How Much Food for a Wake in Cornwall: Portion Guide

For a typical two to three hour Cornish wake, plan on four sandwich quarters, two to three savouries and one to two sweet items per person, with a pot of tea or coffee each. Order a little over the headcount. Running short at a wake is the one thing that should never happen.

If you are reading this, you are most likely the person in the family quietly working out how to feed everyone after a service. That is a kind thing to do, and there is no wrong answer here. This guide walks you through realistic portion counts for a Cornish wake, drawn from years of catering them.

Why wakes eat differently

People at a wake graze rather than sit down to a meal. They arrive hungry, the service is often mid-morning or early afternoon, and the buffet table becomes a focal point for conversation. Older relatives in particular will return to the table several times across the afternoon. Plan for grazing, not for a single sitting.

Sandwich counts per head

A standard Cornish wake sandwich platter works on four sandwich quarters per person. That is one full round of bread, cut into quarters. For a 50-guest wake that means 200 quarters, which is roughly 50 rounds of bread, or 12 to 13 of our standard sandwich platters. Mix the fillings. Ham and mustard, egg mayo, cheese and pickle, tuna, prawn marie rose and a vegetarian option cover most preferences without trying too hard.

Hot food versus cold

Most Cornish wakes are cold buffets, and there are good reasons for that. Cold food sits safely on the table for the full afternoon. Hot food needs to be eaten within the first hour or it dries out. If the wake is in winter and people will be cold from the churchyard, a single hot item like sausage rolls served warm or a tray of hot pasties lifts the spread considerably. Hot pasties for a wake count as one whole pasty per two people if served alongside sandwiches, or one per person if the pasty is the main item.

Savoury and sweet platter sizes

Allow two to three savouries per person on top of sandwiches. Sausage rolls, mini quiches, scotch eggs, cocktail sausages, mini pork pies. For a 50-guest wake, around 120 to 150 individual savouries is the right ballpark. For sweets, one to two pieces per person. Saffron buns, fruit cake, scones with clotted cream and jam, brownies and lemon drizzle squares are the usual suspects. Saffron buns are the one item that nearly always gets eaten first.

Tea, coffee and drinks

A wake runs on tea. Plan a pot per person across the afternoon with refills. A tea and coffee station with urns is the cleanest setup. Cold water on the table in jugs, squash and a single fruit juice for any children. We do not provide alcohol or bar service. If you want drinks, the venue or a friend with a car handles that side.

Allergies and dietary requirements

Allergens are available on request. We adapt any of our spreads for gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free and nut-free guests. If you have a guest with a severe nut allergy or coeliac disease, please tell us at booking. Our kitchen handles both nuts and gluten, so we cannot guarantee a fully trace-free environment, and we will say so honestly. See our allergen and dietary guide for the full detail.

A simple rule of thumb

Per person, across a two to three hour wake: four sandwich quarters, two to three savouries, one to two sweet items, plenty of tea. Order for the headcount you expect plus around 10 percent. For pricing across guest counts, see our tier-by-tier breakdown for 30, 50 and 100 guests.

If you would rather just talk it through, call us on 01209 206255. We have done a lot of these, and we will not push you into ordering more than you need.

Frequently asked questions

How much food per person for a wake in Cornwall?

Plan on four sandwich quarters, two to three savouries, one to two sweet items and a pot of tea or coffee per person across a two to three hour wake. Order slightly over if numbers are uncertain.

Should I order hot food or cold food for a wake?

Most Cornish wakes are cold buffets because cold food sits safely on the table for the full afternoon. A single hot item like warm sausage rolls or hot pasties is a nice addition in winter but not necessary.

How many sandwiches do I need for 50 guests at a wake?

Around 200 sandwich quarters, which is roughly 50 rounds of bread or 12 to 13 standard sandwich platters. Mix six or seven fillings to cover preferences without overcomplicating the order.

What happens to leftovers from a wake?

The convention is that close family take remaining food home after guests leave. Our boxes close and stack, so leftovers travel safely. We do not take food back with us.

How much notice do you need to cater a wake?

Wakes often come together at short notice and we do our best to accommodate. Typically 48 hours is comfortable. We have confirmed wake bookings inside 24 hours where supplier availability allows, and we keep notes from past short-notice work in our Cornwall response-time benchmark. Call 01209 206255 to check.

Related reading

• Funeral and wake catering service page

• Sample spreads and costs for 30, 50 and 100 guest wakes

• Cornwall catering response time benchmark