“This is a hard question, as there are so many variables, including the type of meat, country and season. Other factors to consider include meal duration, accompanying sides, dietary restrictions, guests’ appetites and also the ages of guests (children don’t usually eat as much as an adult). 

My guide to quantities below for a Sunday Roast style meal (I generally work on purchasing an average weight of raw meat per person, which from experience averages across all ages and stages. If you have a meal with a high percentage of children you could decrease the below weights, and if you have more adults than normal you could increase your average weight serve per person at your own discretion):

1. Beef – Most standard boneless cuts which include fat/sinew eg. Rump, Rump Cap, Porterhouse, Scotch Fillet, New York, Silverside (may need some trimming before cooking) – Approximately 250gm/8.8 oz raw beef per head
2. Beef –  A leaner cut like Eye Fillet, Tenderloin, Fillet Steak (no fat to be trimmed, only the silver skin and sinew to be removed) – Approximately 200gm/7 oz raw beef per head
3. Beef – Brisket (slow cooked over  12 hours etc) – you will lose 40% of your raw weight once cooked – Approximately 300gm/10.6 oz raw brisket per head
4. Lamb(Boneless)  – Rumps, Lamb Leg Boned & Rolled, Butterflied Boned Lamb – Approximately 225gm/8oz raw lamb per head
5. Lamb (Bone in) – Leg of lamb – Approximately 280gm/10 oz raw lamb including bone per head

For potatoes I’ve generally found I allow 2 potato pieces per male and 1 per female if the potatoes are cut bigger. Obviously, you would check your list to see if you have bigger eaters or more children and it would also depend on whether you serve bread rolls. Usually, children would eat more potatoes if you don’t have bread rolls. If your potatoes are cut really small you would need to allow more.

For roast vegetables such as pumpkin or sweet potato, I would usually allow 1 piece per person, but if you are serving a lot of other sides for your meal, this might not be necessary.

If you do end up with too many leftovers after a meal, El Gusto has some amazing recipes online, just type “leftover” into the search bar and click on “view all recipes”, I have included some links below.”

Leftover Beef Ragu

Leftover Lamb & Potato Pies

Leftover Roast Potato & Chorizo Tacos

Leftover Veggie Baked Frittata