We are doing the nibbles ourselves, thinking Parma ham, olives, antipasti, stuff like that.
But if you have any shortcuts or ideas, I’d like to hear ’em.
Cheers

Plenty of top notch pork pies.

Do a joint of rare beef, severed on sliced toasted baguettes (or something else), horseradish and watercress.

More pork pies.

Nice one.

Bake a couple of hundred small (new) potatoes. Slice in half, dab of cream cheese and a dab of caviar (cheapo John West stuff is fine, might be called something other than “caviar”.

Any recomendations on the pork pie front?

Has to be from a butchers; shop bought are all guff.

Google your local area / check out local markets? Try a couple first 😀

Proper scotch eggs, served warm with mayonnaise. A bit of a faff, I know, but all kinds of awesome!

Don’t forget a vat of mushy peas and some mint sauce. Nowt wrong with tinned ones.

Scotch eggs, great.
Mushy peas, hmm, not sure.
Mini baked potatoes, I like.

40th? Go retro 70s then – cheese and pineapple on cocktail sticks etc…

you can make really nice little pizza bites by slicing a baguette into rounds, putting a nice pasta sauce and grated cheese on and baking it until its sizzling. Smells great, and taste ace fresh out of the oven!

Paella, we have a local guy who does it on mass (Tasmania)

Go retro 70s then – cheese and pineapple on cocktail sticks etc…

Large glass bowl for car keys too?

Hold the birthday in the pub.
Get the guests to pay a few quid.
Get the pub to supply food with the aforementioned money.
The chef will help you chose the menu.
Easy.
And no clearing up.

We’ve used waitrose party food:
http://www.waitrose.com/home/groceries/party_food.html

Thai pork lollipops sound awesome.

Thai pork lollipops sound illegal!

You know 80 people?

Get some Indian nibbles in. If you’ve got an Indian area near you find a nice Indian Deli or the equivalent and get Pakora’s, Samosas, Bahgies etc. it’s cheap, tasty, can’t go wrong.