A complete catering equipment checklist for events of all sizes. Covers crockery, cutlery, glassware, serving dishes, kitchen equipment and bar kit — with quantities for 50 to 500 guests.
A complete catering equipment checklist for events of all sizes. Covers crockery, cutlery, glassware, serving dishes, kitchen equipment and bar kit — with quantities for 50 to 500 guests.
Most catering equipment shortfalls happen at the same point: someone calculated quantities for the number of guests but forgot to account for extras. Breakages accumulate throughout service. Buffet serving dishes stay on the table for the entire meal rather than being cleared, so you need more than one set per dish. Staff eat too. A 15% buffer that seemed excessive at booking often falls short by the time the third course is cleared.
Use these multipliers as your baseline for any event. They account for service breakages and the reality of how crockery and glasses accumulate during a meal.
| Item Type | Multiplier | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Crockery (all pieces) | 1.2x guest count per course | Breakages and drops during plated service |
| Cutlery (all pieces) | 1.2x per piece per course | Dropped pieces, service requirements |
| Wine glasses | 2.0x guest count | Guests abandon glasses and pick up fresh ones |
| Water glasses | 1.1x guest count | Steady but lower replacement rate |
| Champagne flutes | 1.1x guest count | One-off toast, low replacement rate |
| Side plates | 1.1x guest count | Low breakage rate |
| Serving platters | 1 per 8 to 10 guests | Remain on the table throughout buffet service |
The quantities below apply to a standard three-course seated dinner. Adjust using the notes column for your specific format.
| Item | Per Person | 50 Guests | 100 Guests | 200 Guests | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crockery | |||||
| Dinner plates | 1.2 | 60 | 120 | 240 | Main course; wash between sittings if running multiple services |
| Side plates | 1.1 | 55 | 110 | 220 | Bread rolls, starter, or cheese course |
| Soup bowls | 1.2 | 60 | 120 | 240 | Only if a soup course is included |
| Dessert bowls / plates | 1.2 | 60 | 120 | 240 | Use bowls for cream desserts; plates for tarts and gateaux |
| Tea cups and saucers | 1.1 | 55 | 110 | 220 | Order saucers to match cups exactly |
| Cutlery | |||||
| Dinner knives | 1.2 | 60 | 120 | 240 | |
| Dinner forks | 1.2 | 60 | 120 | 240 | |
| Side knives | 1.1 | 55 | 110 | 220 | Bread rolls and cheese course |
| Soup spoons | 1.2 | 60 | 120 | 240 | Skip if no soup course |
| Dessert spoons | 1.2 | 60 | 120 | 240 | |
| Dessert forks | 1.2 | 60 | 120 | 240 | |
| Teaspoons | 1.2 | 60 | 120 | 240 | Coffee and tea service; easily underordered |
| Serving spoons | 1 per 8 | 7 | 13 | 25 | Buffets and sharing plates |
| Tongs | 1 per 8 | 7 | 13 | 25 | Salads, bread, canapés |
| Ladles | 1 per 10 | 5 | 10 | 20 | Soups, sauces, punch bowls |
| Glassware | |||||
| Wine glasses | 2.0 | 100 | 200 | 400 | Covers both red and white; guests pick up fresh glasses throughout the meal |
| Water glasses | 1.1 | 55 | 110 | 220 | |
| Champagne flutes | 1.1 | 55 | 110 | 220 | Toast only; lower replacement rate than wine glasses |
| Hi-ball glasses | 1.0 | 50 | 100 | 200 | Juice and soft drinks for non-drinkers |
| Serving Equipment | |||||
| Large serving platters | 1 per 8 | 7 | 13 | 25 | Buffet dishes remain on the table throughout service; you cannot share them between tables |
| Sharing bowls | 1 per 10 | 5 | 10 | 20 | Salads, vegetables, accompaniments |
| Sauce boats | 1 per 10 | 5 | 10 | 20 | Gravy, cream, dressing |
| Bread baskets | 1 per 8 | 7 | 13 | 25 | One per table is usually sufficient at a round-table dinner |
| Cheese boards | 1 per 20 | 3 | 5 | 10 | Shared between table clusters |
| Bar Kit | |||||
| Ice buckets | 1 per 15 | 4 | 7 | 14 | One per bar station; plus table buckets for wine service |
| Cocktail shakers | 1 per bar station | 2 | 3 | 5 | One active, one backup per bartender |
| Bar spoons | 1 per bar station | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
| Bottle openers | 1 per 3 staff | 3 | 5 | 8 | They get lost; always order extras |
| Tea and Coffee Service | |||||
| Teapots (6-cup) | 1 per 12 | 5 | 9 | 17 | Commonly forgotten until setup day |
| Cafetières (8-cup) | 1 per 15 | 4 | 7 | 14 | |
| Milk jugs | 1 per 10 | 5 | 10 | 20 | |
| Sugar bowls | 1 per 10 | 5 | 10 | 20 | |
The quantities above assume a plated three-course dinner. Buffets change the requirements in a few ways:
For caterers preparing food on-site, the main items to hire are chafing dishes (bain marie units) to keep food at temperature during service, and induction hobs for last-stage cooking. For a 100-person buffet with 5 to 6 hot dishes, plan on 4 to 6 full-size chafing units. Each unit holds one full gastronorm tray.
Other commonly hired kitchen items include mixing bowls, colanders, baking trays, and large stock pots. The quantities depend on the menu rather than the headcount, so confirm with your chef before ordering.
Add 10% to your buffer on everything for outdoor events. Wind topples glasses, uneven ground increases crockery drops, and the movement between indoor prep space and outdoor service areas raises loss rates across the board. Avoid very lightweight or thin-rimmed glassware outdoors; hire-grade commercial glasses are heavier and significantly more resistant to the conditions.
Tea and coffee service is the item most frequently left off orders. The quantities are not trivial: on a 200-person event you need 17 teapots or 14 cafetières, 20 milk jugs, 20 sugar bowls, and 240 teaspoons. That is a meaningful volume of kit that should be on the order from day one, not added in a rush during setup.
Browse the full range: kitchen and serving equipment hire, glassware hire, and cutlery hire.
Choose from our vast range of catering hire, furniture hire and exhibition hire products. Select from the categories listed below or use our great search function above.
