Chafing dishes, gastronorm pans, lids and meat trays for buffet service. Live stock, online pricing and booking.
Chafing dishes keep hot food at service temperature on buffet lines and carving stations. Expo Hire's chafing dish range covers full-size, roll-top and round formats, plus the gastronorm pans and lids that go inside them — all from the same hire order.
| Format | Capacity | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Full size chafing dish | 1/1 gastronorm (530 × 325mm) | Main course service, large buffet lines |
| Full size roll-top | 1/1 gastronorm with hinged lid | Self-service buffets, front-of-house carving stations |
| 12in round chafing dish | Round pan, 305mm diameter | Sauces, soups, smaller portions |
| Meat tray (1/1 spiked) | 1/1 size with raised spikes | Carving stations, roasted joints |
The standard rule for a hot buffet is one full-size chafing dish per main course item, plus one per side dish. For a three-course wedding breakfast buffet serving 100 guests, a typical setup is 4–6 full-size dishes on the main line, 2–3 dishes for sides, and 1–2 round dishes for sauces or soup. For continuous service lines serving over 200 guests, duplicate each station so service speed stays constant.
Pair chafing dishes with gastronorm pans and lids, hot cupboards for back-of-house holding, and serving utensils from the same order.
Full chafing dish sets include the frame, water pan and lid. Gastronorm food pans are available as separate hire items in the gastronorm pan range — add the size and depth you need to the same basket.
Standard chafing fuel (200g gel) burns for approximately 2 hours. Order sufficient cans for the duration of your service period plus one spare per station. The chafing fuel range shows available quantities with live stock.
Chafing dishes can be used outdoors but are not designed for exposure to wind — open flames from chafing fuel can be affected by wind. Outdoor use on an exposed site requires wind screening around the buffet station.
Expo Hire does not charge a security deposit. A free minor damage waiver covers minor damage and loss. Excessive or negligent damage is charged at 10 times the hire price. Full details in our terms and conditions.
Use the carriage calculator to find your nearest branch and get an accurate delivery quote. At checkout we show an itemised delivery cost before you confirm the order.
On the day, track your driver in real time on our order tracking page, or use the link in the automated text we send.
For orders over £1,000, you can confirm a booking with a 25% deposit and pay the balance up to 28 days before delivery. The checkout offers this automatically. Full details in our terms and conditions.
