I have a question to feed 50 people

[smokinvic]

I will be making 6 slabs of ribs and pulled pork for about 50 adults (a birthday party for a 1 yr old). How may butts would be needed? I was thinking like two to three. Thanks for the help/suggestions boys. (I will not be making any sides, they will be provided by the folks having party.)

[Bbq Bubba]

50 people at 1/4 lb serving = 12 1/2 lbs cooked x 2 = 25 lbs raw meat or 3-8 lb butts!
I would figure 2 bones per person so you may want to get about 8 racks of ribs so nobody goes without!

Good luck!

[BBQ Grail]

Originally Posted by Bbq Bubba

50 people at 1/4 lb serving = 12 1/2 lbs cooked x 2 = 25 lbs raw meat or 3-8 lb butts!
I would figure 2 bones per person so you may want to get about 8 racks of ribs so nobody goes without!

Good luck!

Listen to Bubba. There is a reason he is the Official BBQ Brethren Food Quantity Calculator...

[Bbq Bubba]

Originally Posted by trp1fox

Listen to Bubba. There is a reason he is the Official BBQ Brethren Food Quantity Calculator...

Ohhh, another sig line....

[BobBrisket]

Hey Vic, you catering or is this a family party? If your family is like mine.........by the time this aunt, uncle, cousin of this uncle, and aunt of this aunt shows up it's twice an many people. Looks like Bubba pretty much pegged the quantities there. Good luck.

[Bigmista]

Birthday party for a 1-year old? C'mon...call it what it really is. An excuse to get together to eat and drink.

[smokinvic]

Originally Posted by BobBrisket

Hey Vic, you catering or is this a family party? If your family is like mine.........by the time this aunt, uncle, cousin of this uncle, and aunt of this aunt shows up it's twice an many people. Looks like Bubba pretty much pegged the quantities there. Good luck.

This is actually my first catering gig. I mean, not mch of a catering gig, but a catering gig none-the-less. They agreed to 6 slabs, I am thinking of throwing in an extra 2. And i think I will go with 3 butts.

I listed meeseff on craigslist. just an add stating I can BBQ for you. Never thought I wold get any bites... I was just "testing the waters".

[smokinvic]

Originally Posted by Bigmista

Birthday party for a 1-year old? C'mon...call it what it really is. An excuse to get together to eat and drink.

I don't need a 1 yrd old as an excuse to eat and DRINK.... any day that ends in "y" is reason enough for me and my friends and family. Anytime I let family and friends know we are doing something at my house, first question is usally "what's on teh smoker?". I love it!

[Bbq Bubba]

Originally Posted by smokinvic

This is actually my first catering gig. I mean, not mch of a catering gig, but a catering gig none-the-less. They agreed to 6 slabs, I am thinking of throwing in an extra 2. And i think I will go with 3 butts.

I listed meeseff on craigslist. just an add stating I can BBQ for you. Never thought I wold get any bites... I was just "testing the waters".

I thought this was a party YOU were having, not an actual gig!

Are you charging for this? If so i'd adjust your numbers, you don't want to run short on your first job.

Not knowing the sides, and you not knowing if they'll bring enough, i'd go 1/3 lb sandwiches and 3 ribs per person. It may seem like alot, but what if they're all big eaters?
As long as your covering your costs, get the extra and make yourself look good first time out!

34 lb's of Butts
13 racks

[smokinvic]

Originally Posted by Bbq Bubba

I thought this was a party YOU were having, not an actual gig!

Are you charging for this? If so i'd adjust your numbers, you don't want to run short on your first job.

Not knowing the sides, and you not knowing if they'll bring enough, i'd go 1/3 lb sandwiches and 3 ribs per person. It may seem like alot, but what if they're all big eaters?
As long as your covering your costs, get the extra and make yourself look good first time out!

34 lb's of Butts
13 racks

Wow. Okay. I will adjust my numbers. I don't know If I can go 13 racks. Maybe I will go closer to 10.

[JediDog]

Well I dont want to sound like a party pooper Vic, but do you have insurance? The way today's economy is there are people out there sueing left and right to get easy money. If you know these people then you should be ok , but if this is actually a gig then I wouldn't do it until you have things squared away. I wouldn't risk it. Just my 2 cents.

[Chris Nickelson]

listen to Bubba for sure.

You don't want to run out, ever!

figure a little high and make sure its covered in your costs.

Most of the time it will even out with small eaters and then big eaters, like Bubba.

He's in a class of his own!!!!


lol.

[HB-BBQ]

Originally Posted by JediDog

Well I dont want to sound like a party pooper Vic, but do you have insurance? The way today's economy is there are people out there sueing left and right to get easy money. If you know these people then you should be ok , but if this is actually a gig then I wouldn't do it until you have things squared away. I wouldn't risk it. Just my 2 cents.

I was thinking the same thing. I want to cater publicly myself but am looking at the personal chef route for several reasons including those Jedidog mentioned...

[smokinvic]

That is what I have been thinking about also. I know I am taking a risk. I only threw my little ad on craigslist to see if I would get any responses. I never thought an actual job would come of it. I am concerned, but have already commited. I would hate to flake out on these folks. I have looked into the whole catering requirements. There are quite a bit.

As personal chef, you would not have to go through those requirements HB? Have you researched that?

[HB-BBQ]

Originally Posted by smokinvic

As personal chef, you would not have to go through those requirements HB? Have you researched that?

Vic I am actually doing so as we speak, i've been working on this thing off and on for a few months now. I want to be legal when I start out but I dont want to dump the $$ on insurance, sinks, barbecue rig etc until I am positive I want to cater for the long run.

The personal chef idea as I understand it is that you shop for the food, bring your own cooking tools and smoker, use their kitchen facilities to prep and serve from, and clean up no different than any other personal chef does. If you google "becoming a personal chef" you will find several answers but most want big $$ to get them. I just located a book on the subject that runs $50, if you are interested shoot me a pm and I will send you the link.

If anyone has gone this route please jump in, we could both use some advise.