How many meal trays do I need for 20 guests? The right quantities for 20, 30 or 50 people
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Order too much and you throw food away; too little and it's awkward. A simple calculation is the first zero-waste step.
In short
For 20 guests, order 20 meal trays plus 1 to 2 extra — no more. One tray per person, with a margin of about 5% rounded up, ideally vegetarian. For 30 guests order 32, for 50 guests 53. Add half a litre of water per person, confirm the headcount two days ahead and plan containers for leftovers.
Planning a team lunch or a training day? The question is always the same: how many trays do you really need? Every extra tray usually ends up in the bin.
Berchoux has cooked zero-waste from day one. This guide applies that logic to your order — quantities, not prices.
Then build your order from our homemade meal trays, cooked the same morning in Montmartre.
Why not +20%?
- For 20 guests, +20% means 4 wasted trays.
- Absences outnumber last-minute additions.
- A 5% vegetarian margin covers most surprises.
The basic rule: one tray per person, with which exceptions?
One guest, one tray: a well-built tray is a complete meal.
Exceptions depend on context: duration, time of day, audience.
Work lunch, meeting, seminar: what changes
For a meeting, one tray each is plenty. For a full-day seminar, add morning and afternoon breaks rather than doubling trays.
A hungrier audience calls for heartier trays, not more of them.
For a full day, see our seminar catering in Paris.
Last-minute guests: what margin (and why not +20%)
Adding 20% means 4 extra trays for 20 guests — yet absences are more common than surprise guests.
Aim for about 5%, rounded up, in vegetarian versions.
Summary table: 10, 20, 30, 50 guests
Quantities per headcount with a 5% margin. Volumes only, no prices.
| Guests | Trays to order | Water (0.5 L / pers.) | Desserts | Bread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 10 + 1 vegetarian spare | 5 litres | Included in tray | Included |
| 20 | 20 + 1 to 2 spares | 10 litres | Included in tray | Included |
| 30 | 30 + 2 spares | 15 litres | Included in tray | Included |
| 50 | 50 + 3 spares | 25 litres | Included in tray | Included |
For a full day, double the drinks but keep one tray per person at lunch.
The method
- Start from the confirmed headcount.
- Add 5%, rounded up, vegetarian.
- Check whether dessert and bread are included.
Meal trays, buffet or cocktail: which format for your headcount?
Duration, seated or standing guests and available space decide the format.
Meal trays
Up to 30–40 seated guests, 30 to 60 minutes, no service area needed.
Buffet
From about 20 guests, for a longer lunch with a serving table.
Cocktail
Standing events from 30 guests, counted in pieces per person.
Thresholds are indicative; individual trays remain the most zero-waste format.
Considering shared service? See our buffet catering in Paris.
Adapting quantities to diets: vegetarian, flexitarian, allergies
A tray that doesn't match its guest is a wasted tray.
Ask about diets and allergies in the invitation rather than guessing.
Berchoux cooks flexitarian, and each adapted tray is clearly labelled.
For a mostly plant-based order, see our vegetarian caterer in Paris.
Diet checklist
- A diet question in the invitation.
- Spares in vegetarian versions.
- Clear labelling.
Estimating a meal budget for 50 people: the method
A formula rather than an invented price range.
Cost per person
Tray cost multiplied by the confirmed headcount.
Delivery
Depends on distance, time and volume.
Drinks
Use the table to compute volumes.
Controlled margin
3 spare trays for 50 guests.
The quote
Send these quantities to get a precise quote.
The best saving is not over-ordering.
Ordering timeline: when to do what
Good quantities are built over time, in three steps.
First contact once the date is set, diets one to two weeks ahead, final headcount two days before.
Everything is cooked the same morning, so the D-2 confirmation matters.
Three steps
- Date set: first contact.
- D-15 to D-7: diets and delivery time.
- D-2: final headcount.
Avoiding waste on the day
Refrigerate leftover trays quickly and offer them to the team the same day.
Plan reusable containers; redistribution charities exist in Paris.
Ask how the caterer collects reusable containers.
Our approach is detailed on our zero-waste caterer in Paris page.
On the day
- Headcount confirmed at D-2.
- Leftovers refrigerated.
- Containers planned.
Ordering from a neighbourhood caterer: what it changes
A nearby caterer delivers on time, at the right temperature, and cooks closer to mealtime.
Berchoux is a Montmartre canteen at 105 rue Caulaincourt, led by chef Julie Berchoux after thirty years in Michelin-starred kitchens; flexitarian and zero-waste since 2020.
We deliver across Paris and the inner suburbs, within about 5 km, and help you size your order.
Check your address on our delivery areas page.
One headcount, one right-sized order
Request a meal-tray quote for your headcount
Tell us the date, headcount, diets and address: we'll propose a right-sized order.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How many meal trays for 50 guests?
50 trays plus about 5%, i.e. 3 vegetarian spares: 53 in total.
Should I order dessert separately?
Not if the tray already includes one, as Berchoux trays do.
How far ahead should I order?
Contact us once the date is set and confirm the headcount two days before.
What to do with extra trays?
Refrigerate them and offer them to the team the same day, with take-away containers.
How to handle allergies?
List them in the invitation, send them with the headcount and ask for named labels.
How many vegetarian trays?
Ask your guests; make spare trays vegetarian.
Go further
Your quantities are ready: discover our plateaux repas Paris, cooked the same morning in Montmartre.