5 Tips to a Successful Dinner Party
Plan
Take some time to plan your event and write it down. So many of the items to be planned can be sorted in a minute, and some require more thought and preparation, so give yourself at least a week to plan. Before you eye roll at the suggestion, planning is different to overthinking. It means you minimise your chance last minute rush or last minute menu change because you didn’t have time to make the dressing that is essential for the salad that you’re so excited to present. It’ll also keep you out of the kitchen when you should be enjoying the company of your guests.
Outsource as much as you can
Outsource what you can and save yourself some stress, it doesn’t have to cost you anything either!
Ask your butcher to prepare the meat the way you want it for your recipe.
Your local deli will probably love to make a recommendation about your cheese platter and package all the elements you need.
Kids are great at table settings, peeling potatoes, candle placement and music playlists. If it’s not their bag, bribe them! (They won’t realise it yet, but these are skills they’ll thank you for later – obvs!) You can always do a final check after they’ve presented you with their finished product and tweak what you need to.
Do you need a birthday cake? Order one from your favourite baker. Or, you could order for an uniced cake and decorate it yourself… That’s home made right?
Click and collect your beverages the week before.
Food & Alcohol
Consult Maggie (Beer) or Nigella (Lawson) for their advice on a menu plan. There are so many free online resources with preparation tips and advice, so follow their recommendations and tweak to suit your taste and ability.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew in your menu plan. Plan a few dishes that can be prepared (or at least mostly prepared) the day (or earlier) before; tiramisu, chocolate mousse, the first bake of a twice baked souffle, stuffing or sorbet.
Always buy the best quality food you can afford. A simple salad is always a winner if the ingredients are vibrant and fresh.
Importantly, don’t worry if it didn’t turn out the way you wanted… Nobody has to know that your dessert wasn’t always meant to be deconstructed! It’ll still taste amazing 🙂
The rules about what to drink with what dish totally go out the window at my dinner parties. I usually start with bubbles for canapes, then have bottles of red and white wine on the table for everyone to choose for themselves. If, over the course of the night the labels on your bottles should change to a slightly less expensive alternative, *cough* nobody will mind… or notice…
Water is essential though; make sure you have a water glass at each setting and top them all up regularly.
Get the atmosphere right
How do you want the event to feel? I like a casual dinner with fabulous food and wine, and a relaxed atmosphere. It’s a formula that works well for me. Always play background music and have plenty of food and wine on hand. Flowers and candles around the room with dimmed light are really effective and fairy lights for outside. My table settings are usually casual because I prefer to leave room for food and drinks, but it’s not hard to make them more formal with place cards, centrepieces and more cutlery.
Be present & enjoy your guests’ company
Coming back to planning, make sure you’re ready when guests arrive, ask for help if you need it and enjoy the result of your planning and effort.
Cheers, and bon appetit!
Amy
PS If none of that appeals outsource the whole thing! At the Concierge Collective we’d love to arrange your dinner party 🙂