One of the hardest parts of ordering catering is working out how much food is enough. Order too little and people leave hungry. Order too much and you waste food and budget. Getting the balance right means thinking about portion sizes, group appetite, and event type — and it can get complicated quickly.
That’s why we created our Easy Platters range. They remove the stress by taking care of all the calculations for you.
Start with the Event Type
Different events create different expectations around food.
- Short meetings (1–2 hours): light platters, mostly finger food.
- Half-day workshops: morning tea plus lunch, slightly more generous.
- Full-day training: substantial meals and snacks to maintain energy.
- Networking events: small, bite-sized portions that are easy to eat while standing.
Knowing the purpose of the event shapes how much you need. With Easy Platters, you only tell us the headcount and style, and we build the right mix automatically.
Understand Portion Standards
At White Henry we use two benchmarks:
- Standard serve: enough to keep people satisfied at a typical meeting or office lunch.
- Generous serve: designed for longer sessions or heartier appetites.
For example:
- Sandwiches (triangles): 6 points = 1 standard serve, 8 points = 1 generous serve.
- Wraps or baguettes (cut into 3 pieces): 2 pieces = 1 standard serve, 3 pieces = 1 generous serve.
These rules make sense for us as caterers — but they don’t need to make sense for you. Easy Platters apply them behind the scenes so you never need to think in points or pieces.
Factor in Time of Day
People naturally eat more at lunch than at morning tea.
- Morning tea: about 0.5 serves per person.
- Lunch: 1–1.25 serves standard, 1.5–2 generous.
- Afternoon tea: lighter, closer to morning tea.
Our Easy Platters adjust quantities for the time of day, so you don’t have to second-guess how appetites change across the schedule.
Match the Group Size and Appetite
The bigger the group, the closer you need to stick to the guideline.
- Small groups (<10): people eat less per head because there’s more choice.
- Large groups (20+): food tends to disappear quickly and more evenly.
- Different demographics: a construction crew eats differently to an office team.
Easy Platters already account for these differences. Whether you’re feeding 8 or 80, you’ll get a balanced outcome that covers the group.
Mix and Balance the Menu
Ordering only one type of food is a common mistake. A good mix ensures variety and reduces waste:
- Sandwiches, wraps, and baguettes for substance.
- Fruit and salads for lighter eaters.
- Hot food or finger food for longer events.
- Sweets or pastries as extras.
Our Easy Platters build this mix for you, so every platter comes balanced without you needing to plan ratios yourself.
Allow a Safety Margin Without Wasting
If numbers aren’t exact, it’s smart to add 5–10% more serves. But deciding how to spread that buffer across different products is tricky. Easy Platters bake in a natural safety margin automatically.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Over-ordering bread-heavy items.
- Forgetting vegetarian or vegan counts.
- Misjudging hot food, which is more filling than cold platters.
Easy Platters prevent these mistakes by following tested formulas and including a balanced spread in every tray.
The Easy Platter Advantage
All of the above calculations are important — but you don’t need to do them. That’s our job. With Easy Platters you only need to decide:
- How many people you’re feeding.
- Whether you want Standard or Generous serves.
We’ll take care of the rest.
Final Advice
Estimating catering quantities can be stressful. Easy Platters make it simple by removing the guesswork and delivering food that matches your group perfectly. You’ll get the right balance, the right portions, and peace of mind that no one will miss out.
👉 Explore our Easy Platters here and make catering the simplest part of your planning.
