Guide supports a range of local events. Caterers and event managers organise functions in village halls, community centres, and local hotel function rooms. Rural event sites also host marquee events. These venues
Cutlery is graded by its steel composition. The two numbers refer to chromium and nickel content.
\\\18/0 stainless steel is 18% chromium, 0% nickel. It is the industry standard for event hire. Polished to a bright mirror finish, it works across corporate dinners, weddings, and catering contracts. It holds its appearance well in repeated commercial use and is the specification used across the Expo Hire range.
\\\18/10 stainless steel adds 10% nickel, which increases corrosion resistance and gives the steel a slightly warmer tone. It is more common in permanent restaurant settings than in hire. For most events, 18/0 is the correct choice.
\\\Weight matters too. Heavy-gauge cutlery feels substantial in the hand and signals quality to guests. Lighter pieces are fine for outdoor catering and high-volume buffets where guests are less focused on the table setting itself.
\\\ \\\A standard three-course dinner place setting requires a table knife, table fork, dessert spoon, and dessert fork. Add a side knife if you are serving bread. Add a soup spoon if the starter is served in a bowl.
\\\| Course | Piece required |
|---|---|
| Main course | Table knife + table fork |
| Starter (plated) | Side knife + side fork |
| Starter (soup) | Soup spoon |
| Dessert | Dessert spoon + dessert fork |
| Bread | Side knife |
| Tea and coffee | Teaspoon |
For a full formal place setting with all courses, you need 7 pieces per cover. For a simple two-course meal, 4 pieces is enough. Add 5 to 10% to your cover count for breakage, drops, and late guest list changes.
\\\ \\\Take your confirmed guest count, multiply by the pieces per cover you need, then add 10%. Round up to the nearest complete set. For buffet events running multiple sittings, calculate per sitting rather than total attendance. If you are running a buffet without table service, soup spoons and dessert forks are rarely needed in full quantities.
\\\ \\\Teaspoons are the most under-ordered cutlery item. A guest who stirs a coffee puts the teaspoon down somewhere that is not the saucer. At scale, teaspoons disappear from circulation fast. For tea and coffee service after a seated dinner, order 1.5 teaspoons per cover minimum. For a longer reception with several rounds of hot drinks, order two per cover.
\\\ \\\Bowl food events and informal buffets have a different profile. Guests often need only a fork or spoon, depending on the food served. A grazing table with finger food may need no cutlery at all. A street food station may need one piece per guest. Confirm with your caterer before placing the order.
\\\ \\\Expo Hire collects all cutlery unwashed. Separate cutlery from glassware and crockery into the correct crates at collection time. Damaged or missing items are covered by the Free Minor Damage Waiver included on every order.
\\\ \\\Cutlery arrives packed in crates, counted and inspected before dispatch. Delivery is available Monday to Sunday across England and Wales. Sunday collection is available, which most hire companies do not offer.
\\\ \\\Browse the full range on the cutlery hire page, or use live chat if you want help calculating quantities for a specific menu.
\For more information, read our Cutlery Hire Guide.
Yes. Expo Hire delivers to Guide from the nearest regional depot. Enter your venue postcode at checkout to confirm delivery coverage and see the exact carriage cost before placing your order.
Yes. Expo Hire is the only event hire company in the UK that delivers and collects on Sundays. Morning and afternoon windows are available 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Orders placed by midday on a working day can often be delivered the next day, subject to stock and route availability. For urgent requirements, call 0800 910 1100 — the team will check what is possible from the nearest depot.
The minimum order value ranges from £100 to £3,000 ex-VAT excluding carriage, depending on your delivery location.
