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Buffet label template
Written by a hotel banquet operations manager ·
A good buffet label has five things: the dish name, a second-language line if your guests need one, dietary codes, a Contains line the kitchen has checked, and a legend that explains the codes; this free template gives you all five, with filled-in examples to copy. Free to print, with no email and no sign-up.
14-day trial, no cardEnglish · Español
V Vegetarian · VG Vegan · GF Made without gluten-containing ingredients · DF Dairy-free · PN Contains peanuts · TN Contains tree nuts · SE Contains sesame · H Halal. Allergens listed are as confirmed by the hotel. Our kitchen handles all major allergens. Please ask your banquet captain.
Practice sheet with a fictional menu: check every Contains line with your kitchen. The legend's sentence "Our kitchen handles all major allergens." is optional. From hotelwright.com.
What goes on a buffet label
| Line | What goes there |
|---|---|
| Dish name (large) | As written on the menu of the event order |
| Second-language line | The dish name in Spanish (or in English on a Spanish label) |
| Description (optional) | One short line, 12 words at most |
| Dietary codes | Codes from your legend, such as V, VG, GF or DF |
| Contains: ______ | The major allergens in the dish, only after the kitchen has checked the recipe |
| Legend | What each code means, at the foot of the sheet or on its own card at the start of the line |
What a label must show where you operate is up to your local food code. Buffet label requirements has the detail.
How to fill it in
- Dish name: copy it from the menu of the event order, so the label matches what the kitchen and the captain read.
- Contains line: write it only after the kitchen has checked the recipe. Use the nine major US allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy and sesame. Don't guess from the dish name.
- Codes: take them from your legend, never from memory, and make sure none contradicts the Contains line.
- No major allergens? Once the kitchen has confirmed it, write "Contains: none declared by the hotel", the words Hotelwright prints, so a blank is never mistaken for a missing check.
- Second line: add the other language if your guests or your team read it.
The four examples
The sheet above fills in three dishes from a fictional menu and one station card. Before you print your own, confirm every Contains line with your kitchen.
- Herb-roasted chicken (GF, DF): "Contains: none declared by the hotel", because in this example the kitchen confirmed it has none of the nine.
- Wild mushroom risotto (V, GF): the Contains line says milk, and neither code contradicts it.
- Almond honey cake (V): the Contains line says milk, eggs, tree nuts and wheat; the almonds are why tree nuts is there.
- Pasta station card: the event, the station, the date and a chef line, for a carving, pasta or omelet station.
A code that contradicts the Contains line, such as DF on a dish that contains milk, is the mistake to catch before printing.
The legend
Print the legend with the same letters as your labels. These are Hotelwright's default codes, from its fixed bilingual list:
| Code | In English | En español | On by default |
|---|---|---|---|
| V | Vegetarian | Vegetariano | Yes |
| VG | Vegan | Vegano | Yes |
| GF | Made without gluten-containing ingredients | Elaborado sin ingredientes que contienen gluten | Yes |
| DF | Dairy-free | Sin lácteos | Yes |
| PN | Contains peanuts | Contiene cacahuetes | Yes |
| TN | Contains tree nuts | Contiene frutos secos | Yes |
| SE | Contains sesame | Contiene sésamo | Yes |
| H | Halal | Halal | Yes |
| K | Kosher | Kosher | Off |
| SP | Spicy | Picante | Off |
Codes marked Off can be switched on in your hotel's settings.
GF here means "made without gluten-containing ingredients". It describes the recipe, not the kitchen, which is why the label doesn't say "gluten-free". See menu dietary codes and the printable allergen label legend. The legend line on the sheet also carries the sentence "Our kitchen handles all major allergens."; in Hotelwright that sentence is a switch in the label style, so leave it out if your kitchen would rather not say it.
Stock and sizes
| Layout | Avery stock | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Flat card, laser | 5911 | 2 × 3.5 in, ten per sheet, double-sided |
| Flat card, inkjet | 8371 | 2 × 3.5 in, ten per sheet, double-sided |
| Tent, small | 5302 | Check the size on the box |
| Tent, medium and large | 5305, 5309 | Check the size on the box |
| Station cards | 5389, 5388 | Check the size on the box |
Hotelwright prints on these stocks, plus half and full pages and custom sizes. Check each stock number against the box before you print.
Printing it right
- Print at 100%. Never choose "fit to page", which shrinks the card and moves the cut lines.
- Keep text at least 3 mm inside the edge of the card.
- Print one sheet on plain paper first and hold it up to the card stock to check the alignment.
- Use a laser printer for 5911 and an inkjet printer for 8371.
When the menu changes
Reprint the labels for the changed dishes and pull the old ones off the line the moment the new ones are ready. A label that names a dish that is no longer being served is worse than no label.
Labels straight from the event order
With the template, every label is written by hand. In Hotelwright, the menu on each event order becomes a list of dishes with one label each, in English and Spanish, on the stocks above. You can edit any name, code or allergen before printing. The Contains line prints only after someone on your team confirms the event's allergens, a code that contradicts it is flagged for a check, and if the menu changes after printing, that day's labels are marked Stale. Labels are on the Paperwork plan and every plan above it. See buffet labels with allergens.
FAQ
What banquet managers ask.
What should a buffet label say?
At least the dish name, any dietary codes and a Contains line the kitchen has checked. What your area requires is set by your local food code.
What size is a buffet label?
Hotelwright's default flat card is 2 × 3.5 in, ten to a sheet (Avery 5911 or 8371). Tents and station cards come in other sizes, so check the box for the stock you buy.
Can I print the labels in English and Spanish?
Yes. Put the dish name in one language and a line under it in the other. Allergen names should always come from the same fixed list, never from a machine translation.
Does GF mean gluten-free?
No. On these labels GF means "made without gluten-containing ingredients", because a kitchen that handles wheat can't promise more.
Is the template free?
Yes, with no email and no account. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser's print dialog.