Advices/Help for keeping warm 200 dinner plates

Good Morning Everybody,

My name is Claudia.  This is the first time I am posting a thread here, but I have been reading this forum for months now.

I would greatly appreciate any advices/help on how to keep warm or set up 200 dinner plates for an off-site event I am having on February 15.  I have to add that I have done catering for 35-40 people, mostly buffet style, but not for 200 and not for a seated dinner.

For this particular event I am serving grilled chicken breasts topped w/rosemary and a lite butter sauce with herb rice and vegetables medley.

The event starts at 6 pm but I have to be at the site at 3 pm for set up, as my store is 45 miles away from the event's place.  From 6pm to 7 pm they are going to have a buffet style hors d'oeuvres.

The problem that I am having is timing; plating up and traying up the plates while keeping the food warm.  They are going to be seated at 7 pm, after 10-15 minutes opening remarks by the organizers the dinner can be served.  They want me to serve it as quick as I can so by 8 pm they are done eating, no servers are allowed on the floor, so they can wrap up the event by 8:30 pm.  

I already decided to pre-set the deserts plates and salad bowls before everybody is seated.  But how on earth I am going to pre-set the dinner plates ahead of time, keeping food warm.  Not to mention that I also have to serve them at the table coffee or tea?!

I have 7 people including me at the event.

I would be very grateful for any insights you might want to share with me.

Claudia

 

Thank You very much Chef Billy, for your welcome reply and for your help.  

I have 20 tables with 10 people each.  I know is a very short time, that is why I am trying to figure out how can I manage it the best.  I would like to keep this contract for the future.

The menu is:  Grilled chicken breasts topped with rosemary and a lite sauce, accompanied by herb rice and vegetables Medley.

I had two ideas:  Like Cehfedb replied:  Have the main course with me at 15:00.  Somehow keep the 200 plates warm; put the three items of dinner (chicken, rice and vegetables) in three distinctive chafers, and have two lines of three servers, that makes 6 of us, assembling the plates; and run them out there to the tables, as they are set. That leaves me with only two servers on the floor, delivering the plates.  The questions are:  

1.  Isn't it too long of a time - 4 hours - to keep the food on the chafers until I plated?

2.  As I am getting ready the plates; lets say 10 at a time, that means I am serving only one table?!  I do have at the store a cart, with 10 shelves, that can hold two plates at the time.  That makes 20 plates = two tables served.  I do have to finish 20 tables in 20 minutes?!  I am beginning to think that this is going to be ... a challenge!!!!

The other idea was to have some of my crew bring the food in at 18:00 in a cambro, this way the food is going to be fresher.  Still I don't solve the platting and serving problem.

At this point I can't hire more people.  We are 8 all together.  I know that maybe an alto sham my help me out, but I don't have one, and have no idea if I can rent one how much it will cost me?

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions.

 

Thank you Chefedb for taking the time to answer and for your ideas.

If I understood correctly you actually suggest to assembly the plates in a line.  Still the question remains on how to get them out quickly.  And when should I start setting the plates up, since they want the dinner between 19:15 and 20:00, but by 20:00 they want to be done?

Once again thank you

 

Thank You for your reply Pete.

Yes, I do know that I am facing quite a challenge.  The thing was that when I drew up the menu and invoice for this event, I have been told that they want a buffet style.  I sent the invoice in, and then I met with the organizers, about 10 days ago.  That is when they told me that they want the dinner seated, and the appetizers buffet style.

 

Thank You Pete,

I hear you.... Too late to change order, or to hire some more people.  Mea culpa ... I did not charge enough for 10 people.  My best bet would be to start setting up 100 plates at 18:00, and keep them warm; have them out at 19:00 while continuing doing the rest of 100.  I just have to figure out how to keep them hot for an hour until I put them on table.  I did read somewhere on this forum that I can use an ice cooler with hot bricks on the bottom, and then stack up the plates on top of them....!!!!

I don't know just brainstorming here !!!!

And yes I have never don 200 people, but I do have to start sometime ... There is not a question of doing it ... I have to ... 

 

Thank You ChefBilly,

That's exactly how I was planning on doing it ... have the salads bowls, desserts plates, baskets with dinner rolls and butter already set up on the table.  The area of my concern is indeed spooning up the 200 plates and getting them up there fast.  As I was telling Pete maybe the best way is to have a 100 of them pre-plate an hour before, keep them warm, get them out at 7:00 while continuing doing the other 100.

I need some of those Mexican beans like in the cartoons to move fast !!!!!

 

LOL!  Thank You ChefBilly .... I should see my look ... I will keep you posted ... and once again, thank you very much for all your help.

Claudia

 

Thank you Chefedb and thank everybody for your helpful insights.

No, Chefedb, I won't keep them warm for 5 hours in chaffers, I realize that I will spoil the food. 

I managed to get two hot boxes and 100 lid covers for the plates.  I am going to have the food coming at the site at 17:30.  I am going to have some 6 staff with me in the kitchen and I am going to plate 100 plates before 19:00 and stack them in the hot boxes.  At 19:00 I am going to have the staff getting them out, and continue to do the rest.  I am lucky as 5 of my staff are professional servers.

Once again thank you all for your kind replies and advices.  I will keep you posted, just wish me luck and keep your fingers crossed, as I can't.... I will be too busy!!!!

Claudia