At home with Sophie Conran: 5 tips for hosting a stress-free dinner
When it comes to hosting friends and family for dinner, especially for a more formal dinner party affair, there can be a lot to arrange, and it can often become quite stressful. So, we’ve gathered the expertise of hosting extraordinaire, Sophie Conran, to learn how to host a dinner that is as stress-free as possible.
Tip one: Get people involved
Arranging a dinner for a number of guests can be quite the task, so Sophie suggests asking your guests to lend a hand to help ease your to-do list on the day.
“It’s great to get people involved; they can make a salad dressing, they can set the table, they can be in charge of the candles, and it means that you don’t have to try and do everything at the same time. It also relaxes them, and it makes everybody feel like they’re invested in the event.”
Tip two: Be prepared
Preparation is key when it comes to hosting and Sophie’s favourite tool to keep on track before and during the get-together is the trusty list.
“Get as prepared as you possibly can. Make a list – make a list of what you’re going to eat, who’s coming, when they’re coming, what’s going to be on the table, what you need. It’s a great thing to do to get everything out of your head and onto paper, and then you can start to work through it.”
Tip three: Encourage sharing
Hosting a dinner is all about bringing people together to share time, food and good conversation and making that as easy as possible for your guests is key.
“It is great to have lots of different dishes and put everything on the table on platters for people to help themselves. It just makes it that much more relaxed.” says Sophie.
Not only does it look spectacular when all the different platters and bowls of food are laid out on your setting, but it also creates a real buzz when guests start to delve in, passing dishes around and embracing the time together.
Tip four: It’s okay to make mistakes
With so much to organise around a dinner party it’s not uncommon for mistakes to be made and, thankfully, Sophie encourages us to embrace them.
“Remember, it’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay to leave something in the oven that you’ve forgotten about, for example. Nobody else is going to notice, so don’t get stressed about it. If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not learning!”
Tip five: Enjoy yourself
We host dinner for others as we’re keen to show them a fun and special evening, but as we get caught up in the organising and smooth-running of the occasion, we can often forget to have fun too. So, Sophie’s final tip is perhaps the trickiest to follow, yet most important.
“Finally, remember to enjoy yourself! Have a really good time because if you’re enjoying yourself everybody else will be too.”
For more inspiration for hosting at home, take a look at our guides below: