Planning a festive gathering: the decisions worth making early

The festive season is the busiest time of year for anyone who cooks for other people. Weekends in December are the first to go, and the closer it gets, the fewer choices there are. If you are thinking about hosting a dinner, a party or a gathering for work, a few early decisions make everything easier.

Fix the date first

Everything else can move, but the date is the one thing that is hard to change later. If there is a particular evening that matters, enquire about it as early as you can. If you are flexible, a weeknight or an evening in early December often leaves more room.

Decide on the format

A seated dinner and a standing gathering are very different evenings. A sit down dinner suits a smaller group and a slower evening. Canapés suit a larger crowd and people moving around the room. Knowing which you want is more useful than knowing any individual dish.

Get numbers and dietary needs together

A rough headcount is enough at first. Dietary needs are worth gathering early too, especially with bigger groups, so the menu can be written with everyone in mind from the start.

Cooking for the season

November and December bring some of the most comforting produce of the year. Chestnuts, parsnips, celeriac and Brussels sprouts are all in season, pheasant and partridge are in season too, and apples, pears and cranberries are there for the end of a meal. It is food that suits long tables and cold nights.

Before Christmas at Atelier

The Festive Dinner on Monday 30 November has now sold out. Thank you to everyone who booked.

There are still seats at the Chef’s Table on Sunday 6 December, from 2pm until 6pm: a canapé reception followed by three courses, cooked and served by Ross, for twenty guests. Tickets are £80 per person and can be booked on the Events page. The menu is set and published in full before you book.

Sources

• British Dietetic Association: Which fruit and veg are in season in the UK?
• Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust: Quarry shooting season dates
• BASC: Shooting seasons