Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Tight times? Never Too Tight for a Dinner Party!

A very interesting article by Tessa Boase..

"The little treats are on the rise," says Giles Henschel, founder of the Dorset food producer Olives et Al, whose sales of classy pre-dinner nibbles and dressings are up 20 per cent.

Henschel sees this as evidence of "a new-found thrift and indulgence culture. People want to say to their friends over the dinner table: 'I grew these onions myself. They cost me nothing, but I pickled them in some really nice balsamic vinegar.' Or they want the satisfaction that the salad cost thruppence from Lidl's, but they cleverly tarted it up with some good extra virgin and a handful of pistachios from the deli."

Credit crunch entertaining is about making a few intelligent decisions for maximum reward. As London-based accountant Kate Pollan puts it: "An evening sinking a few bottles of prosecco with friends is meant to take my mind off the school fees. Fiddling around with vol-au-vents and worrying if I've overcooked the salmon is just going to stress me out and take the joy out of the occasion."

Pollan, 42, has taken to calling in the caterers for what she prefers to call supper parties. "It's very low-key. They just drop the dishes off with heating instructions. We think of it as a really good takeaway shared with friends. Everyone knows I didn't cook it, but it's no big deal. Most people want the caterer's contact details as it's so much cheaper than a restaurant and often more delicious."

I'd suggest having a look at this article..


Tight times? Cheers for the dinner party - Telegraph

Randa
The Hostess with the Mostess
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