Food & Cooking⏱ 5 min read
How to Calculate Event Catering Costs per Head
Catering a wedding, party, or corporate event requires accurate per-head calculations. Here is how to build a realistic budget, account for dietary requirements, and avoid the most common underestimates.
Event catering costs vary enormously -- from £15 per head for a basic buffet to £150+ for a formal wedding breakfast. The key is calculating component costs accurately before getting quotes, so you can assess whether quotes are fair.
Food Cost Per Head Benchmarks
Event TypeFood Only (per head)All-in Catered (per head)
Basic buffet£8-15£18-28
BBQ / hog roast£12-20£22-35
Finger food canapes£15-25£28-45
3-course sit-down meal£25-50£55-100
Wedding breakfast (full)£35-70£75-150+
Building a Buffet Cost from Scratch
Buffet for 50 people (lunch):
Protein (1 option): 150g cooked per person
50 x 150g = 7.5kg cooked chicken (yield 70% from raw = 10.7kg raw)
Cost: 10.7kg x £4.50/kg = £48.15
Salads (3 varieties): 200g total per person
50 x 200g = 10kg salad ingredients
Mixed salad ingredients at £3/kg: £30
Bread rolls: 2 per person = 100 rolls at 30p each = £30
Cold meats/cheese platter: £2.50/person = £125
Desserts: 2 items per person, £1.20 each = £120
Total food cost: £353.15
Per head food cost: £353.15/50 = £7.06
This is food cost only -- staffing, equipment hire,
disposables add 50-100% to reach "all-in" cost.
Dietary Requirements Planning
UK event averages (vary by demographic):
Vegetarian: approximately 10-15% of guests
Vegan: approximately 5-8%
Gluten-free: approximately 5%
Dairy-free: approximately 3-5%
Halal: varies widely by event
For 100 guests at typical UK rates:
Meat-eaters: 80 portions
Vegetarian: 12 portions
Vegan: 6 portions
Overlap (GF vegan): 2 portions
Over-cater specialist options by 20-30%:
Vegans often find more of their options consumed by others
("oh that looks nice") -- order extra
Drink Quantities Per Head
Standard event catering quantities:
Wine: 1/2 bottle per person (3 glasses) for dinner
Prosecco/champagne reception: 2 glasses per person = 1/3 bottle
Beer/lager: 2-3 units per person for evening event
Soft drinks: 4-6 glasses per person across 4 hours
Coffee/tea (post-dinner): 1.5 cups per person
For 100 people, 3-hour evening event with dinner:
Wine: 50 bottles
Beer: 200 cans/bottles (175 + 25 buffer)
Soft drinks: 40-60 litres (20 x 2L bottles or equivalent)
Prosecco/champagne arrival (1 glass): 17 bottles (100/6)