Serving salvers, chafing dishes, and vegetable dishes get overlooked during event planning but matter during service. A guide to serveware quantities.
Serving salvers, chafing dishes, and vegetable dishes get overlooked during event planning but matter during service. A guide to serveware quantities.
Tables, chairs, and linen get the attention during event planning. Serveware is easier to overlook, but running short on serving salvers mid-service or putting sides on the table without proper vegetable dishes undermines an otherwise well-run dinner.
\\n\\nWe hire oval serving salvers in three sizes: 14 inch, 18 inch, and 20 inch. These are silver-finish platters for carrying and presenting food on a buffet or during silver service. The 20 inch salver handles a full main course for a table of eight; the smaller sizes suit starters and sharing plates.
\\n\\nVegetable dishes are lidded serving dishes for sides and accompaniments at plated dinners. We stock them in three sizes (8 inch, 12 inch, and 20 inch) in both divided and undivided versions. Divided dishes carry two sides in one vessel, which reduces clutter on the table and speeds up service. Lids are available separately and worth ordering if dishes will sit on a buffet and need to stay warm.
\\n\\nWe hire wicker bread baskets in two sizes and a small wicker fruit basket. These work at wedding dinners, formal receptions, and any event where bread is served at the table.
\\n\\nFor drinks service, we hire mahogany bar trays in large and small, and non-slip trays in round and rectangular versions. Non-slip trays are the better choice for outdoor events and any venue where service happens on uneven or wet ground.
\\nFor formal plated dinners, plan on one vegetable dish per table for every two to three sides. For quantity advice, get in touch before you book.
\\n\\nBrowse our full range of furniture, linen, crockery, glassware, and catering equipment. Select what you need, choose your delivery date, and order online. Expo Hire delivers throughout England and Wales seven days a week.
\nFor a hot buffet serving 100 guests, plan for: one large serving spoon per hot dish, one pair of tongs per dry item (bread rolls, pastries), two serving ladles for soups and sauces, and one carving set per joint if meat is carved at the station. That is a minimum. Add one spare of each to cover drops and service handovers.
\nCanape and drinks reception service uses non-slip round trays (30cm) for glassware and rectangular trays (45cm) for canapes. Staff carrying trays through a crowd need both hands on the tray — design the service so staff do not need to pour from the tray. Bottles stay behind the bar; trays carry pre-poured glasses.
\nServing cutlery, platters, and trays are available from the same order as crockery, cutlery, and glassware. Single delivery, single collection. Return everything unwashed. Read the Crockery Hire Guide for plate quantities and sizes.
For a plated dinner, you need serving dishes that hold the food warm between the kitchen and the table — hot cupboards and chafing dishes at the pass, then dinner plates to the table. For a buffet, oval platters and rectangular trays suit most food types. Deep bowls suit salads and pasta. Shallow trays suit canapés and finger food.
For a 100-person buffet, six to eight large platters per course gives sufficient serving surface without overcrowding the buffet table. Guests should not have to reach past each other to get to food. Space dishes with 15 to 20cm between each serving vessel. Add serving tongs or spoons alongside each dish — budget one set per dish.
Stainless steel is the practical choice for most events — it holds heat, stacks cleanly, and handles commercial wash cycles. Porcelain and melamine platters suit cold serving and display. For a premium event, white porcelain platters create a cleaner visual than steel. Read the Catering Equipment Hire Guide for a full buffet checklist.
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.
