Feast or fine?

Sharing or plated, our observations and considerations.

Sharing menus; bold abundant dishes packed with flavour and colour. A talking point, an ice breaker. A wonderfully relaxed and communal dining experience where passing and sharing shapes the dynamic atmosphere of the meal. Food which is part of the table scape. The considerations. It requires table space. So won’t work alongside multiple glasses, multiple candles or large floral arrangements.

Plated menus; artfully arranged, deliberate and thoughtfully constructed. Purposefully portioned, the perfect balance of all of the dish allocated and served to the individual. Go to town with table decor. A calmer energy during the meal and one to one contact with waiting staff. The considerations. One less reason to talk to the stranger opposite you (maybe that’s an upside?).

Can you have a mix of both styles across a meal? Absolutely- you get the best of both energies. Here are two of our suggested hybrid dining formats if you are torn between communal dining and a more elaborate tablescape:

Pre-laid grazing staters can be the perfect ice breaker at the start of the meal; platters can be woven into the lay up of the table with intent, assuring cohesion with the décor and mindful portioning. Plated mains means guests have relaxed into their seats, and can enjoy their own individual plates. Once glasses, bottles and décor have shifted around the table the space soon vanishes so placement of plated food is much more streamline. Shared dessert boards can be a relaxed way to finish off a meal, especially if there has been a break for speeches and guests have inevitably wandered away. There will be less cutlery and table items at this stage so space is more forgiving.

Plated starters sit perfectly within a beautiful table setting. Maybe on a charger plate. A delicate and perfectly balanced elegant starter delivered to the guests means they can focus their conversation on you as a teenager, with no need to question who gets the last arancini. Plated main & a shared side dish. The elements on the plate are beautifully constructed and generously but elegantly portioned. An additional side dish of seasonal vegetables, miso sesame potatoes means a mix of elegance and interaction, whilst not competing for table space. Towards the end of the meal becomes more relaxed, and there are fewer items on the table. So shared dessert boards are going to find their place amongst the flowers and candles.

Of course there are other combinations: small plates, phased shared dishes rounded off with a pretty plated dessert; grazing station and shared main course feast. It’s just crucial that we look at the meal from a holistic angle, weaving all the elements of the dining experience together making sure that food, florals, drinks & timings form a cohesive and memorable dining experience .

Next up- timings! How long to allow for the eating? How long to allow for the speeches? How long to allow for guests to find their seats? Can you have staggered speeches? How do we manage toast drinks? Until then..