Wake Catering Cornwall: Sample Spreads for 30, 50 and 100 Guests
A cold buffet for a wake starts at £7.95 per head. A typical mid-range Cornish wake spread lands at £8.50 to £11.00 per head. Budget around £350 for 30 guests, £550 for 50, and £1,000 for 100. Prices are gross, delivery within Cornwall included, no VAT to add.
Most people organising a wake have never costed one before, and the funeral director will not always have a number to hand. This guide gives you three honest worked examples from our standard buffet menus for wakes at 30, 50 and 100 guests. The prices are our 2026 rates and they are gross — VAT does not apply on our buffet menus.
How the pricing works
We price by the head, with a minimum order of 10 to 20 guests depending on the menu. Prices are gross and include preparation, delivery within Cornwall, set-up of the buffet on your trestle tables, and the tea and coffee station. A small travel supplement may apply for Devon or far-west deliveries beyond Penzance. The deposit is 30 percent at booking, balance due before the day.
Wake spread for 30 guests: around £350 to £420
This is the most common wake size we cater. A small village hall, a family-led service, an immediate circle of relatives and close friends. The spread is built around sandwiches as the main item, with savouries, a sweet platter and tea.
120 sandwich quarters across six fillings (ham and mustard, egg mayo, cheese and pickle, tuna, prawn marie rose, vegetarian)
75 mixed savouries (sausage rolls, mini quiches, cocktail sausages, scotch eggs)
45 sweet pieces (saffron buns, scones with clotted cream and jam, fruit cake slices)
Tea and coffee station with urns, milk, sugar and biscuits, running for the full afternoon
Approximate cost: £350 to £420. That is around £11.50 to £14 per head all-in. The lower end is a classic sandwich-led cold buffet. The upper end adds a warm item like hot pasties or warm sausage rolls.
Wake spread for 50 guests: around £475 to £700
The middle tier. A larger family, a longer-standing community presence, a village hall or function room rather than someone's front room. The spread is broader and the platters get bigger.
200 sandwich quarters across seven fillings
130 mixed savouries
75 sweet pieces with a slightly wider range including brownies and lemon drizzle
Tea and coffee station, cold water and squash
Optional: a tray of 30 hot Cornish pasties served warm
Approximate cost without hot item: £475 to £550. With hot pasties added: £600 to £700. That works out at £9.50 to £14 per head depending on what you choose. This is the tier where mixing one warm item into an otherwise cold spread starts to make real sense, especially for a winter wake.
Wake spread for 100 guests: around £900 to £1,400
The larger tier. A long-standing pillar of the village, a Methodist chapel gathering, a former parish councillor, a much-loved school teacher. The spread scales up but the structure does not change much. More platters of the same things, not a more complicated menu.
400 sandwich quarters across eight fillings
260 mixed savouries
150 sweet pieces
Tea and coffee station with multiple urns, cold water and squash
Optional add-ons: hot pasty tray (60 to 100 pasties), cheeseboard with biscuits, or a quiche selection cut into slices
Approximate cost without hot item: £900 to £1,100. With hot pasties added: £1,150 to £1,400. That is £9 to £14 per head. At this size we usually send two staff for the delivery and set-up because the volume of platters needs two pairs of hands, but we still leave before guests arrive. The cook team is not present during the wake.
What shifts the per-head price
Three things move the per-head number meaningfully. First, the choice of menu: a finger buffet costs less than a fork buffet, which costs less than a hot buffet. Second, whether you add a warm item to a cold spread: hot pasties and warm sausage rolls are the most common upgrades and add £2 to £4 per head. Third, sweet platter scope: saffron buns and fruit cake are economical, while scones with clotted cream and jam cost a little more.
What is included and what is not
Included: food preparation, delivery within Cornwall, set-up on your trestle tables, the tea and coffee station and consumables (tea, coffee, milk, sugar), eco-friendly stackable boxes that close so leftovers travel home with family, allergen labelling on request.
Not included: alcohol or any bar service; crockery, plates, cups or cutlery beyond what the hall provides; serving staff, waiting staff or any front-of-house — wake buffets are always drop-and-go; tableware hire of any kind; venue hire.
Deposits, payment and cancellation
A 30 percent deposit secures the booking. Balance is due before the day. We accept bank transfer and Square card payment. For wakes specifically, we are flexible on cancellation in the week before the date because we understand things can change — talk to us and we will be fair.
Dietary requirements and allergens
Allergens are available on request per FIR 2014. We adapt for gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free and nut-free across all three guest counts. For 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. See our allergen and dietary guide for the full detail.
How to get a quote
Call 01209 206255 with the headcount, the date, and the venue postcode. We will give you a straight number within the hour during working hours — usually inside 30 minutes for a wake. Our reply-time data is published in our Cornwall catering response time benchmark.
Frequently asked questions
How much does wake catering cost in Cornwall?
A cold buffet starts at £7.95 per head. A typical mid-range wake spread lands at £8.50 to £11.00 per head. For 30 guests budget around £350, for 50 around £550, for 100 around £1,000. Prices are gross and include delivery within Cornwall.
What is the minimum order for wake catering?
Most menus have a 10 or 20-guest minimum. For wakes specifically we can usually accommodate smaller numbers if it suits the family. Call to discuss.
Do I pay a deposit for a wake booking?
Yes. A 30 percent deposit secures the booking, balance due before the day. We are flexible on cancellation in the week before the date for wakes specifically because circumstances change.
Can I add hot food to a cold buffet for a wake?
Yes. The most common add-ons are hot Cornish pasties or warm sausage rolls, adding £2 to £4 per head. Particularly worth considering for winter wakes where guests will be cold from the churchyard.
What is not included in the price?
Alcohol, crockery, cutlery, serving staff and venue hire. We do not provide bar service, tableware hire or front-of-house at any size. Wake buffets are always drop-and-go.
Related reading
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Written by the Salt Wind Catering kitchen team from our base in Redruth, Cornwall. Our guides, pricing notes and recipes come from events we have actually catered across Cornwall and Devon — corporate lunches, welfare meals on site, hog roasts, film-unit catering — and every piece is checked against how we really work before it is published.
Salt Wind Catering content is written by our team under fictional personas to reflect each catering specialism. About us.
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