Catering a brunch: how much should you plan per guest, and how do you price it?
Brunch catering calls for a different sum than drinks or a walking dinner: guests sit for longer, eat in several rounds, and expect a broad spread from sweet to savoury. For you as a caterer, that means a different approach to buying, layout and pricing. This article covers how much to plan per guest for a brunch, which categories to include as standard, and how to turn that into a clear quote.
Why a brunch needs a different sum
A brunch often runs for two to three hours, and in that time guests eat several times rather than queuing up once. Most people also expect a broad spread: sweet alongside savoury, hot alongside cold, and enough choice to put together their own plate. That means you're not planning one portion per guest, but several smaller categories that add up to a meal.
Rules of thumb per category
- Bread and pastries: 2 to 3 pieces per guest, split between savoury (rolls, quiche) and sweet (croissants, muffins).
- Hot dishes (eggs, bacon, pancakes): 1 to 2 portions per guest. This is usually the category guests queue longest for.
- Fruit, yoghurt and dairy: 1 portion per guest, as a lighter option alongside the rest.
- Drinks: plan 2 to 3 cups of coffee or tea per guest, and 1 to 2 glasses of orange juice. For a celebratory brunch, add 1 to 2 glasses of fizz per guest.
Add a buffer of 10 per cent on top of these numbers. Guests tend to go back to the buffet more often at a brunch than at a drinks reception, so a slightly tight calculation shows up faster.
The type of brunch changes the mix
A corporate brunch squeezed between meetings calls for something more compact and quick: fewer categories, easy to eat by hand, no alcohol. A celebratory brunch, say after a wedding ceremony or for a birthday, can be more generous and unhurried, with a sit-down element, fizz, and a dessert category alongside the pastries. Always ask about the character of the brunch at the intake, it shapes the numbers as much as the guest count does.
Turning the rule of thumb into a quote line
Group the categories in your quote (bread and pastries, hot, fruit and dairy, drinks) instead of one long list of loose items, so the client can see at a glance where the budget goes. Work out the price per piece or portion, multiply by the guest count and the rule of thumb for that category, and add the margin as a separate line rather than hiding it in the unit price.
If you cater brunches often, save these four categories as standard lines in your quote template, with a separate tick for the celebratory add-on (fizz, dessert). That way you only adjust the numbers per request instead of rebuilding the whole quote.
Want to stop recalculating your brunch quotes every time? Try Catermonkey for free and set up your categories once as standard quote items.
Frequently asked questions
How much bread and pastries do you plan per guest at a brunch?
2 to 3 pieces per guest, split between savoury and sweet, so there's a choice for everyone.
How many hot dishes do you plan per guest?
1 to 2 portions per guest. This is usually the most popular category, so don't plan it too tight.
How much coffee, tea and orange juice do you plan?
2 to 3 cups of coffee or tea per guest, and 1 to 2 glasses of orange juice. A celebratory brunch often adds 1 to 2 glasses of fizz per guest.
Does the sum change for a corporate brunch versus a celebratory brunch?
Yes. A corporate brunch needs fewer categories and no alcohol, while a celebratory brunch can be more generous, with a sit-down element, fizz and a dessert category.
Should you add a buffer on top of the numbers?
Yes, add 10 per cent. Guests tend to make several trips to the buffet at a brunch, so a tight calculation shows up faster than at a drinks reception.
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