Buffet Display Ideas

Whether you are planning a casual buffet dinner at home for friends, or a more formal event with buffet stations, food presentation and function are the most important aspects to think about. Consider having servers if your group is fairly large, or opening up both sides of the table for service to accelerate line movement. Does this Spark an idea?

Dinnerware and Utensils

Stacking plates on a separate table provides room for better food placement.

If you have many courses to your meal or a large menu selection to place on the buffet's main table, set the plates on a separate small table. If you will be offering salads as part of the meal, small salad plates should be stacked on this table. Keep the juggling minimal by providing silverware at the end of the table. This will also prevent people returning and cutting between guests because of forgotten forks, knives or spoons. Wrap your silverware in cloth napkins for easy grabbing. You can place them standing in attractive ceramic or glass vases; lying flat in a basket; or on a ceramic, silver or glass serving platter.

Food Placement

Side dishes should be placed after the entrees on the buffet table.

The placement of food should run according to customary serving order: appetizers, salads, soups, rolls, entrees, sides, breads and dessert. You might prefer to arrange a separate dessert table, complete with coffee, tea, cups and saucers. For beverage service you could have a bar area set up for guests to request drinks, or be creative and offer a beverage station. A baker's rack is an ideal spot. Place assorted glassware on the shelves and pitchers of punch, iced tea, lemonade or water for guests to access on the wider base shelf.

Food Display

Keeping your foods at various levels and within easy reach creates interest and functionality. Raise the level of foods in the back with pretty pedestal cake dishes in varying heights, overturned baskets or, if you are limited in service ware, consider stacks of books or heavy corrugated cardboard boxes draped with cloth napkins or doilies. Consider a fruit tower to add color, visual interest and height. These can be as simple as tooth-picked pieces of fruit attached to a carved standing watermelon, or a fruit tower from a kitchen supply store.

Dessert Tables

Provide a few plated dessert and other whole cakes and pies for self service.

Consider a chocolate fountain. Provide skewers and assorted food items such as fruit and cake squares for dipping. Create a center tier that could run almost the length of your dessert table. Again, use boxes or book stacks draped in cloth. Provide plated desserts ready to grab: slices of cake, pie or bowls of fruit, or pudding, along with decorated cakes, stacks of bars and candy bowls scattered about the table. Vary your heights and colors for interest.

Decorative Display

Flowers and candles add magic to the table.

Don't forget other items to make the table pleasing to the eye: floral arrangements, ice sculptures, fountains, candles, or LED lights encased in draped tulle. Small gourds, pumpkins, pine cones or Christmas ornaments scattered about make nice accents. Keep it to a minimum, though, so as not to detract from the food.