The short version
| Style | Best for |
|---|---|
| Buffet | 40–600 guests, mixed diets, relaxed timing |
| Family service (sharing platters) | 40–150 seated guests, warm and social |
| Plated | Up to about 200 seated, formal timing, speeches |
Buffet
The workhorse of Indian catering and the reason the cuisine suits large events so well: everything holds beautifully in chafing units, and guests self-select around dietary needs without a seating plan negotiation.
Plan roughly one serving line per 100 guests. Two shorter lines clear a room far faster than one long one, and double-siding a single line halves the queue again.
Family service
Platters land on each table and guests help each other. It reads generous, it photographs well, and it removes the queue entirely. It needs more serving dishes, more table space, and a seating plan that is actually final.
Plated
Each guest receives a set plate. It gives you exact control over timing — useful when speeches are scheduled — and produces almost no waste, but it needs roughly one waiter per 25 covers and locks every guest into a choice made weeks earlier.
Indian food plates well but cools faster than European mains, so plated service works best when the kitchen is close to the room.
How the room decides for you
- No kitchen or power on site: buffet with chafing fuel, not plated.
- Long thin room with one door: two buffet lines, or the queue will block the entrance.
- Fixed seating and a strict schedule: plated or family service.
- Outdoor marquee in British weather: buffet under cover, with lidded units.