Picnic for 30 guests
A grazing-style picnic for 30: 5 dishes, about 595 g of food a guest (39.5 lb in all), 26 lines on the shopping list and around 136 drinks. 33% of the cooking can happen before the day.
- Dishes
- 5
- Food
- 39.5 lb
- Drinks
- 136
- Shopping lines
- 26
Sized by the planning engine
The menu, amounts and kitchen check
- · We set food for 12:30 PM — change it if your timing is different.
Menu for 30
To start
- Crudités with two dips2 batches · 20 servingson the day
- Pickle and ferment tray1 batch · 20 servingson the day
Starters
- Fried chicken bites, bucket-style1.5 batches · 30 servingson the day
Sides
- Cracked grain & herb salad3 batches · 30 servingsday before
Dessert
- Fruit skewers, no-animal1.5 batches · 30 servingson the day
About 595 g of food a guest. 33% of the cooking can be done before the day.
Shopping highlights
- Chicken thigh pieces8 lb
- Citrus for garnish7 ea
- Cucumber9 ea
- Grapes4 lb
- Herb for garnish — mint or rosemary3 bunch
- Herbs9 bunch
- Lemon4 ea
- Melon7 lb
- Pineapple6 lb
- Raw vegetables7 lb
10 of 26 lines. The full list comes with the plan.
Kitchen check
Over capacity
Cookout without declared grill. Confirm the grill, or change occasion shape to buffet dinner.
Checked against a starting kitchen of 1 oven and 4 burners — not yours yet. Seats are not counted here: the planner asks for your real number rather than guessing it.
Drinks and cost
- Drinks, all kinds
- 136
- Ice
- 75 lb
- Food, estimated
- $555
About $18 a guest — a planning estimate from typical supermarket costs, not a price.
Countdown
The picnic timeline, condensed
2 weeks before
- · Invite guests with a meeting spot and a rain plan.
- · Check the location: shade, toilets, rules on alcohol and grills.
1 week before
- · Plan food that is good at air temperature and needs no reheating.
- · Ask guests to bring a dish or drink from a short list.
Day before
- · Buy produce, bread and drinks.
- · Make grain salads, dips and onigiri; chill them well.
Day of
- · Pack cold food straight from the fridge into the cool bag last.
- · Arrive early to claim a shady spot.
Day after
- · Wash the cool bag and containers and dry the blanket.
Other sizes
Picnic for more or fewer
Questions hosts ask
How much food for a picnic for 30?
About 39.5 lb of finished food, or 595 g a guest across 5 dishes. The amounts are sized by the planning engine and include a small margin.
Should a picnic for 30 be a buffet or a sit-down meal?
It usually runs grazing-style: guests help themselves, so not everyone needs a chair at once. Still count the seats you have; the planner never assumes them.
How many drinks for a picnic for 30?
About 136 drinks across the party, including alcohol-free ones, and 75 lb of ice.
How far ahead should I start planning?
Start 2 weeks before: invite guests with a meeting spot and a rain plan, and check the location: shade, toilets, rules on alcohol and grills.
What does a picnic for 30 cost?
The food in this plan comes to roughly $555, about $18 a guest. That is a planning estimate from typical US supermarket costs, not a price for your shop.
Plan my picnic for 30
Tell us about your kitchen, your seats and anyone's food needs, and the menu, shopping list and timeline redraw around them.
Start planning