Grazing table ideas

Which grazing table style suits the time of day?

Start with when your guests arrive.

• Morning: a brunch grazing table of mini pastries, banana bread, waffles, frittata or quiche and muesli, or a fruit grazing table of 8 seasonal fruits.
• Lunch: a savoury grazing table of cheeses, salami and prosciutto, sourdough, crackers, dips and olives.
• Afternoon: a sweet grazing table of donuts, slices, cookies, chocolate, rocky road and marshmallows.
• Evening: a savoury table, with a sweet table beside it if you want dessert.
• Children's party: a kids grazing table of fairy bread, carrot sticks, donuts, crackers, hummus and sweet treats.

What grazing table ideas suit weddings, showers and offices?

These are starting points, and we can help you adjust them.

• Weddings: a savoury table with a sweet table beside it, or a brunch table for a morning wedding. See wedding grazing tables.
• Baby showers: a sweet table, or a fruit table for a lighter late-morning event. See baby shower grazing tables.
• Birthdays and engagements: a savoury table for a milestone, with a sweet table if there is a cake. See birthday and engagement tables.
• Kids' parties: a kids table, with a savoury or fruit table for the adults.
• Office events: a brunch table for a training day, or a savoury table for a client event. See corporate grazing tables.

Can I mix savoury and sweet?

Yes. The enquiry form lets you pick more than one style, so you can set a savoury table beside a sweet one, a fruit table next to a savoury one, or a kids table alongside a savoury table for the adults. Mixing styles gives guests something salty, something sweet and something fresh.

What colour and theme ideas can I ask for?

If your event has a theme, tell us when you enquire. Our team will work closely with you to create a table that suits it, and we will let you know what we can do.

• A baby shower or birthday: share the colours or theme of the day and our team will work with you on the sweet table.
• A children's party: tell us the theme, and we can swap or add items on the kids table to suit.
• A seasonal look: the fruit table is made of 8 fruits that are in season, so it changes through the year.

What canapés and extras go well with a table?

Canapés take some of the load off the table, so you may be able to stay with a smaller size. They have a minimum order of 30 and include sausage rolls, vegetarian rolls, party pies, pastizzi, lamb koftas, free-range chicken skewers, arancini balls and fresh fruit skewers. As a rough guide, caterers plan 4 to 6 canapés per person before a meal, and 10 to 12 when canapés are the main food over two to three hours.

Sandwiches (48 triangles) and wraps (24 pieces) suit lunches, one-person grazing cones give each guest their own serve, and fresh fruit juices suit a morning table. See grazing table add-ons. If you want anything served hot, the venue needs a fully functioning kitchen.

How can hired stone, dishes and silverware change the look?

The standard set-up is disposable or recyclable, which keeps clean-up easy. For a dressier look at a wedding, an engagement or a client event, you can hire stone, dishes and silverware with your table. Tell us when you enquire and we will include them in your quote. Hired items are the only thing that comes back to us. See grazing table hire for how set-up works.

What ideas suit dietary needs?

We can cater for gluten free, dairy free, nut free, vegan and vegetarian needs on request. Tell us early, with the numbers and any allergies. Our kitchen handles a range of foods, so we do not make allergen-free guarantees.

• A vegetarian or vegan crowd: ask for a vegetarian or vegan savoury table, because the standard spread includes cured meats.
• A brunch with vegetarians: the standard brunch table has ham, cheese and tomato croissants, so ask for a vegetarian version.
• A nut free children's party: ask for a nut free kids table.
• A mixed crowd: add a fruit table beside a savoury table, and tell us about any fruit a guest cannot eat.

How big should the table be?

Choose a size from your guest numbers. The number is a maximum, so a smaller crowd can use it. See how much food a grazing table needs and what is a grazing table.

• 0.5 m savoury or sweet: up to 15 guests.
• 1 m: up to 35 guests.
• 2 m: up to 55 guests.
• 3 m: up to 75 guests.
• 6 m: up to 180 guests.

More grazing table options

All grazing tables · Savoury · Sweet · Brunch · Fruit · Kids · Corporate tables · Hire & set-up · Packages · Add-ons & canapés · Cost guide