Grazing table menu

Sizing a grazing table

Grazing tables are sized by weight per guest, then by table length.

• Alongside other food (before dinner, with canapés): about 150–200 g per guest.
• As the main food for a 2–3 hour event: about 350–450 g per guest, with more breads, dips and a warm item such as chicken skewers.
• Table length: a standard 2.4 m (8 ft) banquet table holds a grazing spread for roughly 60–80 guests when grazing is the appetizer. For 150 guests, use two tables or one table reachable from both sides.

Guests take the most from the ends of the table, so we put the breads, crackers and plates at both ends and duplicate the popular dips.

The two-hour limit and how we manage it

General food safety guidance, including Health Canada's, is that perishable food should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours. Soft cheese, dips, cooked meats and cut fruit all count. A grazing table that looks beautiful for four hours is a table that was not managed.

We handle this in two ways. For staffed tables, we set out a smaller first round and replenish from coolers in batches, removing the old batch rather than topping it up. For drop-off tables, the display is built on chilled platters and sized for about two hours; if your event is longer, we split the order into two rounds and label the second for the fridge. Outdoor tables in July need shade and a shorter window.

Cheese, cured meats and dietary needs

A traditional charcuterie board is mostly pork, which excludes many guests at Toronto events. Our grazing tables use halal-sourced beef bresaola, smoked turkey and beef sujuk instead, so the meat section is open to more of the room. Some traditional cheeses are made with animal rennet, which matters to some vegetarians; ask us and we will tell you which cheeses on your table use microbial rennet.

For gluten-free guests, we put gluten-free crackers on their own board with their own knife, away from the bread. The mezze and produce sections are largely vegan by recipe, which keeps plant-based guests from being left with only grapes.

What's included and what the venue needs

The per-person price includes the food, boards, platters, serving utensils, small plates, napkins and on-site styling. You provide a sturdy table in a spot away from direct sun or heating vents, ideally near where people gather rather than in a corner. Setup takes 45–90 minutes depending on size, so we need access before guests arrive. Wooden boards and platters are collected after the event.