Somewhere in the last few years the midnight supper returned to the standard running order of weddings and long parties, and the reason is simple: guests who dance do not eat, and a hot bowl of something at one in the morning is the kindest thing a host can do.
What works
One hot thing, one salty thing, something sharp, and water where people can reach it. Soup, noodles, a stew, bacon rolls, cheese toasties, fried potatoes. Served standing, from one station, in bowls or napkins, and gone within forty minutes. Our midnight supper menu has the arithmetic and an onion soup that is made two days earlier.
The economics
Twelve to thirty five euros a head, two staff for ninety minutes, and it needs no plating, no service ratio and no rentals beyond bowls. Per euro spent it is the most appreciated course of any long evening, and it should be in the budget from the first draft rather than added in the last week.
