How much food should I allow for a children's catering event?

Children eat approximately 60-70% of adult quantities for ages 6-12. For mixed adult/child events, estimate the number of adult-equivalent portions: count children as 0.6 of an adult for purchasing purposes. For events with only children (birthday parties), use the dinner quantities but reduce all per-person figures by 30-40%. Children also tend to prefer simpler, familiar foods -- plan for lower variety but adequate quantity of popular items.

What is the typical food cost percentage for catering events?

Industry standard food cost for catering events is 25-35% of the invoice price. For high-end custom events with premium ingredients, food cost can run 30-40% but is offset by higher margin on labour, equipment hire and service. Corporate catering typically targets 28-32% food cost. The Food Cost Calculator on this site calculates the exact food cost percentage for any event based on actual ingredient costs.

How do I calculate how much food to have as backup at a large event?

The 10% buffer included in this calculator is the standard minimum. For events with uncertain attendance, unknown dietary requirements, or serving styles where guests control their own portions (buffet, sharing platters), use 15-20% buffer. For events with confirmed dietary information and plated service where portions are controlled, 10% is typically sufficient. Always brief the kitchen team on the buffer so they hold back a portion of each dish to replace any that are dropped or contaminated during service.

Catering Quantity Calculator — Free Hospitality Calculator

🎯

A catering company is preparing a buffet dinner for 85 guests. Before placing the wholesale order, the head chef needs the total protein, starch and vegetable quantities in kilograms based on industry-standard per-person allowances.

Catering Quantity Calculator

Catering

Number of guests

Meal type

Always add a 10% buffer for unexpected guests or extra helpings. For buffets, allow 20–25% more than a plated meal as guests tend to take more. Quantities shown are raw weight before cooking — cooked weight will be less (typically 25–30% less for proteins). For dietary requirements, plan at least 20% of dishes as vegetarian/vegan.

ℹ️ Results are estimates for planning purposes. Verify with current standards and a qualified professional.

1 What this calculator does

Calculates total food quantities in kilograms for catering events from the number of guests and meal type. Covers canapés, breakfast, lunch, dinner and buffet formats. All quantities are raw weight before cooking. Includes a 10% buffer above minimum calculated quantities.

2 Formula & professional reasoning

Dinner quantities per person:
  Protein (main): 0.22 kg raw | Starch/carbs: 0.18 kg | Vegetables/salad: 0.15 kg
Lunch: Protein 0.18 kg | Starch 0.15 kg | Veg/salad 0.12 kg
Breakfast: Protein 0.12 kg | Starch 0.15 kg | Veg/fruit 0.08 kg
Buffet: Protein 0.25 kg | Starch 0.20 kg | Veg 0.18 kg (buffet grazing = 20-25% extra)
Canapes: 8-12 pieces per person per hour
All quantities x 1.10 for a 10% buffer

Industry catering allowances are based on expected consumption per meal type. Dinner requires the largest protein allowance (0.22 kg raw per person) because it is the primary meal. Buffet allowances are higher than sit-down because guests tend to take larger portions when serving themselves and return for seconds. Raw weights are used because cooking shrinkage varies significantly by meat type (chicken loses 25-30%, beef steak 15-20%) and cooking method. Caterers always plan on raw weight and allow for yield loss.

3 Worked examples

⚠️ Illustrative example only — not clinical or professional instruction.

Basic

Buffet dinner for 85 guests

Given: Guests: 85 | Meal type: buffet dinner

Working: Protein: 85 x 0.25 x 1.10 = 23.4 kg | Starch: 85 x 0.20 x 1.10 = 18.7 kg | Veg: 85 x 0.18 x 1.10 = 16.8 kg

Answer: Protein: 23.4 kg raw | Starch: 18.7 kg | Vegetables/salad: 16.8 kg

💡 Example quantities: 23.4kg could be 12kg roast beef + 8kg roasted chicken + 3.4kg salmon. Starch: 10kg roasted potatoes + 5kg rice + 3.7kg bread. Vegetable salads: 10kg mixed salad + 4kg roasted veg + 2.8kg coleslaw.

Standard

Working lunch for 40 guests

Given: Guests: 40 | Meal type: lunch

Working: Protein: 40 x 0.18 x 1.10 = 7.9 kg | Starch: 40 x 0.15 x 1.10 = 6.6 kg | Veg/salad: 40 x 0.12 x 1.10 = 5.3 kg

Answer: Protein: 7.9 kg | Starch: 6.6 kg | Salad/veg: 5.3 kg

💡 A working lunch for 40 typically involves platters rather than plated service. 7.9kg protein across platters could be: 4kg sliced roast turkey + 2kg poached salmon + 1.9kg deli meats. Add bread, wraps and condiments separately.

Advanced

Canape event -- 2-hour cocktail party for 120 guests

Given: Guests: 120 | Meal type: canapes | Duration: 2 hours

Working:

Allow 10 pieces per person (middle of 8-12 range) x 2 hours = 20 pieces per person total | 120 x 20 = 2,400 pieces | Split: 40% hot savoury = 960 pieces | 40% cold savoury = 960 pieces | 20% sweet = 480 pieces

Answer: 2,400 total canape pieces | Hot savoury: 960 | Cold savoury: 960 | Sweet: 480

💡 For a 2-hour cocktail event where canapes are the only food, use the upper end (12 pieces/person = 2,880 total). If substantial food follows, 8 pieces/person is sufficient. Always add 10% buffer: 2,880 x 1.10 = 3,168 total pieces.

4 Sanity check

Per-person allowances (raw weight, all quantities include 10% buffer)

Dinner protein: 220-250g | Lunch protein: 180-200g | Buffet protein: 250-280g | Breakfast protein: 120-140g

Canape allowances

Pre-dinner drinks (1h): 4-6 pieces per person | Cocktail party (2h): 8-12 pieces | Main meal replacement (3h+): 12-15 pieces per hour

Raw vs cooked yield

Beef roast: 70-80% yield after cooking | Chicken: 65-75% yield | Fish: 70-80% yield | Pork: 65-75% yield | Always buy by raw weight

Dietary requirements

Plan 10-15% of protein as vegetarian/vegan alternative | Confirm allergies (gluten, dairy, nuts, shellfish) before ordering

5 Common errors

Error	Cause	Consequence	Fix
Using cooked weight instead of raw weight for purchasing	Basing the order on the finished portion size rather than raw yield	Significantly under-ordering -- cooked chicken at 150g portion requires 200-220g raw weight to purchase	All purchasing calculations use raw weight. Apply the yield factor to determine the raw weight needed: raw weight = cooked weight needed / yield%. For 120 cooked serves of 150g chicken: (120 x 150) / 0.70 = 25.7kg raw chicken.
Not allowing for buffet grazing behaviour	Using sit-down dinner quantities for a buffet event	Running out of food mid-service -- buffet guests take 20-30% more than sit-down guests	Use the buffet-specific quantities in this calculator which are 15-20% higher than dinner quantities. For popular items (protein, starches) at a self-service buffet, add a further 10% buffer above the calculated amount.
Not confirming dietary requirements before finalising the order	Assuming a standard omnivore menu for all guests	Guests with dietary requirements have nothing to eat -- significant hospitality failure and potential liability	Always collect dietary requirement information from the event organiser at least 48 hours before the event. Common requirements: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, shellfish-free, halal, kosher. Plan dedicated portions for each requirement, not just modifications of the main menu.
Ordering exactly the calculated quantity with no buffer	Minimising food cost by ordering precisely	Running short at the end of service -- the 10% buffer is essential for over-eaters, large portion requests and service errors	Always include at least a 10% buffer above calculated requirements. The buffer also allows the catering team to replace dishes that are accidentally dropped or contaminated during service.

6 Reference & regulatory links

🇦🇺 Australia

🇺🇸 United States

7 Professional workflow

Common tools used alongside this one:

💰

Food Cost Calculator

Food Cost Calculator uses catering quantities to calculate ingredient cost per serve and overall event margin

→

Input	Result
Dinner for 100 -- protein	100 x 0.22 x 1.10 = 24.2 kg raw
Buffet for 100 -- protein	100 x 0.25 x 1.10 = 27.5 kg raw
Canapes 2h cocktail, 100 guests	100 x 10 pieces x 2h = 2,000 pieces