Expert ideas for hosting a perfect holiday feast

Inviting people over is about getting everyone chatting and having a good time. I’ll serve crudités as guests arrive—pea and tahini dip, crostini with anchovies and anything deep-fried, like buttermilk and fennel chicken—alongside margaritas, which are always well-received. I like to put a spin on the classic by adding blood orange or pink peppercorns, garnished with a salt and Tajín-spiced seasoning rim, dehydrated pineapple or crushed dried hibiscus flowers around the edge.

Music gives atmosphere to a party. I love a Christmas playlist, with Chris Rea, Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé, though one year, I did hire a pianist to play Rihanna songs.

When it comes to decorating the table, either choose a clean white, light-blue or pale-yellow tablecloth, or a crazy colourful one (I get mine from the Milanese designer Lisa Corti). I have an obsession with broderie anglaise too, so I lay a length of it over the top. Traditional red and green never quite works for me, so I use modern block pastels or bright shades. For crockery, make do with what you have—it’s nice to try mixing vintage pieces with new ones.

Having one large centrepiece is a bit old-fashioned; instead, arrange some foraged foliage or fill jars with flowers (I’m all for carnations at the moment—in every colour). Personal touches are lovely too: it’s fun to make your own crackers, choosing the gifts that go inside, or hand-writing the menus and place cards. I always incorporate some traditional elements, such as paper chains, which I craft with my mother-in-law to hang all over the house.

Usually, I’ll cook a roast chicken with salsa verde and leek dauphinoise for people to help themselves, followed by a seasonal take on an Eton mess for dessert, in the style of the Quo Vadis chef Jeremy Lee. If you have these ingredients of being together, sharing food and breaking bread across the candlelit table, you have a recipe for a good night.

This piece originally appeared in the print edition of Harper's Bazaar UK in December 2022/January 2023