What to Buy for a New Year's Dinner

A New Year's dinner needs more than ingredients for the main course. Plan the full table setting, drinks for the evening, serving equipment and the small items that are easy to miss when shops get busy. Use your guest list and dietary requirements to adjust quantities before buying fresh food. Buy non-perishables and decorations several days ahead, then leave vegetables, dessert ingredients and chilled drinks until the final shopping round.

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What to bring

Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.

Furniture

Tablesqty 6
Chairsqty 44
Table linenqty 6

Tableware

Dinner platesqty 48
Deep platesqty 48
Dessert platesqty 48
Coffee cupsqty 44
Water glassesqty 50
Wine glassesqty 50
Champagne glassesqty 50
Cutlery setsqty 48
Serving spoonsqty 8
Soup ladlesqty 48
Bread basketsqty 6

Kitchen

Cutting boardsqty 6
Chef's knivesqty 6
Measuring cupsqty 4
Mixing bowlsqty 6
Baking dishesqty 6
Pansqty 6
Serving plattersqty 12
Serving tongsqty 6

Equipment

Coffee machinesqty 2
Kettlesqty 2
Food warmersqty 4
Coolersqty 4
Bluetooth speaker

Lighting

String lightsqty 4
Table lampsqty 6

Decorations

New Year's decorations
Menusqty 48
Name badgesqty 44
Table candlesqty 24

Cleaning

Waste binsqty 4
Trash bag holdersqty 4

Catering

Groceries
- Champagne - 8 bottles
- Dry white wine - 10 bottles
- Red wine - 10 bottles
- Rosé wine - 4 bottles
- Non-alcoholic sparkling drink - 6 bottles
- Pilsener - 48 bottles
- Non-alcoholic beer - 24 bottles
- Cola - 6 bottles
- Cola Zero - 4 bottles
- Sinas - 4 bottles
- Sparkling mineral water - 12 bottles
- Still mineral water - 12 bottles
- Apple juice - 4 liter
- Orange juice - 4 liters
- Coffee - 2 packs
- Black tea - 2 boxes
- Herbal tea - 2 boxes
- Sugar - 1 kilogram
- Milk - 6 liters
- Oat milk - 3 liters
- Lemons - 12 pieces
- Baguettes - 12 pieces
- Butter - 1 kilogram
- Olive oil - 2 liters
- Onions - 4 kilograms
- Garlic - 6 bulbs
- Carrots - 5 kilograms
- Leek - 3 kilograms
- Celeriac - 3 pieces
- Potatoes - 10 kilograms
- Pumpkin - 5 kilogram
- Mushrooms - 3 kilogram
- Green beans - 4 kilograms
- Mixed salad - 2 kilogram
- Cherry tomatoes - 2 kilograms
- Cucumbers - 6 pieces
- Parsley - 8 bunches
- Thyme - 6 bunches
- Rosemary - 6 bunches
- Vegetable broth - 8 liters
- Cooking cream - 4 liters
- Parmesan cheese - 1 kilogram
- Feta - 1 kilogram
- Chickpeas - 12 cans
- Braised beef - 8 kilogram
- Vegetarian stew bites - 3 kilogram
- Beef stock - 6 liters
- Tomato paste - 6 tubes
- Bay leaves - 1 bag
- Salt - 1 kilogram
- Black pepper - 250 grams
- Paprika powder - 250 gram
- Nutmeg - 1 jar
- Cinnamon - 1 jar
- Vanilla extract - 2 bottles
- Flour - 2 kilograms
- Granulated sugar - 3 kilograms
- Powdered sugar - 1 kilogram
- Eggs - 48 pieces
- Whipping cream - 4 liters
- Mascarpone - 2 kilogram
- Dark chocolate - 2 kilograms
- Berries - 3 kilogram
- Grapes - 3 kilograms
- Paprika chips - 4 bags
- Plain chips - 4 bags
- Mixed nuts - 2 kilograms
- Olives - 2 kilograms
- Hummus - 2 kilograms
- Mayonnaise - 2 jars
- Ketchup - 2 bottles
- Mustard - 2 jars
- Balsamic vinegar - 1 bottle
- Paper towels - 6 rolls
- Toilet paper - 48 rolls
- Trash bags - 3 rolls
- Dish soap - 2 bottles
- All-purpose cleaner - 2 bottles
- Sponges - 6 pieces
- Microfiber cloths - 12 pieces

Tips

Plan two to three drinks per guest for the first hour, then about one drink per hour afterwards. Add still and sparkling water for the full dinner, not just for guests who do not drink alcohol.
Count every place setting separately: one dinner plate, deep plate, dessert plate, cutlery set, water glass and wine glass per guest. Add at least two spare settings for breakage, dropped cutlery or unexpected guests.
Buy champagne or sparkling wine for the midnight toast at least one bottle per six guests, then chill it several hours before serving. Keep extra bottles cold in coolers rather than relying on the refrigerator alone.
Check the menu against allergies and dietary requirements before buying fresh ingredients. Keep ingredients for special diets separate, and label serving dishes so guests do not have to guess what they contain.
Do the non-perishable shopping three to five days before dinner and buy fresh vegetables, bread and other short-life ingredients one to two days before. Prepare the soup base and dessert early where possible, but keep final garnishes and chilled items for the day itself.

Frequently asked questions

How much food do I need per person for a New Year's dinner?: For a three- or four-course dinner, allow about 600–800 g of food per adult in total, including soup, sides and dessert. Buy extra bread and a small buffer of about 10% if guests are likely to stay past midnight.
How many drinks should I buy for New Year's dinner?: Plan two to three drinks per person during the first hour, followed by roughly one per hour. For a midnight toast, allow one bottle of sparkling wine for six people, plus water throughout the meal.
When should I buy ingredients for a New Year's dinner?: Buy shelf-stable ingredients, drinks and decorations three to five days in advance. Purchase vegetables, bread and other fresh ingredients one to two days before, and chill drinks several hours before guests arrive.
How many plates and glasses do I need per guest?: Allow one dinner plate, deep plate, dessert plate, coffee cup, water glass, wine glass and cutlery set per guest. Keep two spare place settings available for breakage or last-minute additions.

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