Party Food Calculator
Free toolChoose the type of event and enter the number of guests to find out how much food and drink you need to buy.
Result
Fill in the fields and press Calculate to see the result.
How to use it
- Set the number of guests and how many hours the party will last.
- Choose the type of event: general, barbecue or buffet.
- Read the quantities of drink and food by category.
What it works out and how
For a general party or a barbecue the tool allows 0.15 litres of drink per guest per hour, 100 g of snacks, 250 g of meat and 150 g of sides per person. For a buffet it starts from 450 g of food per guest, split into 40% mains, 30% sides and 30% dessert. These are averages for adults.
Frequently asked questions
Do I count children as adults?
As a rule of thumb, a child counts as half an adult for food. For drinks, almost the same, since they tend to drink a fair amount.
How much ice do I need?
Allow around half a kilo per person if drinks need chilling, and more in summer or outdoors.
Better to have leftovers or cut it fine?
Add a 10% margin. Running out of food is remembered; leftovers get shared out or frozen.