What is a grazing table?

How is a grazing table different from a grazing station, platter or box?

People use four words for similar food, so it helps to pull them apart. Here is how we use them at Platter and Co.

• Grazing table: a spread laid out at your venue by our team, for guests to help themselves. Tables start at up to 15 guests, go up to 180 and need at least 5 days' notice.
• Grazing station: the same service as a table. We use 'table' and 'station' for the same thing. Other caterers may use the words a little differently, so ask what is included when you compare grazing station catering.
• Grazing platter: one platter of grazing food, usually for a smaller group. Our party platters are our grazing boxes, made fresh to order.
• Grazing box: a boxed platter for 1 to 6 people, picked up free from 238 Flinders Street or delivered in a one-hour slot between 9am and 3pm. Boxes need at least 24 hours' notice.

What is on a grazing table?

Most grazing tables mix something salty, something sweet and something fresh, so guests can build their own plate. Each of our styles has its own spread, and the fruit changes with the season. See our savoury grazing table and sweet grazing table pages for more.

• Savoury: 3 to 4 different cheeses, salami and prosciutto, freshly baked sourdough, crackers, 2 to 3 dips, olives, stuffed peppers, dried and fresh fruit, and fresh vegetables.
• Sweet: donuts, slices, cookies, fresh fruit with dipping sauce, chocolate, rocky road and marshmallows.
• Brunch: mini pastries, toasted banana bread with whipped butter, hot waffles with maple syrup and fresh berries, savoury frittata or quiche, and toasted muesli with yoghurt.
• Fruit: 8 different seasonal fruits.
• Kids: carrot sticks, donuts, fairy bread, crackers, hummus and sweet treats.

How big is a grazing table?

Savoury and sweet tables are sized by length, from 0.5 m to 6 m, and each length lists the most guests it feeds. The guest number is a maximum, so a smaller crowd can use it. Here are some sizes.

• 0.5 m: 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.
• Fruit tables run from 0.5 m (up to 20 guests) to 3.5 m (up to 100). Kids tables run from 0.5 m (up to 20) to 1 m (up to 30). Brunch tables are sized by guest numbers, from 10 to 15 guests up to 100.

When does a grazing table suit your event?

A table suits events where guests graze and mingle rather than sit down to a meal. We set up tables for weddings, birthdays, offices and parties. With fewer than 10 guests, a grazing box usually suits better, because our smallest tables are sized for up to 15.

Our grazing box vs grazing table guide compares the two. To pick a size, see our grazing table packages and how much food a grazing table needs.

• More than about 12 to 15 guests.
• You want the food set up for you at the venue.
• You want to mix styles, such as savoury and sweet. The enquiry form lets you pick more than one.
• You want canapés, sandwiches or wraps added to the order.

How does grazing table set-up work?

Our team arrives at your venue up to 2 hours before the event and sets up the table, with everything you need for the day. The set-up is disposable or recyclable, so clean-up is easy and nothing needs to come back to us unless you hire stone, dishes or silverware.

If you have asked for hot food, the venue needs a fully functioning kitchen. To book, you send the enquiry form and we reply within 24 hours. A 50% non-refundable deposit confirms your date, and the balance is due 72 hours before the event.