Setting up a buffet - practical tips
The clear advantage of a buffet is the large selection. Whether you are setting up a brunch buffet, offering a sumptuous breakfast or preparing delicious dishes for catering: A buffet ensures that your guests can try a variety of new dishes at each of these occasions. To present your offer in the right light, your buffet must be set up hygienically and attractively. Would you like to build a buffet from scratch or give your existing buffet an update? We can help you find the right equipment and give you valuable tips and ideas for planning your buffet set-up.
Step #1: Building a buffet - the furniture base
Would you like to build your buffet from scratch? Special buffet furniture is the perfect basis and can be individually tailored to your needs. Our furniture series Valinta is the ideal solution if you are looking for a versatile, customizable and at the same time modern basis for your buffet.
Valinta - your buffet table by professionals, for professionals
Valinta is a range of buffet tables that you can combine as required to create your perfect buffet line. You can choose from wall elements, island elements and corner elements in various sizes. The matching accessories, such as inserts, complete your buffet set-up.
Valinta impresses with the following features:
Optional with castors: In addition to classic tables, the Valinta series also includes mobile models with castors. This means that the tables can be quickly and easily moved or repositioned within the buffet landscape. A brake on the castors provides the necessary stability.
Flexible design: The Valinta tables are equipped with recesses. The appropriate inserts can be placed here according to your requirements. The tables are also equipped with shelves and, depending on the model, doors. Perfect for storing additional crockery, cutlery or glasses.
Insert plates for Valinta buffet tables
With the matching insert plates, you can complete your Valinta buffet line and achieve a clean and sophisticated look that will delight your guests.
Choose from three types of insert plates:
1. Insert plates without cut-out: These plates are ideal for creating a support surface for baskets, boxes, shelves, cutlery holders or crockery.
2. Insert plates with cut-out GN 1/1: Standardized cut-outs in the plates allow you to easily insert GN containers and the corresponding cold packs into the tables
3. Insert plate with cut-out for Fenton chafing dish: To keep food warm, you can integrate the Fenton GN 1/1 chafing dish directly into your Valinta table using this plate.
Practical additions to the Valinta buffet landscape
The following products from the Valinta range are also available to perfectly complement your buffet set-up:
- Hygiene protection: A hygiene protection (also known as spit protection) made of acrylic glass protects your food from above..
- Niche wall: The matching niche wall serves as a wipe-clean back wall or as a dividing element between the various buffet stations.
Our tip: Beverage stations
Do you need more space for your buffet system? The Baristo serving station is ideal as an anchor point for your coffee machine and tea selection. Baristo is also available with an integrated waste system - particularly practical for offering your guests a stylish way to dispose of waste such as tea bags or napkins.
Step #2: Buffet components - hygienic basics for every buffet counter
Have you already found the right buffet furniture, but want to give your buffet area an update with a new look? In addition to appearance, hygiene also plays a major role in a buffet. The following equipment is a must for the attractive and safe presentation of your food and drinks:
Cooling dishes with refrigerated display cases
Whether it's the selection of sausages at the breakfast buffet, creative salads for lunch or delicious desserts and fruit to round off the evening feast, there are dishes at almost every buffet that absolutely must be cooled to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
Different types of refrigerated display cases ensure an uninterrupted cold chain. In general, refrigerated display cases are made up as follows:
BASE BOX + BASE TRAY + COLD PACK + PRESENTATION PLATTER / GN CONTAINER (+ ROLLTOP COVER)
Our highlight products:
Refrigerated display cases with hood
A hood on your refrigerated display case has two clear advantages: it serves as a hygiene barrier and protects your dishes. In addition, the hood helps to maintain the chilled environment created by the cold packs. This keeps your food particularly fresh.
Discover a wide range of practical refrigerated display cabinets with hoods from our Montana series. The products are available individually or directly as combined sets.
Multi-tier refrigerated display cases
If you have limited space available on your buffet tables, multi-tier refrigerated display cases are the perfect solution. They keep your dishes reliably cool and allow you to extend your food presentation in height rather than width.
Our Esino series offers you a selection of multi-tier refrigerated display cases - the space-saving method for your buffet presentation.
Keep dishes warm with chafing dishes & co.
Hot dishes must be kept warm in the buffet - because nobody wants to eat lukewarm potato gratin or cold scrambled eggs. When setting up a buffet, you should therefore definitely invest in the following aids:
- Bain-Marie: Bain-Maries are rectangular water basins. The water in them is heated by electricity or gas. The GN containers with the food can be placed in the water basins. The heated water transfers the heat to the food so that it stays warm evenly and for a long time. Bain-Maries are particularly suitable for keeping food warm in the kitchen.
- Chafing dishes: Chafing dishes are the perfect choice for buffets. They consist of a water container that is heated with an electric heater or using fuel paste. GN containers can be used here to keep the dishes warm.
- Heating plates and food warmers: Depending on which system you choose to keep your food warm, you will need different heating plates, for example chafing dish heaters or warming plates. Also think about the necessary fuel gels.
Practical dispenser systems
The big rule with buffets is: you eat with your eyes. An appealing and clean presentation of your food and drinks is essential. If you offer drinks such as juices, homemade lemonades or iced teas, it makes sense to fill them in beverage dispensers. The dispensers fit perfectly into your buffet landscape and offer your guests a hygienic way to help themselves to drinks. For breakfast buffets, cereals dispensers are particularly helpful for presenting your selection of breakfast cereals in an appealing way.
Step #3: Arrange the buffet - the right equipment
Put the finishing touches to your buffet line! The way you present your food at the buffet is crucial to your success. The presentation should whet the appetite and be easy to understand. Various food presentation products can help you achieve this.
Bowls and mini glasses
Whether for salads, dips, side dishes or desserts - bowls and mini glasses are part of the basic equipment for every buffet presentation. In high-quality versions made of porcelain, glass or melamine, food can be served not only attractively but also hygienically. Different sizes and shapes provide visual variety.
Platters and serving boards:
Platters made of porcelain, wood, slate or stainless steel are perfect for elegantly presenting cheese, cold meats, antipasti or desserts. Wooden serving boards bring warmth and naturalness to the buffet - especially in combination with rustic or Mediterranean dishes. Ideal for finger food and appetizers that should not slip.
Serving cutlery:
Whether salad servers, soup ladles, tongs or cake servers - functional, high-quality serving cutlery is part of every buffet. Look for a uniform design and material to create a harmonious overall look. Cutlery made of polished stainless steel or with a matt brushed finish looks particularly elegant.
Bread baskets:
No buffet should be without bread. Present bread rolls, baguettes or farmhouse bread in stylish bread baskets and complement your bread buffet with a bread slicing station, bread chutes and matching knives. This makes the bread area not only hygienic, but also visually inviting.
Glass cloches:
Glass cloches protect delicate food such as cheese, cakes or sandwiches from drying out and external influences. At the same time, they set specific accents on the buffet. In combination with wooden platters or porcelain plates, they ensure a professional presentation.
Displays:
Displays are a real space saver, especially for small buffet areas. Whether for sweet snacks, savory canapés or fresh fruit - with multi-tiered displays, your buffet will look lively and structured.
Buffet signs:
Buffet signage is particularly important - not only for information, but also out of consideration for allergy sufferers and people with alternative diets, for example vegetarians or vegans. Dishes can be correctly labeled with practical buffet signs or small boards. Make sure you use clear terms and, if necessary, use pictograms for allergen information.
Elements for creative buffet presentation
In addition to the classic buffet items, it is worth using special presentation elements. Tea boxes keep the breakfast area tidy. You can create height and structure with buffet stands, racks and modular structures. They are perfect for placing cutlery trays, cutlery holders or modern buffet boxes and show that you have paid attention to detail: Attention to detail has been paid here.
Tips for setting up a buffet - you should also pay attention to these
You have found the perfect equipment to present your food attractively and hygienically at the buffet. You should consider the following points when setting up a buffet before you open the doors to your guests.
What dimensions should buffet tables have?
Your buffet table should be at least 70 cm deep - around 100 cm is ideal. The length of the buffet section depends on the number of guests and the amount of food you offer. Ideally, a buffet section should be designed for a maximum of 120 guests. For larger events, it makes sense to have several buffet stations set up in the same way. This ensures a smooth distribution of guests and a uniform appearance.
Order of buffet layout
The classic buffet layout is based on the sequence of dishes: At the beginning, you should place plates, cutlery, napkins and bread. Salads and starters are then presented, followed by soup plates or soup cups, spoons and the soups themselves if you are also offering soups. Then the main courses are placed. Finally come the desserts. How exactly you set up your buffet naturally also depends on the type of buffet you are offering. You can find more information and a practical overview in our magazine article on buffet types. Important: Place the food at a sufficient distance from each other to ensure a recognizable structure at first glance and easy accessibility. Plates and bowls that are placed too close together quickly look cluttered and untidy. Therefore, divide your buffet into clearly recognizable areas such as starters, main courses and desserts.
Smart guest management at the buffet: Tips for a smooth process
Well thought-out guest management is crucial for relaxed processes at the buffet, especially at larger events.
Avoid crowds - here's how:
- Greetings from the kitchen: Serve a small appetizer or starter at the table - this reduces the crowds at the buffet at the beginning.
- Double equipment: Place bread, cutlery and napkins not only at the beginning of the buffet, but also at the end - this saves unnecessary walking. Alternatively, this equipment can also be placed directly on the tables.
- Buffet island instead of wall construction: If possible, place the buffet in the middle of the room. This allows guests to serve themselves from both sides.
- Stations instead of queues: Divide the buffet into individual stations for salads, hot dishes and desserts. This ensures greater clarity and shorter waiting times. This type of buffet set-up can also be perfectly combined with live cooking elements.
Our tip: Make an impression - with a system:
A buffet should still look neat and inviting even after the first guest visit. With a modular, coordinated buffet system, you can create order, style and recognition value.