Burnt food, empty glasses and squabbling guests!
As the nights draw in and with Christmas soon approaching, over half of people from Plymouth (55%) are shunning pubs, restaurants, and parties, and instead opening their homes to friends and family.
However, this increase in generosity has led to a plethora of problems, with hopeless hosts admitting to a myriad of dinner party disasters; from not being prepared enough with food, drink and room dressing (52%), leaving guests to their own devices whilst preparing food (28%) and struggling to decide on recipes (22%).
And with almost two thirds of people from Plymouth (61%) more likely to host a get together in their home in the run up to the festive season than during the rest of the year, dilemmas faced by the majority of people, such as planning drinks (21%) and what to cook (59%), is set to increase.
Coming to the rescue, Tassimo has the ultimate solution to Plymouth’s hosting woes with the Perfect Host panel. Fashion designer and former Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh, Chef John Torode and coffee expert Hazel Middleton have joined forces to help with their words of wisdom. In the run up to Christmas, John will be sharing his top seasonal recipes and kitchen hacks, Millie will tell everyone how to host the perfect gathering, and Hazel will give the low down on what to drink – when and why!
Millie Mackintosh commented: “I love this time of year when I have lots of excuses to catch up with friends and family. In fact, I’m hosting Christmas at my home for the first time this year! I have just moved into a new home and after appearing on Celebrity Masterchef, expectations from guests are high. I’m thrilled to be working with Tassimo to help the nation fix their hosting horrors, and hopefully I’ll learn a thing or two along the way too.”
John Torode added: “The run up to Christmas can be a busy and stressful time of year, so I’ve created a number of delicious recipes and drink suggestions, which are easy to replicate and sure to impress any guest.”
Millie’s top tips to create a great ambience
Think about lighting – luckily, we have a lot of different lighting settings in our kitchens, but candles and lamps can be used to soften a room. Mellow ambient music during dinner and then afterwards, I’d put on some more lively music. And finally, the smell of food cooking is also very inviting, so get something in the oven early!
John’s top kitchen must-haves
My go to food when hosting friends is anything in pastry, because it is easy and always satisfies everyone. Little pies, tarts, puffs, sausage rolls and those sorts of things always work because both adults and kids alike always love them.
Hazel’s Coffee Mornings
There’s nothing better than a coffee morning with a selection of great hot drinks, including cappuccinos and lattes and some lovely cakes and biscuits. Nothing compliments coffee more than a delicious slice of cake or a crisp biscuit. I like to bake my own cakes for coffee mornings, and this can be done the day before to avoid panic on the morning.
Aimee Cowan, Tassimo brand manager, said: “We know the winter months are an important time of year, with friends and family more likely to catch up over a coffee this festive season than during other times of the year. We are so excited to work with our Perfect Host panel to help the South West with their drink and dinner dilemmas!”
Visit www.tassimo.co.uk or the Tassimo UK Facebook page for more information.
