Choose the design event
Pick the largest event you regularly host, not the record one. Note the covers, the menu style (plated, buffet or live counters), the share of non-vegetarian guests, and how far ahead each item is prepared. Also note whether events overlap: a lunch function finishing while a dinner function is being prepared doubles the chilled stock on hand for a few hours.
For the rare event much larger than the design event, plan a temporary measure such as hired refrigeration, rather than sizing the whole kitchen around it.
Step 1: covers and portions to kilograms
Chilled stock (kg) = covers × portion (kg per cover) × share of guests taking it, for each item prepared ahead. Use your own banquet portion standards; the figures below are assumptions for illustration. Convert each item to GN pans using a realistic fill weight: bulky salads fill a pan at a lower weight than dense desserts or gravies.
| Item | Working | kg | Fill per GN 1/1 pan | Pans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salads and cut fruit | 800 × 0.08 | 64 | about 5 kg | 13 |
| Raita and dahi items | 800 × 0.10 | 80 | about 10 kg | 8 |
| Chilled desserts | 800 × 0.12 | 96 | about 8 kg | 12 |
| Marinated meat (60% non-veg) | 800 × 0.6 × 0.15 | 72 | about 8 kg | 9 |
| Gravy bases and sauces | 800 × 0.10 | 80 | about 12 kg | 7 |
| Total | 392 | 49 |
Step 2: pan positions and equipment
49 pans plus a 25% planning allowance is about 61 pan positions, for one event. If a two-door reach-in with GN 2/1 shelves offers around 16 positions (check the real shelf count), that is four reach-ins' worth of space just for banquet prep, on top of the hotel's everyday stock.
Hotels that regularly host events of this size often use a walk-in cold room for banquet prep, with roll-in trolleys or shelving sized for GN pans, plus reach-ins at each section for the day's working stock. Smaller banquet operations can manage with a bank of reach-ins, provided the à la carte kitchen's own refrigeration is kept separate.
Cooling cooked food is a separate problem
Gravies, rice and cooked dishes made a day ahead must be cooled quickly before they go into storage, as your food safety plan requires. Storage refrigerators are built to hold temperature, not to remove large amounts of heat fast. Loading hundreds of kilograms of warm food into reach-ins warms everything else inside. A blast chiller, or shallow pans and ice baths before storage, keeps the storage refrigeration doing the job it was sized for.
Don't forget the other cold needs
- Frozen stock: meat, seafood and frozen desserts bought for the event; size freezer space by cartons and days held.
- Beverages: soft drinks, water and mixers for the event, often stored in crates. Plan where they are chilled.
- Ice: drinks, display and seafood counters on a wedding day can need far more ice than a normal day. See our ice machine sizing guide.
- Buffet display: chilled counters keep salads and desserts cold during service; plan them with the menu.
Banquet site realities in India
- Banquet kitchens are often hot, with large burners and limited ventilation. Check every unit's rated ambient.
- Outdoor and lawn events need refrigeration near the service point; plug-in units need stable power from the generator, with staggered starts.
- Wedding seasons create long runs of back-to-back events. Plan cleaning and defrost time between them.
- Keep raw marinated meat physically separate from ready-to-eat desserts and salads, in different cabinets where possible.
Frequently asked questions
- Should banquet and à la carte kitchens share refrigeration?
- It is better not to. A large event can fill every shelf for a day, leaving the restaurant short. Separate equipment, or at least clearly reserved cabinets, keeps both running.
- How far ahead can banquet food be prepared and refrigerated?
- That depends on the item and your food safety plan, not on refrigeration capacity. Follow your plan and FSSAI hygiene expectations; size refrigeration for the prep schedule that plan allows.
- Is hiring refrigeration for big weddings sensible?
- For occasional events far above your normal size, yes. Hired cold rooms or cabinets avoid owning equipment that sits empty most of the year. Make sure hired units are placed with clearance and get stable power.
