Entertaining at home

I love the idea of entertaining at home but the reality is often a whole different experience. Gone are the days of formal sit down dinners with stifling table settings and pompous food. Entertaining is now much more relaxed and the formalities have almost disappeared. Relaxed entertaining is much more suited to our current lifestyles but effort is still required and the temptation of serving frozen finger food, in my opinion, should be avoided at all costs. Stand up functions are much easier to manage and have an organic relaxed vibe, the food is easy to prepare in advance and looks impressive arranged as the centerpiece of the party.

How to organise a party

Organising and hosting a party definitely needs to be approached without hesitation or fear and when you discover the winning formula for a great party, stick to it! Without being crammed in like sardines the trick to a good party is definitely a large amount of people in a small space – socialisation by default. Whether it is a glass of bubbles, cocktail or something virgin, giving guests a drink on arrival, instantly gets the party started. But for me it is all about the food and if you can get that right you are almost guaranteed success. A big party faux pas is the concept of finger food and how it is served. It should be, as the name suggests, eaten with your fingers and with ease. Attempting to juggle plates, drinks and napkins is never appreciated by guests and only discourages people from enjoying the food on offer. If you are going to serve food that has a certain element of DIY then access to table space should be provided, allowing guests to put their drink down and get stuck in.

Food to serve at your party

I love a combination of bite size food that can be passed around the room and a table of more substantial food that allows hungry guests a place to frequent. Keep it easy for guests to access food and drinks and the rest will follow. Use food as the main attraction, decorate tables with rustic boards lined with bite-sized morsels and abundant platters that get your guests involved.

Recipes for your party

Moroccan Lamb Filo Bites Potato Rosti with Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraiche Tomato Tart Tatin Lime Curd Tarts With Toasted Meringue @annabelleats