Pool party food ideas that are easy to serve and eat
A pool party for 30 can run on six cold trays for $380 before tax, about $13.84 a guest with tax. Handheld food ideas with real tray prices and counts.
By the Upper Crust Catering kitchen
The best pool party food ideas are cold, handheld and need no plate: watermelon wedges, pinwheel sandwiches, cheese and sausage, vegetables and a pasta salad. At Upper Crust, six trays like that feed 30 guests for $380 before tax, which is $415.15 with 9.25% sales tax, about $13.84 a guest. Pick up at the kitchen in Yorkville, or ask for quoted delivery.
What works at a pool
Guests are wet, in a swimsuit, and holding a drink. They want food they can eat in a couple of bites without a fork, from a table that can sit in the shade. That rules out most hot entrées and anything saucy. It favors these:
- Watermelon Wedge Platter, $59 for 40 to 45 pieces. Vegan and gluten-free.
- Pinwheel Sandwiches, $79 for 60 pieces.
- Cheese & Sausage Tray with Crackers, $79 for 120 pieces, gluten-free.
- Fresh Vegetable Crudités, $59, serves 25 to 30.
- Macaroni Pasta Salad, $59 a tray.
- Assorted Home Baked Cookies, $45 for 40 count.
A menu for 30 guests
Take all six trays above. The math: $59 + $79 + $79 + $59 + $59 + $45 = $380. Tax of 9.25% adds $35.15, so $415.15, or $13.84 a guest.
That is 60 sandwich pieces, 120 cheese and sausage pieces, 40 to 45 watermelon pieces, vegetables for up to 30 and 40 cookies. We plan about 2 to 3 pieces a guest for each hour of grazing, so for a three-hour party the sandwiches and cheese tray alone give you 6 pieces a guest. A bigger crowd or an all-afternoon party can add a second pinwheel tray at $79.
Keep it cold and keep it shaded
Cold trays hold up best when you protect them:
- Set the table in shade, away from the pool splash zone.
- Put out half a tray at a time and keep the rest covered until you need it.
- Have a cooler for drinks so people are not opening your food table to find a bottle.
If you want one hot tray, BBQ Pulled Pork is $95 and serves 20, with Slider Sandwich Buns at $12 for 24. A Chafing Dish Set, $17 per hot dish, keeps it warm. The sizing is in the pulled pork sliders guide.
Drinks
Bottled Water and Soft Drinks are $2.49 each. For a pitcher-style option, Iced Tea, Punch or Lemonade is $89 and gives 50 six-ounce servings, cups included. For 30 guests drinking 2 each, bottled water would be 60 x $2.49 = $149.40, so the $89 drink pack is the better value if everyone likes tea or lemonade.
Serving at a pool
We do not sell decorations, only food. For serving, Disposable Appetizer Plates & Napkins are $0.99 per person, and Serving Tongs & Spoons are $1 each. Disposable plates keep glass and china out of the pool area.
Standard orders need 3 days of notice. Trays and platters have no minimum, no small-party surcharge and no service charge on drop-off or pick-up orders. Call (630) 553-9533 or send your date and headcount on the quote form. More summer menus are in the party food guide and on the platters menu.
Questions
How much food do I need for a pool party?
For a three-hour party, plan 6 to 8 pieces a guest plus fruit or vegetables and a sweet. For 30 guests, our six-tray menu does that.
What food is easy to eat while swimming?
Anything you can pick up with one hand: sandwich pinwheels, cheese and crackers, watermelon wedges, cookies. Skip things that drip.
Can the food sit out all afternoon?
Cold trays should stay in shade and be put out in rounds. Do not leave perishable trays in direct sun.
Can you deliver to my house?
Yes, within our service area. Delivery is quoted when you order, and the driver texts when five minutes out.
Drop-off catering and party trays, priced per tray
