Boat catering in Mallorca: what to eat on a day at sea
August 24, 2026
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Planning a child’s birthday party often starts with plenty of excitement and ends with a to-do list that seems to grow by the hour. You need to choose the venue, prepare the decorations, plan the activities, confirm the guest list and find ways to keep the children entertained.
If you are still working through all those details, our guide on how to organise a children’s birthday party at home will help you plan the celebration with less stress. Somewhere among all those decisions, one unavoidable question comes up. What are you going to serve?
For help with the rest of the planning, our guide to organising a children’s birthday party at home will make the whole process feel much more manageable. Somewhere among all those decisions, one unavoidable question comes up. What are you going to serve?
Food for a children’s party needs to look appealing, be easy to serve and simple for little hands to eat. Variety also matters, as children have different tastes and most birthday celebrations include parents and other family members too.
From our experience preparing celebrations across Mallorca, one of the most common mistakes is choosing too many different dishes. Each recipe may seem straightforward on its own, but making mini pizzas, sandwiches, pastries, fruit skewers and desserts for twenty guests involves shopping, cooking, storing, transporting and arranging a surprising amount of food.
Below, we share the ideas that work best in terms of flavour, presentation and practicality, along with advice based on our experience catering for family celebrations.
The best kids’ birthday party food can be picked up by hand, comes in small portions and continues to look inviting throughout the celebration. Children rarely want to sit at the table for long. They would rather grab a quick bite and get back to playing.
Familiar flavours usually work well. Cheese, ham, chicken, Spanish omelette, tomato and chocolate tend to be more popular than complicated combinations. Simple food can still feel special when it is made with quality ingredients, cut into neat portions and arranged carefully on a tray.
It is also worth balancing richer party snacks with lighter, fresher choices. A menu made entirely from fried food, heavy sauces and sweets can quickly become too much. Children will be running, jumping and playing games, so moderate portions and foods that are easy to digest are usually a better fit.
When we plan a children’s food table, we aim for exactly that balance. The children should recognise the food, be able to help themselves easily and have enough choice, while the adults should also find plenty to enjoy.
Mini sandwiches are one of the most practical options because they can be adapted to different ages and filled in several ways. Classic ham and cheese usually goes down well, while chicken, Spanish omelette, cream cheese and tuna are also good choices.
Avoid fillings that are too wet, as they can make the bread soggy and difficult to serve. Cutting sandwiches into small portions also works better than serving them whole. Children can try half a sandwich, put it down and return to it later without wasting a large portion.
For a more attractive presentation, try mixing different types of bread or using simple cutters. There is no need to turn every sandwich into an elaborate shape. A neatly arranged platter already creates a polished and inviting result.
Wraps add variety without requiring plates or cutlery. They can be filled with chicken, cheese, cooked ham or mild vegetables, then sliced into small pinwheels. Avoid overfilling them so they hold their shape and remain easy to eat.
Savoury pastries and empanadas also work very well at children’s parties. Many can be prepared in advance and served at room temperature, provided the filling is suitable and they are stored correctly. Simple, recognisable flavours usually appeal to younger guests.
In our experience, smaller portions also make quantities easier to manage. Guests can try several different items, the table keeps its variety for longer and less food is wasted when a child discovers that something is not quite to their taste.
Mini pizzas tend to disappear quickly. A simple tomato and cheese topping works well, while cooked ham can be added for extra flavour. You can also prepare a few with different toppings for the adults.
The main drawback is serving them. When you are making a large batch, someone needs to watch the oven, bring out each tray and keep replenishing the table. They can also lose their texture if they sit for too long.
A more convenient option is to choose food that stays enjoyable at room temperature or order platters that arrive ready to serve. That way, no one has to spend a large part of the birthday party checking the oven or carrying hot food back and forth.
Fruit skewers bring colour and freshness to the table. Chopped fruit, mild cheese and other easy-to-chew ingredients can create attractive combinations without making the menu feel too heavy.
For younger children, consider the type of skewer you use and make sure an adult supervises them while they eat. The same ingredients can also be served in small cups or individual portions without sticks.
Fruit is much more appealing when it has already been washed, cut and arranged. Whole fruit that needs peeling often gets overlooked. Presentation can make the difference between a platter that remains untouched and one that disappears.
The birthday cake usually takes centre stage, but it does not need to be the only sweet option. Small portions of sponge cake, biscuits, fruit, dessert cups or pastries can add variety without overwhelming the table.
It is still worth keeping the selection under control. Preparing five different desserts can take hours and often creates more food than the guests will eat. A cake, one small sweet bite and something fresh are usually enough.
Individual portions make serving easier and reduce the need for constant cutting. They also help keep the table tidy. When there are lots of children, anything that reduces plates, knives and trips back to the kitchen helps the party run more smoothly.
At Especia, we focus on creating a polished presentation without relying on decorations that are difficult to transport or maintain. The food should arrive looking inviting and continue to look good while guests help themselves.
The amount of food you need depends on the children’s ages, the length and timing of the party and the number of adults attending. The format matters too, as small finger foods are eaten differently from individual meals. For more detailed quantities, see our guide on how much food per person to prepare for a party .
For more detailed quantities, our guide to calculating food for an event will help you avoid both running short and ordering far too much.
We recommend planning several small portions per guest without assuming that everyone will try every single item. If you offer six different dishes and prepare a full serving of each one for every guest, you will probably end up with a lot of leftovers.
For a small celebration with up to ten children and only a few adults, cooking at home can be manageable. There is usually enough time and fridge space to prepare a few platters, store them properly and finish the final details before the guests arrive.
Once the guest list grows, the situation changes. Twenty children, their parents and other relatives can turn a simple menu into dozens or even hundreds of individual pieces. At that point, you also need to consider storage space, transport and the time required to arrange everything.
Sandwiches with dry fillings, some cakes, empanadas and certain pastries can be prepared in advance, although each item needs to be stored correctly. Fresh ingredients, chopped fruit and foods that quickly lose their texture are usually better left until the day of the party.
The difficulty arises when too many jobs are pushed into the final few hours. While finishing the food, you may also need to get your child ready, check the venue, transport decorations and deal with last-minute problems.
In our experience, this is often the most stressful part of the celebration. Families arrive at the party already tired after spending the morning cooking, carrying trays and checking that everything has stayed fresh.
It helps to decide in advance what you genuinely want to prepare and what you would rather delegate. You do not need to choose between cooking everything yourself and ordering the entire menu. A homemade birthday cake can easily be combined with ready-to-serve savoury platters.
Cooking can be a good option for a small birthday gathering, especially when you enjoy preparing food and have enough time. Some families prefer to make one or two special recipes themselves and complete the table with simpler choices.
The workload increases quickly as the guest list grows. Every additional dish means more ingredients, utensils, cooking time and storage requirements. The expected savings can also shrink once you start buying several pack sizes and end up with unused ingredients.
Ordering the food is particularly useful when you want the table to look well presented without spending hours preparing and arranging it. Ready-to-serve platters can simply be opened, placed on the table and enjoyed. There is no need to hire waiting staff or change the way you want the party to run.
This format is ideal for birthday parties held at home, in villas, children’s venues and event spaces across Mallorca. The family remains in control of the celebration while avoiding much of the work associated with cooking.
A beautiful party table without the hassle
Choose a selection for the children, add a few options for the adults and tailor your order to the number of guests. At Especia, we prepare beautifully presented gourmet platters delivered to your door and ready for the table, so you can sort out the food without spending the night before cooking.
View birthday party plattersA children’s food table works best when everything is within easy reach and each dish is easy to identify. Platters can be arranged at different heights using stable, child-safe stands.
Leave some space between the dishes. A completely packed table may look generous, but it makes serving more difficult and increases the chance of food being mixed or knocked over. It is often better to put out part of the food first and replenish it when needed.
Colour can come from tablecloths, napkins, plates and a few simple decorative elements. The food already brings plenty of visual variety, so there is no need to cover every platter with extra decorations.
When the food arrives fully presented, setting up takes far less time. You only need to arrange the platters, add the drinks and leave a space for the cake. The entire table can be ready for guests within minutes.
More celebrating, less cooking
At a party with a long guest list, cooking, serving and constantly refilling dishes can make you miss much of the celebration. Set the table and let Especia take care of the food with gourmet children’s platters delivered ready to serve in Mallorca, with no waiting staff required.
Choose my plattersThe right amount depends on the children’s ages, the time of day and the length of the party. Rather than preparing a full serving of every dish, plan a varied selection of small bites and remember that some children will eat more than others.
A base selection of simple finger foods can work for everyone. You can then add a few options with different flavours or ingredients for the adults, without having to prepare two completely separate menus.
Ordering the food often makes sense when the guest list is large, several adults will be attending, fridge space is limited or the family would rather spend their time enjoying the celebration. It is also a practical choice when you want the table to look polished without doing all the preparation at home.
Especia offers home-delivered catering in the form of beautifully prepared platters, with no waiting staff required. The food arrives ready to place on the table and share with your guests.
¿Con cuánta antelación debo hacer el pedido?
Para gestionar tu pedido y garantizarte la máxima frescura, solo necesitas solicitarlo con al menos 48 horas de antelación. Así mismo, para dedicarle toda la atención que merece, contamos con un pedido mínimo de 300 €. En caso de no alcanzar esta cantidad, aplicaremos un suplemento de gestión de 60 € para poder prepararlo.