Christening or communion buffet: how much food per guest?

Buffet or drinks after the ceremony?

It depends on the time and on the rest of the day. A ceremony that ends around noon calls for a proper lunch: the guests are hungry, so are the children, and the grandparents would rather sit down. That means a buffet, served at the table or self-service, with plates and cutlery.

If guests arrive in waves, if the ceremony is in the afternoon or if the meal is held elsewhere, standing drinks work better: 14 pieces per guest for two hours, 8 for a short hour before sitting down. And when the celebration starts at the end of the day and replaces dinner, the dinner reception goes up to 20 pieces per guest.

In all three cases, everything arrives ready to serve and is eaten cold: the hall needs no kitchen, just tables.

Quantities per guest

A good family buffet means two starters or salads, a main, cheese and a dessert per guest, with plenty of bread. That is exactly what every full buffet on the menu contains: you don't have to work out portions, only the number of guests.

Children always raise the question. The older ones eat like adults, so count them as such. Toddlers eat less, but they love the sweet things: rather than taking them out of the count, add a Sweet Platter, four treats per guest, at €3.20 per guest.

Which buffet, and what budget?

The Classic buffet is still the most popular for a family meal: devilled eggs, lemon carrot salad, cold roast chicken with herb mayonnaise, vegetable tart, three cheeses, apple tart or chocolate mousse. The Vegetarian buffet suits the whole table, with hummus, quinoa salad, burrata and marinated tofu.

For a communion where everyone stays at the table for a long time, the French Classics buffet brings pâté en croûte, cold roast beef with tartare sauce and mini éclairs, and the Reception buffet smoked salmon, smoked duck breast and burrata. Both need 48 hours' notice.

Drinks after the ceremony

When the meal is held elsewhere, or the family simply wants to raise a glass before going their separate ways, standing drinks are enough. The Classic Bistro menu has 14 pieces per guest, gougères, rillettes, devilled eggs, mini éclairs and lemon tartlets, at €20.30 per guest: €609 for 30 guests. The Mediterranean menu, at €20.30 per guest, is vegetarian.

Drinks are added on the menu page: freshly squeezed juice at €2.50 and soft drinks at €3 per guest, unlimited coffee and tea in flasks at €2.20. For coffee after the meal, the petits fours break brings macarons, mini éclairs and financiers, next to your sugared almonds.

Arranging a Sunday delivery

Sundays are delivered like any other day, in two-hour slots from 7am. For lunch at 1pm, choose the 9am to 11am or 11am to 1pm slot. Whoever stays at home, or whoever opens the hall, receives the order during the ceremony: give their name and phone number, the hall's opening time and how to get in.

Buffet set-up by our team is optional, €90 up to 30 guests and €190 from 31 to 100: the table is ready when the family gets back. There are no serving staff during the meal; everyone helps themselves. Order at least 24 hours before the start of the slot, 48 hours for the French Classics and Reception buffets; payment is what books the slot.

If the date moves, it can be postponed once, on a written request received 72 hours before delivery for up to 30 guests, and 7 days before beyond that, to a date within twelve months.