# without plate lids how long do you think I can hold food?



## kdram1 (Oct 28, 2016)

Hello All,

I have a plated dinner for 96 people. Easy menu of  medium/medium rare filet with bordelaise , herb red skin potatoes, green beans with red peppers and 3 blackened shrimp.

I DO NOT have plate covers available, but do have plenty of warming cabinets. I can plate place on sheet pans and put in the warmers at 130 degrees.     How long do you think I can hold that plated without a cover and the food still present well and not look dry?

Thanks

Kelly


----------



## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

How many servers, carrying how many plates at one time? How many  people doing plate up?


----------



## chefross (May 5, 2010)

Can't you plate and go?
It's only 96 people...


----------



## meezenplaz (Jan 31, 2012)

Welcome to Cheftalk, Kelly.

Agreed, plate and go, but do pre-warm the plates first. Ive done this from 30 to 150 guests many times

in the banquet room and in catering--retrieved a stack of warmed plates, plated more or less by table,

with servers running them out, while we plated the next batch. And that was with a minimum of a 2 entree

choice, sometimes 3. With only one entree, should be simpler.

In this manner, we typically served 8 tables of 10 guests in less than 15 minutes.

If there's a reason you cant plate as you serve, do let us know.


----------



## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

If the above fails (maybe the banquet room is a distance from the kitchen?) I have inverted a warm plate and it worked ok (thanks for the rememory monkey man  ;-)

Had a bit of rearrangement to do as we were loading the service trays.

If you have enuf servers have one follow with the sauce.

Looks good plus you don't have to worry about it running into the veg during transport.

Not enuf plates?

Cling film is good as the last resort.

Wrap around the entire trays (a bit loose so nothing gets squashed) and slash with a box cutter, remove the plates and you are good to go.

mimi


----------

