How to plan & organise your event

Planning a party can seem like a daunting task but with our simple guide, plus tips from successful
caterers, we've got all bases covered.

• Numbers
Consider how many people you can fit in your space - if you're planning an outdoor event,
remember everyone might end up inside if it rains! If you want to have large numbers in a small
area, suggesting people drop in between certain hours rather than al arriving at a designated time
can eave the crowds.

• What type of event will it be?

For a large crowd Lin suggests making it simple with a buffet: "A fork buffet is a lot less fuss on the
day than finger food, where you're continually heating nibbles up and passing them around.”
“A cold fork menu is easier than hot and can be prepared in advance leaving you free to talk to
guests.”

• Space
You don't just need space for your guests, you also need to think carefully about what your kitchen
can cope with. Consider…

• How big is your fridge?

Clear out anything that you don't need for the day by depleting stocks beforehand or asking a
neighbour to store a few items. For hygiene reasons, you do need to make sure food is refrigerated.
Think about ways you can stack items, using trays, plastic tubs or clean cardboard boxes. Drinks can
take up a lot of room, so chill them well in advance then transfer them to ice-filled cool bags.

• Do you have big enough work surfaces?

Canapés are particularly challenging if you have a small surface to work on so if necessary
temporarily set up a dinner table as a work station prior to the party.

• Oven and hob space.

If you're providing a hot buffet or planning any last-minute cooking make sure you haven’t got more
items vying for space than you have provision for. Again this is where clever planning and preparing
ahead is key.
Top tip: Don't make the bar area too close to the front door as this always creates a bottle neck
when guests arrive.

 • Equipment & staff

Make life easier by having big enough equipment for cooking, and sufficient serving dishes, plates
and glassware. Borrow these from friends if necessary. This saves time, space and washing up.
"If you can, hire crockery, cutlery and glasses from a company that provides a 'return dirty' service.
The small charge they make is well worth it when you do NOT have to wash up after the guests are
gone."
"If you're planning a canapé party it's always worth considering hiring a few staff or asking your
neighbours kids to help out. They can replenish plates and do the serving, allowing you time to talk
and mingle with your guests."
Top tip: If you've got help coming, get them in early so you have enough time to go through your
requirements with them.

• Write a time plan

A time plan is a really useful tool to stay on top of your plans. Write a list of everything that needs
to be ordered or arranged - flowers, helping hands, food, drinks, equipment, decorations. Assign
days and check them off when they're completed. The food, drink and home preparation will need a
more detailed plan and it's worth assigning times as well as days to these.
Be realistic, it's better to give yourself too much time. If reading through your time plan makes you
feel unduly stressed, you may have taken on too much so look at ways you can simplify your
choices.
Providing a relaxed and fun event with a small selection of different but well cooked dishes is better
than an overambitious spread which turns out to be hit and miss.

• Work out quantities

Having sufficient or way too much food is always a concern.
Here are the guidelines used, per person :
- 225g meat
- 200g fish
- 60g vegetables
- 85 - 115g potatoes
- 60g rice
- 30g cheese
Bear in mind that for large numbers, you can cater for a few less. "When working out quantities you
do not need to multiply everything by 40 - the more people there are the less they eat! To avoid
waste and expense work to feeding about 34 people if 40 attending."
Remember if you're doing a number of dishes, you don't need to provide enough for people to have
a full portion of each.
If you're worried about running out, bulk up on cheaper items like potatoes, bread and salad.

 • Get ahead
The ideal situation is to have everything prepared in advance. Take a look at selections of recipes
you can prepare or freeze ahead.
"Cook, chop and prepare all the different components of your dishes that can't be made fully in
advance, then seal and store. On the day of your party you'll only need to combine the components
and add dressings. Dressings for leaf salads are best left to the very last minute to avoid wilting.”
• Food safety
- Take food out of the fridge just before serving. If people are grazing over a long period, it’s best to
put out smaller quantities and replenish them once they've run out.
- If you're serving hot food, ensure it stays hot while you're serving it.
- When the party is over, if food has been out for 1 1/2 hours, it will have to go in the bin.
- Before you cater for large numbers, it's worth brushing up on your food safety knowledge, find
out about storing food safely and 10 ways to prevent food poisoning. You'll find more information
on the NHS Live Well website.

Vocabulary:
Passer
To drop in
Tomber

Soulager To ease

Éviter les agglomération de foules To ease the crowds

Les grignotages The nibbles

Faire face To cope

Préalablement Beforehand

Buffet (où on mange assis) Fork buffet

Fingerfood Fingerfood

Service à table Table service

Empiler To stack

Boites en carton Cardboard boxes

Le plateau The tray

Antérieur à Prior to

Installer To set up

Ce n’est pas sorcier (expression) It’s not rocket science

C’est une évidence (expression) it's a no-brainer

 The vying
La rivalité
The rivalry

Un attroupement (un embouteillage) A bottle neck

La vaisselle The crockery

Remplir To replenish

Se meler à To mingle with

Une exigence A requirement

Attribuer To assign

Trop Unduly

Une action hasardeuse (expression) Can be hit and miss

Etre à cours de To run out

Étoffer (faire plus) To bulk up on

Flétrir To wilt