Tips for being the best dinner party host

So you have friends – over 1,000 according to Facebook. It’s a big list to choose only 6 or so from. Who are you going to risk offending? Who will provide the best combination? What does everyone drink?

And this is before you’ve settled on a menu. Speaking of which, what the hell are you going to cook? The pressure is on. You may be of a calm disposition, but see how that fares when, with an hour until your guests arrive, you’re screaming at the venison haunch for cooking too slowly while remembering that you never picked up the box of Châteauneuf du Pape you ordered that morning. Well fear not, Yhangry is on hand once again with 5 simple tips to ensure your dinner party is a raging hit. 

YOU – THE HOST
As host, you are the most important cog of the party wheel. Plan early. Do a Noah and build your arc before the rains come – i.e. get as much done in advance as possible. There’s no shame in recruiting a little help. Appearing calm and collected when your guests arrive is fundamental, so do all your sweating and swearing beforehand. Next: at supper, don’t hog the limelight with pertinacious stories. You may be head of the table, but you’re not on a soap box.

THE GUEST LIST
Keep it simple. Cast your mind back to the dinner parties that sit in the ether regions of your nostalgia and I’ll bet you were surrounded by no more than 6 other guests. The more people, the more complicated the table plan, the more fragmented and inaudible the conversation, and the more overwhelming the preparations. Be selective. Your guests need to mix as well as lime does to gin. Too many strong characters can lead to a clash of personalities and consequent rancor, whereas a group of introverts will carry the atmosphere of a library.

FOOD  
Why fear when Yhangry is here– we offer a range of cuisines and dietary preferences. Just book a private chef– you can even ask for personalised menus. The golden rules are to ensure that there is plenty to go around and that the time between courses doesn’t become a sizeable chunk of the evening which our marvellous chefs can take care of.

WINE 
Offer red and white. You may be serving a meat or fish better suited to a certain colour and vintage, but this isn’t to be mandated upon your guests. The idea of a Chardonnay with your prime cut fillet may have you tempted to shut the whole event down, but like a shop manager, the customers – or in this case your friends – are the priority. So white it is.

The offer of a drink on arrival is a must – something fizzy is usually a good shout – and perhaps a sticky nightcap before your guests depart.

AMBIENCE 
Dim the lights. Chuck in a few candles. A table centrepiece and a decoration or two can also be added at your discretion. Weather permitting, eating outside can be a great touch. And, finally, get a good playlist on to filter as background noise.

Now, you’re ready. You are the perfect host, hurray! Enjoy yourself.

Credits: Gentleman’s Journal