Cheese and wine evening / party MSE style

Dizzydee

My friend has asked me to help organise a cheese and wine evening. She is giving a talk to parents and expects about 50 people.

The idea is to serve cheese and wine for refreshments. There will be tables of 6 -8 people.

This is a bit more sophisticated to what I'm used to doing when entertaining - shoving a few sausage rolls on paper plates - so I need some ideas.
What (cheap) cheese and wine is best?
Do I serve bread, crackers, fruit, chutney?

I could really do with any suggestions!

Thanks

JoeyEmma

Have a look on the discount and codes part of these boards. We just bought 12 bottles of wine from Tesco and managed to get £10 off, free postage and each bottle was half price. We got an order worth about £80 for £30.

As for a cheeseboard I would keep it simple with 3 or 4 cheeses- a hard cheese eg nice cheddar, a blue cheese such as stilton and a soft creamy cheese such as brie.

I would serve plain crackers such as Jacobs and oatcakes, some sticks of celery, wedges of apple or grapes and maybe a chutney if I had one lying about

Dizzydee

Thanks. Would you put some on each table or go 'buffet style'?

JoeyEmma

Buffet style. That way people can get up and mingle. If its on each table then people won't move around the room and be sociable.

downshifted

I'm having about 25 people round on Tuesday and I have said I will do "ploughman's supper" I thought I would do cheese, ham, pickles and bread as well as wine, beer and soft drinks - it has to be easy as I am moving house 11 days later and still have cleaning, packing etc to do

Please does any one have ideas on quantities? I know some like cheese and some like ham - but some will no doubt have both! I thought brie, stilton and a nice cheddar would be good - and some cottage cheese with pineapple for the low cholestorol friend! How much bread? I will get branston pickles and pickled onions and probably cherry tomatoes and celery - maybe some apples? Should I get gammon joints and cook them? If so - perhaps two of the £5 ones from Tesco - I think they are 1.2 kilos each, will that be enough?

All ideas welcome

Many thanks

downshifted x

downshifted

So - is it 4 oz per head? Will I be eating nothing but cheese and ham for the next 11 days

I thought this was going to be quick and easy and now I'm having nightmares before I eat the cheese...:rotfl:

pretz_2

ok if your going to tesco then i recomend buying their part baked petit pains or buy their basic range of part baked baguettes i think they are something like 33p last time i brought some. and then cook them and halve them, with the cheese i would serve a selection like you have stated something for everyone there i would aim to serve about 30g of cheese each means you need 800g of each then pre slice it remember be mse and buy basic its no different apart from the cheddar but i am a cheddar snob lol. I would also buy one of those gammon joint and cook it and again pre slice it grab some salad stuff, pickle and remember the butter lol we usually have pork pie with ours but that might be too expensive for 25 people unless you fancy making one of boodles sausagemeat pies which are lush we had one last week.

hope this helps sorry didnt wanna read and run
pretz
x

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi

Typically, a Ploughman's lunch is a substantial snack.

Generally when we have one, we do:

Salad leaves
Tomatoes
Pickled Onions
Chunk of Cheddar and brie or stilton
Boiled Egg
Branston
Crusty bread and butter
Half an apple
Occasionally pate

I dont usually serve ham unless left overs.

I think I would be tempted to plate the 25 plates up equally. No serving bowls so less washing up. You could make the basic plate and fridge till they arrive.

Keep it simple:

Cheddar, Brie, Pickles, Salad, Apple, Bread & Butter.

HTH

PP
xx

downshifted

Thanks - this is helpful - I find portion sizes difficult - I always end up buying too much for these things - not very MSE - and this time I can't freeze leftovers as I am running down the freezer in time for the move :-)

jonny2510

pretz wrote: »

we usually have pork pie with ours but that might be too expensive for 25 people

Tesco deli does 6 mini Melton pork pies for £1.20 - so 24 will (only???) cost £4.80. You could cut them in half, to ensure everyone gets at least some - not everyone will have 2 halves).

I can recommend the pork and pickle mini Meltons , though they do plain ones as well.

downshifted

Any more ideas welcome - I have tomorrow to buy and prepare. I'll post a note of what I bought and how much I had left in case that helps others later :-)