So I have been asked to cater a co-workers birthday party for 70 people. They wanted pulled pork, ribs, coleslaw, and beans. What would be the best way to calculate quantity for this? I do not do catering for a living so this is new for me.
Thanks
#1 Do you have liability insurance coverage for this event?
(i.e. how much of your personal assets are you willing to risk due to foodborne illness issues should they occur?)
#2 Are you operating within HD regs (food license, biz license, use of a commercial kitchen to prepare food, etc)?
(i.e. what legal ramifications are you willing to endure should this become an issue?)
Be aware that without these two primary items being covered you are taking a huge risk.
As to quantities:
The numbers below reflect the numbers necessary for serving each respective product to 70 guests. Depending on the "mix" of items served to each person you would need to adjust these numbers accordingly. If it is "self serve" you have no way of knowing for sure what menu items each person will take or the size of serving they will take. If the menu is being "served" then you have much more control over these numbers.
Pulled Pork - Assuming 6 oz servings you will need a minimum of 53 lbs raw pork, which does not account for anyone taking more than a 6 oz serving, to serve 70 people. This is calculated using a 50% loss of weight during the cook process. Adjust accordingly depending on serving "mix" of this item. Not everyone may partake of pulled pork.
Ribs - Assuming 3 bones per serving, and assuming baby back style, you will need a minimum of 210 bones raw to serve 70 people. Adjust accordingly depending on serving "mix" of this item. Not everyone may partake of the ribs even though that is sacrilege :becky:.
Sides - Assuming a 4 oz serving of each side you will need a minimum of 280 oz each of slaw/beans to serve 70 people. This assumes all participants take one 4 oz serving of each. When serving multiple sides with multiple meats we have found that the 4 oz size is more than sufficient for 90% of customers.
Due to the unpredictability of "mix" of menu items consumed it may be a very good idea for you to get a commitment from your customer of how many lbs of pork and how many rib bones they want. This puts any "shortage" of food concerns in their court and not yours.
You don't mention if you are charging for this event. If so then the rule of thumb is to take your costs (ALL costs) and multiply times 3 to arrive at a retail price for the event.