What percentage of guests will have dietary requirements?

In the UK, roughly 14% of adults identify as vegetarian, 4% as vegan, and 8% report following a gluten-free diet. Around 2% have nut allergies. However, these groups overlap significantly - a vegan guest is already covered by a vegetarian option, and many gluten-free requests are also dairy-free.

Should I ask guests about dietary requirements?

Always. The calculator provides estimates using UK averages, but you should collect actual requirements from your guest list via RSVP cards or a group message. Some requirements like severe allergies are safety-critical and must be confirmed directly.

How many extra meals should I prepare?

Add a 10% buffer across all categories. For special dietary meals, round up generously - it is better to have one spare vegan meal than to leave someone without food. Leftover special meals can usually be enjoyed by anyone.

What about overlapping dietary requirements?

Many requirements overlap. A vegan gluten-free meal satisfies vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free requirements simultaneously. Plan your most restrictive options first (vegan + GF) and work outwards. This reduces the total number of different meal types needed.

Dietary Requirements Calculator

Calculate meals needed by dietary requirement from your guest list using UK population averages.

Total Guests

Total number of guests to cater for

Vegetarian %

Percentage of vegetarian guests

Vegan %

Percentage of vegan guests

Gluten-Free %

Percentage needing gluten-free meals

Dairy-Free %

Percentage needing dairy-free meals

Halal %

Percentage needing halal meals

Kosher %

Percentage needing kosher meals

Nut Allergy %

Percentage with nut allergies

How We Calculate This

The calculator estimates meal counts from guest numbers and UK dietary percentages, with a configurable buffer for extras.

Default UK percentages

Vegetarian: 14%
Vegan: 4%
Gluten-free: 8%
Dairy-free: 5%
Halal: 5%
Kosher: 1%
Nut allergy: 2%

These are adjustable to match your specific guest demographics. An overlap factor of ~30% is applied to avoid double-counting guests with multiple requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: March 2026

All calculations are estimates. Adjust quantities based on your guests and event type.