Professional event tips for hosting your Christmas party at home

1. Serve a spread in buffet form.

Rather than a formal sit-down meal, why not try the more casual approach of an array of finger foods and bite-sized canapés? Particularly if you’re hosting friends and family who haven’t been together in a while, this gives more opportunity for everyone to mingle and catch up. Creating a menu that works well at room temperature allows you to prep and plate most dishes in advance, and having one or two hot dishes lets them shine as the star of the show, leaving you less legwork to do during the party.

2. If doing a sit-down meal, follow the professional events strategy of cold-hot-cold.

This looks like a cold starter such as a salad, cured fish, antipasti, or mezze, followed by a hot main course and then a cold dessert. This way, the starter and dessert can be plated in advance and all you have to do in place is the main event. Big joints of meat or vegetarian wellingtons work great for this. If cooking meat you can let it rest whilst you re-heat the sides, and any gravy or sauce will keep it warm on the plate.

3. Plan 1-2 menu stars and let the rest be simple accompaniments.

Whether opting for a buffet or a seated affair, don’t fall into the trap of trying to make everything the star. Pick one or two dishes that you will really focus on and let everything else take a backseat. Not only is this easier on your blood pressure, but it also allows those stars to really shine.

4. Make a batch cocktail in advance for easy welcome drinks.

This can be as simple as prepping champagne flutes with some crème de cassis and topping up with sparkling wine when guests arrive, but ensures your guests receive a memorable start to your event without you playing bartender all night.

5. Let guests bring things and pitch in.

Allowing guests to pitch in not only makes them feel like they are contributing, but also makes hosting so much easier. It also gives them a chance to show off their favourite recipe or canapé, and you might come away with a few new staples to your own rotation.

6. Don’t try to make everything from scratch.

The temptation may be to show off your homestead skills but save yourself the time and choose one or two showstoppers to really give your all and pick what to let go of and go shop for. The main supermarket chains do fantastic frozen canape selections around Christmas and always have specials on for different hosting platters, so take advantage and enjoy having one less thing on your to-do list.

At One Birdcage Walk, we love hosting fabulous and memorable parties, and we hope these tips and tricks will help you recreate some of that magic at home with less stress and more fun. Or, if you would rather we do the work for you, one of our elegant spaces will surely fit the bill and our friendly and professional events team will make you the toast of the season among your friends, family, and colleagues. 

Contact us: enquiries@onebirdcagewalk.com  / +44 (0)20 7973 1248