Proper Buffet Table Setup
Giving a party is a fun experience with exciting preparations and much thought given to the comfort and tastes of your guests. If many people are invited, a buffet might be the best way to serve food while still enjoying visiting with friends and family. Proper buffet table setup is a creative skill to master. Food items must be set out logically and conveniently, but with attention to appearance and the needs of the food. Remembering that guests often serve themselves with only one hand is paramount in setting up a good buffet table. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Plates, large and small
- Serving dishes
- Pedestal dishes
- Chafing dishes
- Silverware
- Napkins
- Food
- Condiments
- Salt and pepper
- Serving utensils
Instructions
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Place tables for free flow of traffic around the tables. This may require placing tables in the middle of the room so that guests can move along both sides of the tables quickly and easily.
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Place plates at the beginning of the line. You may wish to provide both small and large plates to accommodate different types of food, such as salads with dressing that might contaminate other foods or foods cooked in thin broths.
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Pre-dress salads for convenience.
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Place cold foods first so that hot foods don’t cool as people move through the line.
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Set bread and butter at the beginning of the buffet line.
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Vary the height of serving dishes to provide visual interest. Implement pedestal-style dishes in several heights.
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Place chafing dishes away from the edges of the tables; position the heating elements so that guests' sleeves and material such as table decorations won't come in contact with open flames.
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Provide proper utensils for serving, either spatulas, spoons or tongs.
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Assemble desserts and coffee at a separate table.
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Set beverages on a breakfast bar or countertop to keep the food line moving.
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Lay silverware at the end of the buffet table, rolled up in napkins.
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Tips & Warnings
A buffet should provide a balanced meal with salad, vegetable, carbohydrate, bread and meat, according to CBSNews. You might also consider offering a vegetarian main dish.
Setting out small dishes will accommodate those who prefer to eat salads before the rest of the meal and those who prefer a separate bread and butter plate.
Provide extra napkins for convenience and accidents.
Provide small dishes to hold serving spoons neatly.
Condiments should be served in squeeze bottles so that guests carrying a plate in one hand can use them conveniently.
More than one set of salt and pepper shakers help keep buffet lines moving.
To avoid the growth of bacteria in food, hot dishes should not sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours, according to Divine Dinner Party.
Keep pasta salads or other mayonnaise dishes refrigerated until right before eating. Remove and replace any salad that has been out more than an hour. Provide separate serving spoons to reduce the chance of contamination.
If covers of chafing dishes can become hot, provide hot pads to open and close the lids.
Some chafing dishes have eating elements that become very hot and can burn foods. Monitor chafing dishes frequently for overheating.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
