The Queen’s 60th year as monarch and a four day weekend only means one thing: this June, it’s time to throw a party. So as party organisers, we thought we’ll shed some top tips on how to host the best bash, what to drink and the top tunes to play.
When it comes to celebrating the Jubilee, what are your 6 party essentials in keeping with the best of British theme?
1. Bunting is brilliant and this is the perfect moment to go mad with it. There are all sorts of options out there now, from beautifully embroidered stuff to nicely weatherproof plastic. Use it in copious quantities indoors & out. Party Pieces are one of the favourite suppliers that comes to mind
2. Queen for the day, Party guests love to dress up – it’s a great ice-breaker – so get online and order a big pile of novelty crowns, tiaras and jewels from party suppliers. Throw in a few grey wigs, false moustaches and purple sashes and you’ll be up to your ears in royal impersonators before you know it.
3. No British summer party is complete without lawn games – whether croquet, lawn tennis, cricket or badminton, they’re perfect for a lazy summer afternoon’s socialising.
4. What should we do if it rains? England won’t be the same without the unpredictable weather, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t throw an outdoor party: just make sure that you have a contingency plan. Try to provide a little cover, in the form of a gazebo, awning or umbrellas (there are companies that hire out big buckets of umbrellas to match your colour scheme). If it’s sunny they’ll provide useful shade and if it’s drizzling they’ll keep people dry. In case of a monsoon, have an indoor area picked out that you can move the party to with minimal disruption.
5.What will be on your party playlist? Any Jubilee party worth its salt will have an all-British playlist, and fortunately there’s a lot to choose from. Personally, I’d probably start off with something gentle from The Beatles, such as Penny Lane, to set the tone – you really can’t get anything more immediately recognisably British. As the party went on I’d want something more upbeat, so perhaps a something from the Britpop era – Blur’s Country House – then to get people dancing the Rolling Stones’ Jumping Jack Flash and Adele’s Rumour Has It.
6. No one wants hungry guests. What are this year’s biggest foodie trends? Mini-things will always be a popular choice. Canapés is s a cute way to serve bite-sized food. The Jubilee has also revived the very British afternoon tea style of catering that has been popular for a while now, so we’ll be seeing lots of finger sandwiches and I’ve encountered ‘cake canapés’: tiny mini cakes that are a definite cut above the usual cupcakes in terms of both flavour combinations and decoration. Summer is the perfect time of the year for long drinks. It is a great opportunity to be creative with different flavours and mixers.
Planning and delivering such a memorable celebration, can be fun but also daunting if you do not have the time and the man power to carry it on. Thankfully, Chef in my Kitchen is created for such exact reasons. As private chef hire, and party caterers, we shop and cook, we set the bar and serve, we theme your garden to royalty, and most importantly, we clean and tidy afterwards because, we all know there is nothing to like about piles of plates and glasses and dozens of bin bags after a long party that can be carried to late evening.
