What you need for a Christmas celebration
A Christmas celebration needs more than food and decorations. You will need enough plates, glasses and serving dishes for each course, plus practical supplies for drinks, gifts and the table layout. Confirm the final guest count before buying fresh ingredients or hiring extra tables and chairs. This checklist also helps you spot items that are easy to leave until the last minute, such as coffee cups, soup ladles, name badges and wrapping paper.
What to bring
Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.
Furniture
- Foldable tablesqty 8
- Chairsqty 55
- Buffet tablesqty 3
- Clothing rack
- Gift table
Tableware
- Dinner platesqty 60
- Deep platesqty 60
- Dessert platesqty 60
- Coffee cupsqty 60
- Water glassesqty 70
- Wine glassesqty 60
- Coffee spoonsqty 60
- Forksqty 70
- Knivesqty 70
- Spoonsqty 60
- Serving spoonsqty 12
- Serving plattersqty 12
- Soup ladlesqty 4
- Bread basketsqty 4
- Pitchersqty 6
- Carafesqty 6
- Serving traysqty 6
Decorations
- Artificial Christmas tree
- Christmas baublesqty 40
- Christmas garlandsqty 8
- Table runnersqty 8
- Christmas arrangementsqty 8
- Name badgesqty 55
- Wrapping paperqty 4
- Ribbon rollsqty 3
Lighting
- String lightsqty 5
- LED candlesqty 24
- Extension cordsqty 4
- Power stripsqty 4
Equipment
- Coffee machinesqty 2
- Kettlesqty 2
- Hot traysqty 6
- Coolersqty 3
- Bluetooth speaker
- Microphone
- Music player
Kitchen
- Cutting boardsqty 5
- Chef's knifeqty 4
- Measuring cupsqty 3
- Mixing bowlsqty 5
- Pansqty 6
- Baking dishesqty 6
- Aluminum foilqty 3
- Food storage containersqty 20
Cleaning
- Waste binsqty 4
- Broomqty 2
- Floor mopqty 2
- Bucketsqty 3
- Dish brushesqty 4
- Tea towelsqty 12
- Spongesqty 8
Catering
- Groceries
- Christmas loaf - 4 pieces
- Baguettes - 8 pieces
- Butter - 1 kilo
- Cream cheese - 1 kilo
- Brie - 1.5 kilos
- Goat cheese - 1 kilo
- Hummus - 1 kilo
- Smoked salmon - 1.5 kilos
- Coppa - 1 kilo
- Parma ham - 1 kilo
- Olives - 1 kilo
- Sun-dried tomatoes - 500 grams
- Grapes - 3 kilos
- Figs - 1 kilo
- Walnuts - 500 gram
- Almonds - 500 grams
- Paprika chips - 4 bags
- Plain chips - 4 bags
- Mixed nuts - 1 kilo
- Puff pastry - 6 rolls
- Mushrooms - 2 kilos
- Onions - 2 kilos
- Garlic - 6 bulbs
- Leeks - 2 kilos
- Carrots - 3 kilos
- Celery - 1 kilo
- Pumpkin - 3 kilos
- Potatoes - 8 kilos
- Brussels sprouts - 4 kilos
- Red cabbage - 3 kilos
- Apples - 3 kilos
- Pears - 2 kilos
- Cranberries - 1 kilo
- Fresh herbs - 8 bunches
- Beef broth - 6 liters
- Vegetable stock - 6 liters
- Chicken stock - 4 liters
- Christmas turkeys - 2 pieces
- Vegetarian roulade - 4 pieces
- Bacon cubes - 1 kilo
- Ground beef - 1 kilo
- Cooking cream - 4 liters
- Whipped cream - 3 liters
- Milk - 8 liters
- Eggs - 30 pieces
- Flour - 2 kilos
- Puff pastry sheets - 4 packs
- Breadcrumbs - 500 grams
- Parmesan cheese - 500 grams
- Grated cheese - 1 kilo
- Butter - 2 kilos
- Olive oil - 2 liters
- Sunflower oil - 1 liter
- Salt - 500 grams
- Black pepper - 250 grams
- Nutmeg - 1 jar
- Cinnamon - 1 jar
- Rosemary - 1 pot
- Thyme - 1 pot
- Bay leaves - 1 bag
- Mustard - 3 jars
- Mayonnaise - 3 jars
- Ketchup - 2 bottles
- Cranberry sauce - 3 jars
- Applesauce - 3 jars
- Oranges - 4 kilo
- Lemons - 2 kilos
- Vanilla ice cream - 5 liters
- Christmas cookies - 6 boxes
- Chocolate Christmas wreath cookies - 4 bags
- Brownies - 5 boxes
- Powdered sugar - 500 grams
- Chocolate sauce - 3 bottles
- Coffee - 2 kilos
- Tea - 4 boxes
- Sugar - 2 kilos
- Honey - 2 jars
- Hot chocolate - 8 liters
- Marshmallows - 4 bags
- Mulled wine - 12 bottles
- Red wine - 12 bottles
- White wine - 8 bottles
- Beer - 6 crates
- Alcohol-free beer - 3 cases
- Champagne - 8 bottles
- Cola - 8 bottles
- Cola Zero - 6 bottles
- Sinas - 6 bottles
- Tonic - 4 bottles
- Spa Blauw - 12 bottles
- Spa Rood - 8 bottles
- Apple juice - 6 liters
- Orange juice - 6 liters
- Ice cubes - 10 kilos
- Trash bags - 4 rolls
- Paper towels - 6 rolls
- Toilet paper - 24 rolls
- Liquid hand soap - 4 bottles
- Dish soap - 3 bottles
- Dishwasher tablets - 60 pieces
- All-purpose cleaner - 3 bottles
- Glass cleaner - 2 bottles
- Kitchen towels - 4 packs
- Aluminum foil - 3 rolls
- Cling film - 3 rolls
- Baking paper - 4 rolls
- Napkins - 150 pieces
Tips
- Plan one complete place setting per guest, plus at least 10% extra plates, glasses and cutlery for breakage, seconds or unexpected guests.
- For a menu with soup, a main course and dessert, allow one deep plate, one dinner plate and one dessert plate per person. Add serving platters, serving spoons and a soup ladle before cooking day.
- Buy drinks after confirming the guest count, and chill them several hours before guests arrive. Keep separate water glasses, wine glasses, pitchers and carafes ready at the drinks and buffet areas.
- Count coffee cups and coffee spoons separately from dinner tableware. They are often forgotten when the evening continues after dessert, especially if everyone is served coffee at once.
- Set aside gift-table supplies before the celebration: a gift table, wrapping paper, ribbon rolls and a clothing rack if coats need to be kept away from the dining area. Add name badges if guests may not all know one another.
Frequently asked questions
- What should I buy for a Christmas celebration for 20 people?
- Plan for 20 complete place settings and buy 2 extra of each plate type, glass type and cutlery item where possible. For a three-course meal, that means about 22 deep plates, dinner plates and dessert plates, plus enough serving platters and spoons for the buffet.
- How many glasses do I need per person at Christmas?
- Allow one water glass and one wine glass per guest, plus 10% extra for replacements or mixed use. For 20 guests, prepare at least 22 water glasses and 22 wine glasses, with pitchers or carafes for refilling.
- When should I buy food for a Christmas celebration?
- Check non-perishable stock about one week before the celebration and buy fresh produce and other short-life ingredients one to two days before. Chill drinks several hours ahead and confirm dietary requirements before finalising the menu.
- What Christmas decorations and gift supplies do I need?
- For the room and tables, prepare an artificial Christmas tree, baubles, garlands, table runners and Christmas arrangements. For gifts, allow enough wrapping paper and ribbon for every present, and set up the gift table before guests arrive.
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