If you’re planning a large party with approximately twenty-five guests, you may be wondering how many full-trays of food you need to prepare. While you can’t predict how much food your guests will consume, you can follow the guidelines listed below to plan how much food you’ll need. Also, remember to plan for leftovers. If you plan on serving only half of your food, you may end up with a lot of leftovers.

Platters

Planning for a gathering of 25 people? A full tray of food will feed at least 25 people. However, the number of servings will vary depending on the type of food served. Depending on the food, a catering tray can serve as many as 45 people. You can find different types of catering trays, such as those that include shallow pans and self-warming chafers, to suit the needs of different numbers of people.

If you’re planning a Thanksgiving feast, you can prepare a selection of trays for your guests to munch on. Consider providing a platter of deli-sliced meats, regional cheeses, mini rolls, and salad vegetables. Other ideas include a Mediterranean Platter, complete with falafel and tabbouleh, hummus, and pita bread. Or, you can make a dips platter and offer a variety of sandwiches, with a spread of chutneys and mustards.

Half-trays

Depending on your budget, a full or half-tray of food will serve twenty-five to thirty guests. When choosing food for a wedding, it is important to note that a half-tray will serve about eight to ten people, and a full-tray will serve forty to fifty people. To serve this amount of guests, you will need six half-trays and three full-trays.

There are two common sizes of catering trays. Half-trays are designed for fewer guests and will feed around 25-30 people. A full-sized pan will feed 40-45 people. A half-tray is ideal for smaller gatherings. A half-tray will also serve more than one person, so consider the number of different food items you’ll be serving. Half-trays of food for 25 guests are ideal for small parties or small gatherings.

Serving size

How much food should you serve? How many servings will one full-tray have? How many portions should you cut for each guest? Here are some general guidelines for individual serving sizes:

For most full-trays, a serving size of about eight to ten people is ample. Half-trays can be sufficient for eight to 10 guests. Full trays, on the other hand, can serve between twenty and thirty-five people. Depending on the number of guests, you can choose between six to nine dishes per guest. For sixty to seventy-five people, a single serving of each item can easily fit into a full-sized tray.

Budget

The average wedding reception requires three full trays and two half trays of food, as well as a few dessert options. Depending on the number of guests, you may want to budget for fewer trays or more. For example, if you expect to have twenty people at your wedding reception, you’ll need six half dishes and three full-sized trays. Depending on the number of guests, you might want to make smaller, single-serving versions of some of the foods.