.
If you wanted, some batons of celery & carrot, and a few cherry tomatoes, makes it look quite cheery.
Chicken pieces - nuggets, drumsticks or little sticks, again, no cutlery needed.

By tradition, at our family 'wakes' we have a fruit cake (someone usually offers to make this) and a block of cheese - those who like can cut off a piece to eat with their fingers (along with the cake) but not necessary.

I think yours looks just the ticket, but do remember that you won't want one of everything for everybody. If you are doing the bread & pate, then maybe only 1/2 round of sandwiches. But I have to say that most people take their share of the chicken pieces - quiche less so!

trailingspouse

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Could you have it catered? Not as expensive as it sounds (shop around). Or at the very least get platters from one of the supermarkets. You really have enough on your plate already (sorry for the pun...).

maman

trailingspouse wrote: »

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Could you have it catered? Not as expensive as it sounds (shop around). Or at the very least get platters from one of the supermarkets. You really have enough on your plate already (sorry for the pun...).

I agree that if you can afford it get a sandwich shop or similar to do it for you.


If not, why not buy those large foil platters (I think they do them in £ shop) and put things on those for the buffet. It all helps to save on washing up. I'd ask some family friends to lend cups, saucers and tea plates.


I think what you suggested was probably enough with perhaps crisps and chicken pieces provided that's not too much work for you. Personally I wouldn't bother with pate (on bread or otherwise) and I'd stick to scones only rather than a choice. You could always have a few packs of nice biscuits (like Aldi cookies) which you could eat afterwards if they get left:D.

PasturesNew

Buy food appropriate to the age group of the bereaved..... old ladies/gents of 75-93 probably want a sandwich, sausage roll and a cake .... and wouldn't thank you if somebody'd persuaded you to cater for "more modern fads and fancies" as they can't manage that with their teeth

freyasmum

Thank you all for your replies/advice.

We already have plastic trays for the sandwiches to go on, so that's that sorted.

I have to say I'm not convinced by the french stick and pate idea (possibly because I'm not allowed to eat it at the moment ). Quiche is binned, and will up the chicken pieces (thank you).

It's not going to be a massive wake - up to 30 people, so catering for around 20, which should only be about 3 loaves worth of sandwiches. I will have OH who should be able to help.

Sausage rolls and scones will be purchased from the bakery and biscuits from aldi (cookies are noted!), so there's not actually THAT much to do - and I think I would welcome the distraction on the morning of The cost isn't a factor; I really just want as good a send off as we can manage.

juliesname

Unless you know no-one takes sugar - sugar bowls and plenty of teaspoons.

Are you serving the cold drinks in glasses? disposable plastic cups?

Something chocolatey usually goes down well.

Julie.

Callie22

Get some paper tablecloths - it's so much easier just to fold them up at the end and chuck them, crumbs, spills and all into the bin!

When my grandmother passed away we catered for the wake and we just went with things that could be picked up and eaten with no fuss, so things like sandwiches (you can cut a small roll in half lengthwise and make a little open sandwich if you like, which always looks 'fancier'), pieces of pork pie, sausage rolls (and veggie equivalents), pieces of cake and biscuits. We didn't bother with anything that needed 'cutting up' or would look a bit messy after a few people had helped themselves - so no pate, cheeseboard etc. And like Pasturesnew said, we were catering for mainly 'older' people who wouldn't want fancy stuff, or chicken with bones, or anything too spicy or odd. We went down the slightly 'old-fashioned' route and everyone was happy. I think that the only 'fancier' thing that we did do was a small fresh fruit platter which went down quite well, things like slices of orange, pineapple, strawberries, melon etc.

edited to add - and we realised that if you're catering for slightly less stable people then it's worth investing in some more 'heavy-duty' disposable stuff. Paper plates are bendy and awkward and plastic cups hard to hold when they're hot ...

Art_Deco

Hello when mum and dad died we had sandwiches , sausage rolls, mini eggs,pork pies, fruit cake, proper cups and saucers, and also a bottle of sherry for a toast, Ive also lost 3 younger friends in the last few years and we had much the same maybe quiche and chicken added and a little more alcohol it depends on the age group in my opinion, sorry for your loss.

THIRZAH

If the funeral guests are likely to be mainly elderly they might not want french bread and pate.Sandwiches, sausage rolls and pork pie always seem to go down well.

I attended a family funeral last year. At the tea afterwards I was chatting to my aunt and uncle, both in their eighties. My uncle suddenly announced "they're putting out cake!" and shot across the room. He came back with enormous slices of cake for himself and his wife. The cakes certainly did seem to be popular among the older guests.

JIL

A funeral I was at served soup and a buttered roll, it was very much appreciated as it was a cold blustery day. It was served out of two slow cookers.
There was a finger buffet as well.