It’s a challenging time of year, so we’ve asked local, private chef, Alicia Watson from Chateaux Cuisine, to offer some guidance on how to successfully cater during this festive period.

Here Alicia shares her top tips to ensuring that this year (whether it be a Christmas meal or any other social occasion) will be easier, quicker, better – and a whole lot more delicious.

Before The Big Day - failure to plan is planning to fail!

Consider The Night Before (and breakfast)

Meal plan for not only the main ‘event’ meal but for the days leading up to and following. Consider the number of guests and any allergies or dietary requirements to avoid over ordering (as well as complaints or a visit to Urgence due to an allergic reaction!)
Embrace make-ahead recipes by preparing and freezing meals that are ready to cook quickly (and without mess) to stop the family from tucking into the prepped entertainment food etc.
Consider offering sharing platters and grazing boards. As no-cook appetizers they are fun but also mean less time getting hot and bothered plus less pans to wash. These could be as snacks to control pre-dinner eating or, on a larger scale, for the main event.
If you are offering a buffet style meal (including grazing platters), clearly direct food and provide plates at the start and cutlery with serviettes at the end with the bread. Also, consider keeping drinks at opposite ends of the room to the food to prevent gridlock.

Mushroom Wellington (Planted Cookery School).

Alicia prepares one of her famous grazing boards for clients

Easy guest night before catering with card boxes

Alicia's buffet caters to different tastes

Easy Formal Dinner Preparation

Consider the meal plan first. Keep it simple; when making fewer dishes there’s less room for error!
When cooking for allergies/ intolerances and preferences (eg. Plant-based), consider having one menu that suits all to both cover everything make those exceptions feel included (when so often they are excluded from the main menu).
Organise shopping lists into categories/ sections of the supermarket to make the purchasing process quicker and avoid buying things you don’t have on the list!
Timing is key; plan everything out. Select dishes that cook low and slow in the oven and need little final preparation before going on the table. Ensure you have the right equipment. Choose your meals wisely if you have large numbers as time spent serving may mean people are waiting for others with cold food! Use timers where possible.
Organise the fridge, making sure all the ingredients etc. that you need are easily to hand and not stuffed behind that four year old olive jar you've forgotten about. Organising also gives you a chance to think about how you will prepare your festive food and spot anything missing! Plus, ensure there is sufficient free space for storing prepared food on the day.
Make in food in advance where possible. Cranberry sauce , stuffing, roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, gravy, pigs in blankets etc. can all be made the day before, plus most vegetables can be prepared and cut the night before and remain fresh if you leave leave in water.
Have all ingredients ready /weighed out and equipment ready in place the night before where possible to support preparation of individual dishes on the day.
Set out all of the condiments on the table that will be needed, the serving spoons, the plates, forks, etc. You can even fully lay the table the night before!

Get all ingredients ready and weighed out

Alicia's prepared bowls limit cooking the night before

Lay the table the night before for minimal stress

Organise the fridge ensuring room for prepared dishes

On The Big Day - Delegate, Delegate, Delegate!

One of the biggest mistakes is thinking you can do it all. No matter how prepared you are beforehand, this is not a time to be a hero. Share the load and preserve your energy to enjoy your time with your friends and family rather than over a hot stove. Delegation and separation is key, so create a list of actions for each person you want to help you on the day so you don't have to think and everything is covered, and keep the majority out of the kitchen!

The Drinks/Snack Station

Keep all those hungry and thirsty visitors from under your feet by creating designated area that gives them all that they need:

Provide a drinks station offering a range of alcohol, non-alcohol and hot/cold drinks. Ideally this area would include a fridge and access to water including hot water to keep your guests entertained (and contained!)
Offer pre-prepared, self-serve cocktails to avoid the need for stocking the bar/drinks station with endless supplies for everyone’s favorite drink. Decide on one or two festive picks (like spiked apple cider, Moscow mules, or Winter Punch) to prep ahead and let guests serve themselves from punch bowls.
Set up an area that includes a selection of accompanying snack to suit your guests. Whether it be olives for grandpa or the ingredients to make jam sandwiches for little baby Alfie, all must be accommodated (but not enough to spoil an appetite! Make sure little plates, serviettes, knives etc. are also available.

Drinks stations keep guests out of the kitchen

Hot drink stations alongside microwaves etc. contain guests

Avoid spoiled appetites through planning

Easy entertaining through concentrated areas

The Helpers Station

Select some ‘helpers’ and give them a set place together to undertake their chores. By setting the 'helpers' up in a section (a ‘Helpers Station’), you can allow them to do their work without getting under your feet with all the equipment that they need. Their roles are very suited to:

Vegetable preparation (peeling, chopping, soaking)
Whipping cream,
Slicing bread,
Refilling the drinks/snacks station should this run low.

Ensure they have all the equipment they need (bowls, knives, spoons, trays etc.), access to running water, towels etc. so that the area runs smoothly and there is no need for them to leave their station.

Provide helpers with the equipment they need

Give a helper the responsibility of restocking snacks/drinks

Helpers are ideal for vegetable prep

Helpers can help with literally anything!

The Sous Chef

Enlist a reliable, capable person as your ‘right hand’. Their role is different from those on the Helpers Station that have a specific, less pressured role. The sous chef is at the beck and call of the Chef but also there to manage the Helpers on the station when needed. Activities might include:

Preparing/serving courses
Cleaning up the main food station ‘throughout preparation and cooking’
Monitoring cooking timing
Supporting the Chef when asking for a second opinion (more salt?)
Keeping the Chef calm
Enlisting someone to run to the shops/neighbours for that urgent ingredient
Keeping the Chef (and themselves hydrated with water - wine can come later!)
Keeping kids, helpers, granny etc. out of the main kitchen!
Plating up

Weigh out ingredients

Alicia's organised workstation

Planted Cookery school making bread

Alicia plates up a beautiful entree

Keep Visitors Out Of The Kitchen With Planned Activities

As people become more hungry or impatient for the ‘main event’ keep that aren’t helping prepare busy. This will remove the 'hangers on' and any stray children that could get under feet.

Send people on a walk to get those appetites going, plus ensure that dogs and kids are have burnt off excess energy to avoid meal-time disruptions. But be warned, you must be clear to all venturing out the time you intend to serve dinner!
Get them to occupy the kids (or each other) with some board games, building Christmas presents, telling stories, doing puzzles, selecting music for the day or films for later etc.
Suggest they organise a thank you to all the day’s workers - this might be a speech, little song, card, etc.
Ask them to tidy the main areas of toys, wrapping paper, boxes etc. so that a clear path is available to the dining area plus the after dinner area is also clear for stress-free, post meal relaxation.
Request some photos of the preparation (not getting in the way!) and what’s going on while the ‘magic is happening in the kitchen’; after all, the workers are missing out on the festivities!

Above all of these tips, enjoy the day and remember, it doesn’t matter if you burn the dinner or forget something, the most important thing is spending quality time with people. And of course, getting someone else to wash up afterwards (you might want to ask beforehand as well!)

Alicia still has some availability to cater to small and large parties during the festive period (including Christmas Day!) visit her website www.chateauxcuisine.com for more information.

Stress-Free Entertaining: top tips to avoiding festive failures