How much meat do you actually need per person? It's the question everyone asks when catering for a group, and getting it right means no one leaves hungry and you're not left with a fridge full of leftovers (unless you want them). Here's a simple guide.
Quick portion guide (per person)
- Steak: 200 to 225g
- Roasting joint (boneless): 200 to 250g
- Roasting joint (bone-in): 300 to 350g
- Mince: 150 to 200g
- Chicken breast: 1 breast (around 175g)
- Sausages: 2 to 3
- Chicken (whole bird): a 1.5kg bird feeds about 4
Things that change the numbers
- Big eaters or blokes-heavy crowd? Nudge everything up a little.
- Lots of sides and starters? You can trim the meat back a touch.
- Want leftovers? Size up the joint, cold roast beef and turkey sandwiches are half the reason to cook a big one.
- Kids? Count two children as roughly one adult portion.
A butcher's tip
For a roast, always err on the larger side. A joint that's slightly too big gives you better leftovers and cooks more evenly, whereas an underpowered joint leaves everyone eyeing the last slice. Bone-in joints look bigger than they eat, hence the higher figure above.
Let us do the maths
Our meat boxes and hampers are portioned by how many people you're feeding, so you don't have to work it out at all. Feeding a proper crowd? The family boxes are built for it.