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Hosting a brunch checklist

The whole point of brunch is not being stuck at the stove when people arrive. Nearly everything here is made, baked or set out the night before.

20 items

Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.

The items

  1. Ask about allergies and who doesn't eat what
  2. Decide a menu: one hot dish, one bake, one thing that's just assembledAssembled — good bread, fruit, yoghurt — is what keeps the host out of the kitchen once people are there.
  3. Eggs×12
  4. Bacon or sausages, if a fry-up element is on the menu×8
  5. Bread and pastries, more than seems necessary×12Brunch runs long. People pick at bread for two hours after the main plates are cleared.
  6. Butter, jam and honey out on the table
  7. Fresh fruit, cut the morning of rather than the night beforeCut fruit weeps and browns overnight — do this one on the day.
  8. Yoghurt and something to go with it, like granola
  9. Coffee, in a quantity built for hours rather than one cup each
  10. Tea, for anyone who doesn't want coffee
  11. Orange juice, and something for a mimosa if pouring them×2
  12. Sparkling wine or prosecco, chilled×2
  13. The night before: batter made, or a bake assembled and in the fridge
  14. The night before: table laid, including serving spoons
  15. The night before: fruit salad base prepped, minus anything that browns
  16. The night before: coffee measured out and the machine or filter ready
  17. The morning: oven on early for anything that bakes
  18. The morning: eggs cooked last, closest to when people sit downEverything else can wait a few minutes. Eggs can't.
  19. The morning: jugs of juice and water out before the doorbell goes
  20. Somewhere for coats and bags, sorted before anyone arrives

Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.

Questions people ask

What can actually be done the night before?
Batter or a bake, a fruit salad base, a table laid, and anything that only needs reheating or a final ten minutes in the oven. Eggs are the one thing worth cooking fresh.
How much food per person for brunch?
Two savoury items and one sweet each, plus more bread and pastries than seems necessary — brunch runs long and people pick at it for hours after the plates land.
How much coffee should be planned for?
More than the same number would drink at home — brunch guests are there for hours, not one cup each. Have a way to make a second pot without vanishing to do it.