Catering Quantity Calculator per Guest
Gives a starting point for how much to prepare when feeding a group.
Share sends a link that reopens these numbers. Copy details pastes the full breakdown as a list.
The formula
amount = amount per guest × guests × meal × appetite × (1 + margin)
Per guest: about 170 g of cooked meat or fish, 150 g of starch, 100 g of vegetables, 75 g of salad, a roll, a dessert and 500 ml of soft drink. Rolls, desserts and drinks go by guests and margin only. Buffets run higher because people help themselves.
What to watch out for
Children eat about half as much, so count two as one adult. Raw meat loses roughly a quarter of its weight in cooking, more with a bone in it, so allow for that when you buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much food for 25 people?
About 12.4 kg in total for a plated meal, or 14.2 kg for a buffet, before any margin.
How much meat per person?
About 170 g cooked for a main meal, which means around 225 g raw, or more with the bone in.