Grab Your Apron, it’s Dinner Party Season!

After the fun, sparkle and socialising of the festive period, January and February can seem like dark, dreary months. But however tempting it might be to cosy up in front of the TV on an evening, now is a great time to enjoy good food and company from the comfort of your home.

Keep costs low

At this time of year the average household is perhaps likely to have odds and ends of spirit bottles that can be put to imaginative use in welcome drinks rather than banished to the back of the drinks cupboard until next December. Got a glut of chocolates left over from Christmas? They’ll go down great with after dinner coffee. And, if you have been gifted some wine that isn’t your favourite it could be just the thing to add to the menu. Thanks to programmes such as Come Dine With Me and Restaurant in Your Living Room, we Brits are being far more experimental when it comes to inviting friends round for food but you don’t have to spend a fortune to have a good evening. Many supermarkets discount party food ranges at this time of year or you could rustle up something simple and flavoursome like a rich spaghetti Bolognese. You’ll find the majority of people will be very happy to be bypassing cooking for an evening rather than expecting anything too fancy!

Dress your dining area

There are always lots of lovey table decorations on sale around this time of year, many of which aren’t overtly ‘Christmassy’. So if you like to add a bit of drama to your tablescape with candles, napkins, table confetti or creative centrepieces, now is a great time to pick up plenty of table props for less. It’s not just the decorations that are on sale at the moment either. We have many of our lovely dining sets on sale at the moment, with some fantastic offers on tables that accommodate six, eight and more. A number of the designs in our range are extendable, providing extra room for entertaining and some also have the option of ordering with benches rather than chairs for a less formal feel. Is your New Years resolution to spend more time with family and friends this year? If so, perhaps now’s the time to start planning an evening in?