Six in the morning on the day of an event. The cold platter lead stands at the slicer with an 1800 g Mortella Smoked Roast Beef log in front of her and the guest list in hand. Smoked roast for catering is managed with two numbers: slice weight and end-piece allowance. Without them, moving from guest count to log count is a guess, not a calculation.
The chef facing an 1800 g roast log on the morning of an event
All three of Mortella's smoked roast logs weigh 1800 g: Smoked Roast Beef, Smoked Roast Turkey and Smoked Roast Chicken with Pieces. Each is cooked whole, smoked and left unsliced, so slice thickness and therefore slice count are left to the kitchen. For a caterer that freedom is both an advantage and a responsibility: paper-thin slices for canapés and medium slices for a cold platter come from the same log, but every thickness means a different count and a different cost.
The presentation side is covered in cold platter presentations built on roast beef; here we build the calculation that comes before presentation.
How many slices does a whole smoked roast log yield?
A worked example with the assumptions written down:
- Slice weight: 12-15 g (a thin slice fans better on a cold platter)
- End-piece allowance: 5 percent (the uneven pieces from both ends of the log)
- Usable weight: 1800 g × 0.95 = 1,710 g
- At 15 g per slice: 1,710 / 15 = 114 slices
- At 12 g per slice: 1,710 / 12 ≈ 142 slices
One log gives between 114 and 142 slices. The 28-slice gap comes from the dial setting alone: same log, same price, different count. Cut ten slices on your own machine, weigh them and write down your own number; the range here only demonstrates the method.
The two sources of catering waste: log ends and the open cut face
End waste is unavoidable and enters the calculation at 5 percent; the uneven end pieces are not thrown away but diced for salads or the staff meal. The second source is more expensive: the open cut face. If a half-used log goes back into the cabinet unwrapped after an event, the face darkens and the first slices at the next job go in the bin.
Three rules keep that under control: the cut face is wrapped at every break; the opening date is written on the log; two logs of the same product are never open at the same time. Why waste control has become a competitive lever is discussed in how waste management turned into a competitive item.
How many roast logs does a 100-guest event need?
Assumption: three slices per guest, three varieties, one slice of each. Each variety needs 100 slices. At an average slice of 13.5 g that is 1,350 g per variety; one 1800 g log provides 1,710 g of usable weight after the end allowance and covers it. Three logs for three varieties is enough, and the 300-400 g left on each log is wrapped and carried to the next job.
At 200 guests the arithmetic scales linearly: 2,700 g per variety, so two logs each. At 150 guests each variety needs 2,025 g; two logs are bought and most of the second is left over. That is the point where dropping to two varieties at three slices each, or topping up the third variety with a sliced tray, produces less waste.
How are beef, turkey and chicken roast distributed on a cold platter?
The three roasts give three different looks, and the platter is built on that contrast. Smoked roast beef has a dark, firm cut with visible grain; it provides the most assertive flavour on the platter and makes itself known even in small amounts. Smoked roast turkey has a broad cross-section; one slice covers a wide area, the flavour is measured and it forms the base between the other two. Smoked roast chicken with pieces shows visible pieces of meat in its cut, and that pattern on a pale background adds texture to the platter.
Nutrition figures can go on the menu card: per 100 g, beef carries 21.5 g protein and 2.5 g fat, turkey 20.4 g protein and 3.7 g fat, chicken 20.6 g protein and 2.8 g fat. Salt is 2.8 g for beef, 3 g for turkey and 2.5 g for chicken. For corporate clients who ask for nutrition information, those numbers are ready.
Event-morning slicing and transport sequence
- Logs are sliced on the morning, never the night before; a slice cut in the evening has lost its surface by dawn.
- Slices go into separate sealed containers by variety, each labelled with the product name and slice count.
- Containers travel in a refrigerated vehicle between 0 °C and +4 °C; the vehicle temperature is read and logged at departure and arrival.
- Platters are built on site in rounds, not all at once; the first round goes out just before guests arrive.
- The slicing technique itself is detailed in the fine points of slicing deli meats correctly.
Maintaining and recording the cold chain during transport is what Türkiye's Food Hygiene Regulation (yeni sekmede açılır) expects of the business, and for a caterer that record doubles as evidence for the client.
How long can sliced roast sit at the event venue?
The time limit comes from the caterer's own food safety plan; quoting a single number of minutes would mislead. The practical rule: slices sit on a chilled tray or an ice base, the platter is refreshed in rounds, and slices left from one round are moved to a separate dish and used first rather than buried under fresh ones. Where there is no chilling on site, the quantity per round is reduced and the number of rounds increased.
Smoked roast is a lean product; beef carries 2.5 g of fat per 100 g. That makes the slice prone to drying when exposed, so the platter is kept covered between service moments.
Comparison table of whole smoked roast logs for catering
| Product | Pack | Cut characteristics | Role on the platter | Slices per log (12-15 g, 5% waste) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoked Roast Beef | 1800 g | Dark, firm, visible grain | Defining flavour | 114-142 |
| Smoked Roast Turkey | 1800 g | Broad section, pale | Base and volume | 114-142 |
| Smoked Roast Chicken with Pieces | 1800 g | Visible meat pieces | Texture and pattern | 114-142 |
Slice counts use the same assumption for all three; because the turkey roast's broad section covers more surface at the same weight, the platter looks equally full with fewer slices of it.
The post-event record: opened, returned, discarded
At the end of every event, one page: how many logs were opened, how many slices cut, how many went onto platters, how many slices and grams came back, what was discarded, and what the vehicle and venue temperatures were. After five events those records give you real consumption per guest, and the "three slices" assumption is replaced by your own figure.
The next step is the first line of that record: cut ten slices on the slicer, weigh them and set your slice weight. Contact EMKA FOOD for a sample log and a quotation.
