How many foil trays do you need for 20, 50 or 100 guests?

Feeding a crowd at a birthday, a backyard barbecue, a school fundraiser, a sports club presentation night or an office lunch starts with one practical question: how many foil trays do you actually need? Buy too few and you are scrambling on the day; buy too many and the spares sit in the garage. Here is a simple way to work it out.

Start with the tray sizes

Catering foil trays come in a familiar family of sizes:

  • Full-size deep tray (about 53 x 33 cm, roughly 8 cm deep): the big one that fits a commercial oven or a hot box. As a rule of thumb it holds around 25 to 30 main-course portions, or about 40 side-dish serves.
  • Half-size deep tray (about 32 x 26 cm): fits a standard home oven, holds around 12 to 15 main portions or 20 side serves.
  • Rectangle and square foil containers (the takeaway-style sizes): good for 1 to 6 portions each, ideal for sending leftovers home or for individual portions.
  • Loaf foil containers: meatloaf, banana bread, slices and cakes. One loaf usually gives 8 to 10 slices.
  • Round foil containers: pies, rice, curries and soups, with a lid for transport.

Sizes vary a little between makers, so check the dimensions on the pack if you are matching a tray to a particular oven or hot box. You will find the foil sizes in our Foil Containers collection.

Work out portions, not trays

Count portions first, then convert to trays. A simple planning guide for a sit-down meal:

  • Main protein: 1 portion per adult, about half a portion per child.
  • Sides (potato, rice, roast vegetables, pasta): plan on 2 to 3 different sides, each at about 1 serve per guest.
  • Salads: 1 serve per guest across all salads combined.
  • Dessert: 1 serve per guest, plus a few spare.

For a buffet where guests come back for seconds, add about 15 percent to the mains and sides. For a barbecue, count sausages, patties and skewers per head instead, and use the trays for salads, bread rolls and sides.

20 guests

  • Mains: 1 full-size deep tray, or 2 half-size trays if you are cooking at home.
  • Sides: 2 to 3 half-size trays (one per side dish).
  • Dessert: 1 half-size tray or 2 loaf containers.
  • Leftovers: 10 to 12 medium rectangle containers with lids.

50 guests

  • Mains: 2 full-size deep trays (3 if you are offering two proteins).
  • Sides: 3 full-size trays, or 6 half-size trays.
  • Salads: 2 to 3 large serving bowls or platters rather than foil, so the table looks the part.
  • Dessert: 2 full-size shallow trays or 4 to 5 loaf containers.
  • Leftovers: 20 to 25 containers.

100 guests

  • Mains: 4 full-size deep trays per protein.
  • Sides: 6 full-size trays across three side dishes.
  • Dessert: 4 full-size shallow trays.
  • Leftovers: 40 to 50 containers, and a roll of foil for covering.

At this size it is worth buying by the carton. Browse our Bulk Carton Savings collection for carton quantities, and use the Quick Order page to enter quantities for lots of lines at once.

Don't forget the extras

  • Lids: foil or clear lids for anything travelling or going in the fridge.
  • Foil and baking paper for lining and covering.
  • Serving platters, tongs and serving spoons.
  • A marker to label trays before they go in the oven.
  • Bin bags for the clean-up.

Alongside home parties and workplaces, we supply plenty of community and religious events too, so a hall full of people is nothing new to us.

Pickup, delivery and shipping

We are at 391 Inkerman Street, St Kilda VIC 3182, with on-site parking. Opening hours are Monday to Thursday 9:00am to 5:00pm, Friday 9:00am to 3:00pm in summer (daylight saving time) and 9:00am to 2:00pm in winter, Sunday 10:00am to 1:00pm, and we are closed on Saturday. Public holiday hours vary, so call (03) 9525 8512 or check our Google listing before you visit.

Order online and pick up in store, or choose local delivery within 10 km of the store, which is free on orders of $199 or more. We ship Australia-wide for most items via Australia Post. Super bulky items are pickup or local delivery only. Contact us for a custom quote on a big event order and we will have everything packed and ready for you.

Our range changes through the year, so call or visit for what is in store.

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