Snack Bowl Calculator — Crisps & Nibbles

Allow about 30g per person per hour for casual grazing — roughly one standard single-serve portion (a Walkers grab bag is ~45g, a multipack bag ~25g, and 30g is the long-standing single-serve crisp portion). For a 3-hour party, that is 90g per person, which lines up with UK caterers planning 4-6 nibble pieces per person per hour for snack-only grazing. If crisps are the only snack, increase to 40-50g per hour; if there is other food on offer, 20-30g per hour is plenty.

Place 1 bowl per 8-10 guests. For 30 guests, put out 3-4 bowls in different locations. Spread them around the room so guests do not cluster in one spot. Refill regularly rather than putting huge amounts out at once.

A good mix: salted crisps, tortilla chips with dips, mixed nuts, pretzels, and breadsticks. For something different: wasabi peas, rice crackers, popcorn, or vegetable crisps. Offer at least 2-3 types for variety.

Sharing bags (150-200g) are the best value for filling bowls. Multipacks of individual bags (25g) are convenient but more expensive per gram. For 20+ guests, buy large sharing bags. Keep some spare bags unopened as backup.