’Tis the season to throw open the doors to your home and welcome one and all to eat, drink and be merry against a backdrop of tasteful decor. But how do you ensure you host like a professional while keeping calm and collected and making everyone feel like they’re the special guest of honour?

It can be exhausting just thinking about it. 

Luckily, our Co-Founder and Creative Director Sue Jones and Chef and Author Clodagh Mckenna recently sat down with Jo Bailey, interiors writer and columnist for Homes & Gardens, to talk about the art of hosting at our flagship store in Chelsea.  

From invitations to organisation and cooking, no stone was left unturned in their mission to help you sail through party season without so much as breaking a sweat. Read on for their winning ingredients – now all you need to do is figure out who will make the guestlist. 

Invitation Etiquette

Jo: Who should you invite and when?

Sue: “For the big events, such as Christmas and New Year’s Eve, snap people up a bit earlier as they get booked. For everything else, I keep it reasonably loose. I’m never offended if someone asks me last minute. In fact, I go out of my way to say ‘yes’ so people know they can do that, and I’ll return the favour.”

“When it comes to who, my husband will ask anyone: I sent him off to buy bacon recently from the farm shop and he came back saying he’d invited two gents for lunch. He didn’t even know their names! His attitude is: what’s the difference between cooking for me and eight others?”

“I love changing things up and mixing age groups. When I met my husband, we were very young and were asked to all kinds of amazing parties and not treated like babies. I try to do that with my nieces and nephews. It’s so nice to treat them as proper, valued guests. They always shine!”

Clodagh: “My husband is a lot more formal than me – I’m very last-minute! As a rule, if you don’t know the people coming very well or don’t see them often, invite them about three weeks beforehand; if you do, then you can be more impromptu. Sometimes those are the best!”

Preparation Station

Jo: How do you get organised without being overwhelmed?

Clodagh: “Being organised gives you freedom. Work out what’s important to you. If it’s important to cook and have people over, then it’s not important to watch TV on a Thursday night, as you have to spend that time getting organised.”

“However you feel 10 minutes before guests arrive is how you’re going to make them feel. People really don’t care if your tarte tatin is burnt. What they care about is the atmosphere in your home. Candles, a big pot of food, an opened bottle of wine and a smile on your face – that’s the most gorgeous evening anyone can hope for.”

“Finally, if you don’t cook a lot and it makes you nervous, become really good at cooking one thing, be it a beef stew or shepherd’s pie. Then everyone will look forward to it regardless of everything else because you’ve made it.”

Sue: “You’ve got such an important role as a host to set the tone. If you’re crashing around the kitchen looking stressed your guests will feel the same. Do as much as you can beforehand then relax so everyone thinks you’re having a good time as well. That’ll be the thing that people will remember.”

“Also, be able to discriminate between cooking for people and sitting down with them rather than standing in the kitchen and being the chef. Yes, you can be more adventurous if you’re not talking to everyone, but don’t set yourself such high expectations which mean you spend most of the time in the kitchen and aren’t able to enjoy yourself. It can be a simple mistake."

Food for Thought

Jo: How can the menu help you host?

Clodagh: “The starter and desert will always be things that I cook ahead. The main course will be done on the day but will always be something I can start in the morning. Balancing the menu is really important.”

Balancing your Budget

Jo: What tips do you have for shopping well and wasting less?

Clodagh: “I sound boring, but I make lists so I only get the ingredients I need, because I can’t stand waste. It was the best work ethic that was given to me as a chef. Organise food properly and plan what you’re going to cook before you shop and you’ll buy better! Plus, when there’s food in the fridge, you can always rustle something up. There are so many things you can do with leftovers, too.”

Sue: “My prized possession is my store cupboard full of dried goods. Having that gives me the enormous freedom to use my leftovers. I also love seasonal food and since Covid I go to my farm shop, butcher and fishmonger rather than supermarkets. I enjoy buying local – it’s much more satisfying while giving me more time!"

Decorating 101

Jo: How do you make an impact with seasonal decorating?

Sue: “I’m a bit of a drama queen – which is probably my decorating style – and have been known to put wreaths on the back of everyone’s chairs, make my own crackers and fill giant chargers with vegetables. It’s the feeling of generosity I like.”

“I don’t have a set colour scheme, but I do love jewel colours and shocking pink and acid green for tissue paper in presents that contrast with ribbon so everything’s really vibrant. I do the same with crackers for the table. I may also change the ribbons on my wreaths to make everything look coordinated.”

Clodagh: “I get my inspiration from where I live in the countryside. For example, branches in pots or hyacinths down the table. Create your own look influenced by what you’ve experienced and your surroundings. It’s so magical when your table reflects the season outside!”

Set the Trend

Jo: Should you follow fashions or lead by example?

Sue: “I hate trends! Jasper Conran [who I worked for] taught me two things: don’t follow trends, wear what suits you; and the best colour is your favourite colour!”

Clodagh: “Being in a creative industry over the years, you get more confident in your own style.”

Forget-Me-Nots 

Jo: What do people tend to forget during parties?

Sue: “Getting things out of the freezer!”

Clodagh: “Lighting, comfort and music, which are probably the three most important things!"

Canapé, Anyone?

Jo: To serve or not to serve? That is the question. 

Sue: “These days, there’s nothing better than everyone feeling hungry when they sit down for the main event. Whatever you do, though, don’t commit to soft-boiled quail’s eggs – you’ll be peeling them all day and they’re gone in two seconds. Personally, I love really good peanuts and twiglets!”

Clodagh: “I do one thing: cacio e pepe cheese straws. Served warm, they’re so good! If I don’t have time, I’ll get a lovely piece of pâté with crackers and a knife and tell everyone to help themselves.”

Traditional Values

Jo: What traditions do you keep?

Sue: “I’m not so set in my ways that I can’t change things – I like to be agile.”

Clodagh: “Every Christmas week I make lobster linguini and on Christmas morning I go to mass followed by Carlingford oysters and Bloody Marys. Another tradition is stuffing in the cavities of the turkey – it’s the most natural way and the cavity is an oven!”