Hugely overladen buffet tables at parties.

My daughter got married in Corfu last year, but they had a party for friends and family back home a few months later. Instead of a conventional buffet, they had a few hot dishes - curry, macaroni cheese and stovies - along with various 'sides'. It went down an absolute storm and there was very little left over (much to the disappointment of my wee GS, who had been hoping to take some home for later).

I haven't seen overcatering at large parties. Generally it has been about right but have been to two weddings where I got very little to eat as it was undercatered.
I think overcatering is more likely at parties at someone's house rather than large events with a caterer.

I've only been to funerals for the last good few years, not parties.

At my DS3 wedding last year, the venue were paid to supply an evening buffet for 100 people, most of the guests had been to the full event and had enjoyed a beautiful 3 course meal. I was expecting to see a lot of leftovers at the end of the night, but there was little waste. Everyone commented on how good and plentiful the food was. Most catering companies follow a formula to work out how much food is needed. The issue seems to come when a do is self catered or the numbers not calculated.

I've never been to a party in someone's house - nor have I ever hosted one.

Aveline

The event I was at yesterday was seriously under catered. I think the hosts must have been embarrassed at the empty serving platters as people who hadn't had anything went up hopefully!

We went to a wedding like that, tables went up in turn and we were on the last table, there were a few lettuce leaves, tomatoes and about five small chicken legs for eight people to share!
Have to say tho, that kind of thing is really unusual.

nanna8

Most of the social events we go to are ‘bring a plate to share’ and most people are overly generous and don’t want to be mean. They take home what is left, individually. Works well.

Same here with us.

MissInterpreted

I've never been to a party in someone's house - nor have I ever hosted one.

And….?

RosiesMaw2

MissInterpreted

I've never been to a party in someone's house - nor have I ever hosted one.

And….?

There was no and. Sorry. Won't be posting again.

Elusivebutterfly

I haven't seen overcatering at large parties. Generally it has been about right but have been to two weddings where I got very little to eat as it was undercatered.
I think overcatering is more likely at parties at someone's house rather than large events with a caterer.

Interesting thought.

We typically self cater everything, at home, don't push the boat out on parties - apart from once (as I noted about our widowed daughter). I do dislike coming up short, always make too much, but it's only family.

Business? Yes, I expect them to get it right, it is a business.

Having a ‘do’ after the funeral is best away from home because at the family home there are always some who want to drink too much and don’t want to leave. At a venue (hotel)the family can leave when they feel the need. If the booze is flowing at home all night, you can be assured some will stay till the bottles are empty. My advice is to go to a hotel, arrange a meal or buffet and booze for a few hours then close the free bar. You can leave at any time in the knowledge it will not overflow to the family home.
In our family, we have a sit down meal (soup, steak pie and apple pie)in a hotel. It’s a time for respect and a buffet is unacceptable (cheap) to the older family members. So it’s always a sit down 3 course meal. We had a buffet after a cousin’s funeral and the family discussed that there was poverty in that side of the family. Why couldn’t they afford a sit down meal? was muttered.
Always better away from the family home.

I'm surprised mourners can stomach a three course meal.

You’d be surprised MissAdventure. I’m sure some who came to my MILs funeral hadn’t eaten for hours, possibly days. They gobbled up most of what was on offer. This time, unlike her birthday, we didn’t over cater. And im talking elderly people here.

Well, at least she had a good send off.

Yes she did. That’s for sure.

Was she very elderly? (If you don't mind saying)

MissAdventure. Why?
I’m not sure I understand. It’s Lunch time or Dinner time.
The older family members pass on the tradition and a sit down meal is a sign of respect. It would be totally insulting to give a few crumbs on a plate and 1 glass of booze.
A neighbour said about her friends funeral, ‘No I’m not going to her funeral because I’d have no one to talk to’
Some folk are just disrespectful.
Not something we do as a family. If the immediate family can’t afford the sit down meal, then of course quietly the others would pick up the bill. That’s what family do
I live in an area where I see some too busy to attend the funerals. How very sad. If someone is in your neighbourhood or a member of your church then you do attend the funerals. Perhaps not the ‘wake’
I find it disrespectful not to attend a funeral service if I recognise the deceased. I hear often something like ‘Oh a neighbour of —-/years has died but I’m not going to the funeral because I didn’t really know them’
This is something I just don’t understand this disrespectful approach.

I wouldn't find a buffet disrespectful, I suppose.
I always understood the after "do" was originally to give sustenance to people who may have travelled a distance.

Not that I'm any kind of expert on funerals.

I've never had a sit-down meal at a funeral LovelyLady. I've had hot food but only buffet-style. I think it might be very awkward if you have travelled a long way and need to go home again. Surely you can't really be respectful if you have a long journey ahead.

LovelyLady

Having a ‘do’ after the funeral is best away from home because at the family home there are always some who want to drink too much and don’t want to leave. At a venue (hotel)the family can leave when they feel the need. If the booze is flowing at home all night, you can be assured some will stay till the bottles are empty. My advice is to go to a hotel, arrange a meal or buffet and booze for a few hours then close the free bar. You can leave at any time in the knowledge it will not overflow to the family home.
In our family, we have a sit down meal (soup, steak pie and apple pie)in a hotel. It’s a time for respect and a buffet is unacceptable (cheap) to the older family members. So it’s always a sit down 3 course meal. We had a buffet after a cousin’s funeral and the family discussed that there was poverty in that side of the family. Why couldn’t they afford a sit down meal? was muttered.
Always better away from the family home.

Each to their own.
Whether it is tea, sandwiches and cakes or a buffet or a three course meal (not that I have ever come across this after a funeral) this thread was not about showing respect or otherwise for the departed or about funerals at all but buffets at gatherings - family and friends.
Poverty doesn’t come into it, but clearly different demographics have different customs., as the references to boozing for a few hours seem to show.

Not being a big eater myself , I am amazed what people eat these days. Plates piled high and they go back for more.....

i am64 me too

It is definitely possible to under cater.
I babysat for a friend while she attended a cousin's funeral. She travelled quite a distance and by the time the tea was served in a pub she was starving. On offer was a plate each with a scone and cheese
sandwich.
On leaving, another cousin invited everyone back to hers where they enjoyed fish and chips.

My own loaves and fishes moment was DH 70th. We had a tea party here with all the generations and cleared up and put the wee ones to bed.
DH had arranged for his favourite film to be shown at the community cinema. I sat down to watch as he without warning me, announced it and INVITED everyone (all the movie goers) back to ours for supper!

I ran home - we live next door to the hall - threw tins of tomatoes onions etc into a pan and cooked all the pasta I could find. When the 50 or so people came in I dished up and left them to it while I retreated to the kitchen with the overflow and we washed up plates for the production line.

The party went on until after midnight and I was
congratulated on the food

DH had a row from me. Grr

We held an anniversary party in a cricket club and I took some zip lock bags with me. I made up doggy bags for the people who had a long way to travel and the rest of the food went to the staff and in the bar.