If there’s a single thing that really typifies the festive season, it’s a brilliant party – and in 2022 we’re all more than ready to get together with friends and family, after a few years of celebrations cancelled thanks to the pandemic.
From the perfect (and simple) canapé courtesy of the style set’s favourite restaurant, to a playlist of Christmas tunes curated by Radio 1’s finest, we’ve rounded up the best tips and tricks for entertaining from our favourite tastemakers. Consider this your foolproof guide to throwing the most brilliant bash. And raise a glass on us!
The ultimate Christmas cocktail
Is it even a Christmas party without a colourful cocktail? Denis Broci, the head barman at Claridge’s hotel, doesn’t think so. ‘For party drinks, keep it seasonal and simple,’ he says. ‘Picking something you can prepare ahead is the best option. Think about getting the ice and garnishes ready ahead of time, too. You want to entertain your guests, not be their bartender! One of our signature cocktails that works really well is “The Flapper”, which was created for the opening of Claridge’s Bar in 1998. It’s easy to make, delicious and a Christmas-ready colour, too. Try adding a fresh strawberry for an extra flourish.’
What's everyone reading?
‘The Flapper’
For one drink
15ml Creme de Cassis
15ml strawberry purée
Champagne, to top up
A strawberry, to garnish
In a cocktail shaker, stir the Crème de Cassis and strawberry purée together, then fine-strain into a flute. Top up with the Champagne and garnish with half a strawberry on the rim of the glass.
‘Claridge’s: The Cocktail Book’ is edited by Denis Broci and Nathan McCarley-O’ Neill, photographed by John Carey and printed by Octopus imprint Mitchell Beazley. £25, shop.claridges.co.uk
The tablesetting highlight
London-based textile development studio Ambar has teamed up with artist Camille Walala to create a limited edition collection of knitted pieces, including gloriously geometric jacquard table runners and placemats. ‘I’ve always liked the fact that Camille draws inspiration from Central and South American architects such as Luis Barragán and Ricardo Legoretta. This new phase of her work really drew my attention,’ says Natalia Nicolau, founder of Ambar, who wanted Walala to translate her latest architectural and installation works into a smaller-scale range of homeware.
The result is a collection that includes not just table dressings, but cushions and merino wool throws, all of which explore the concept of perspective. ‘I love the idea of bringing an illusion of 3D depth to something that would otherwise be a flat object, and then playing with colour to emphasise shape and texture of each piece, says Nicolau. ‘I think the placemats demonstrate this so well.’ Pair with minimal glassware, bright cutlery and an equally colourful menu for an evening full of festive cheer. Table mats, £35 each; table runner, £150, ambarldn.com
The Christmas playlist
BBC Radio 1 presenter Clara Amfo lifts the lid on her favourite party tunes...
8 Days Of Christmas, Destiny’s Child
All the Y2K references, and still eternally entertaining!
Persuasive, Doechii
One of my top high-energy tunes of 2022
Adalam Va!, Priya Ragu
It means ‘move/dance’ in her native tongue of Tamil
Ring My Bell, Anita Ward
Sexy, festive, disco!
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, Amy Winehouse
A classic voice’s take on a classic
Cool, Dua Lipa
A vibey tune to celebrate the last decoration being hung
Her, Megan Thee Stallion
For dropping hints about what you want for Christmas
Cozy, Beyoncé
An ideal anthem of self love to see out the year
Anything by Mariah Carey
Because, OBVS!
The fantastic festive canapé
The chefs and founders of restaurant Wild by Tart, Lucy Carr-Ellison and Jemima Jones, absolutely love any excuse to celebrate. For them, the way they show love is on a plate, with crowd-pleasing recipes. ‘Christmas,’ they say, ‘is the only time of year when you can really let go and nothing is too much.’
Their advice for a big event is to ‘get as many nibbles ready as you can the day before, so you just have to pop them on a beautiful platter before your guests arrive. Don’t try to overdo it with overly fancy canapés, as you’ll just end up in a spin. We love serving little tacos or tostadas, like the venison tartare version here. Have all your toppings made, so all you need to do before the party is spoon them onto the crispy bases and serve.’ wildbytart.com
Venison and pink peppercorn tostadas
Makes 25
To make the tostadas
White sliced bread or sourdough
Olive oil
To make the topping
150g venison or beef fillet
1 shallot, very finely diced
3 gherkins, finely diced
1 tsp caraway seeds, bashed
1 tbsp mirin
Small bunch of dill, chopped
Small bunch of chives, chopped
1 small red chilli, finely diced
1⁄2 tsp mustard
1 tsp capers, chopped
1 egg yolk
Sea salt and pepper
To serve
Pink peppercorns
A few sprigs of dill
Chive flowers (or edible flowers for decoration)
To prepare
Heat your oven to 180C. To make the bases, remove the crusts of your bread and roll it as thinly as you can with a rolling pin. Cut out rounds with a cookie cutter, brush with olive oil and bake in the oven for five to 10 minutes until crispy. Store in an air-tight container until needed. To make the topping, trim and remove any fatty bits from the meat, finely chop and mix in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. To serve, top the bases and scatter with pink peppercorns, dill and chive flowers.
