The Glossy Guide To Summer Entertaining

Let’s be honest: we all like the idea of hosting a lovely summer party and enjoy the aesthetic elements – from deciding on the table settings to choosing the flowers, music and what to wear. It’s the actual business of menu-planning that can create stress, especially if we are in holiday mode and, understandably, don’t want to cook.

Tackling a problem head-on and working backwards is our advice. Sort out the menu before you finalise the finishing touches. Fortunately, The Butler’s Pantry’s Summer Entertaining Menu can provide inspiration. Created with style and panache, meal packs can be ordered online and delivered nationwide (there’s a special children’s menu too) or collected from any of its eleven shops. All food is made from scratch in The Butler’s Pantry in Bray, Co Wicklow where the team of in-house chefs create seasonal menus celebrating Irish produce. Its party catering services also include a sommelier-curated range of fine wines, meaning it’s a one-stop shop for busy hostesses.

A welcome nibble as guests arrive is always sure to get any party started. There are canapés (which can be ordered by the two dozen) from tasty red pepper risotto arancinis, to a selection of tartlets (such as Ardsallagh goat’s cheese and red onion, topped with a smoked almond) to dips (such as avocado hummus, green olive and sundried tomato tapenade) and pâtés which are ideal for a summer drinks party.

For more languorous or formal events, the selection of starters ranges from fishcakes (smoked haddock and salmon fishcakes with miso mayonnaise, or wild yellowfin tuna fish cakes with chilli and garlic aioli) to entrées suitable for vegetarians such as the potato, spring onion and charred corn cakes or homemade soups. As for the main event, The Butler’s Pantry likes to cook with the seasons and can provide main courses servings for up to six, or buffet platters which serve up to ten people easily. These include options such as a chermoula chicken platter, a dressed organic salmon or an Eastern Mediterranean falafel platter with a selection of crisp and crunchy summer salads. You’ll find it’s hard to choose from roasted root vegetable tabouleh, curried cauliflower and quinoa, and crowd-pleasing classics from traditional coleslaw, to baby potato salad.

Dazzle guests with a sweet finale from The Butler’s Pantry. These include classics such as a raspberry roulade, tangy lemon meringue pie to a decadent chocolate marquise or a gateau Laurence (both of which won a Gold Blas na hÉireann awards for taste). There’s also a strawberry fraisier cake with a pistachio biscuit base, with fresh strawberries which makes for a pretty centrepiece. All you have to do is serve the coffee.

As for tablescaping, this doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, or any money at all believes Tara O’Connor, of The Designed Table. “A tablescape is meant to elevate an entertaining experience. It is a way to show your guests that you care about them, and that the meal is special. Some of the prettiest tablescapes I have ever seen have included flowers picked from the garden and everyday dishes. We are in peony season so June is the perfect time for a pretty tablescape. Your flowers will create your centrepiece as they normally run down the centre of your table.” O’Connor advises on testing each seat to make sure guests can see each other and placing larger floral arrangements at the end of table. “Don’t overcrowd your table and keep it minimalist.”

“When hosting something casual for family, it is a wonderful opportunity to air your more zainy crockery that otherwise may not get used,” says Annie Dunne of AD Event Design. “I love to create a table with colourful plates. Don’t worry if you don’t have matching sets of plates or glassware. Using a mixture of different prints and colours adds more layers and injects some fun to a summer tablescape.”

“A relaxed lunch to me means introducing rattan – its texture and colour instantly add a relaxed feeling to your table setting,” says Rebecca Roe of Hedgerow Home. “Relaxing means less washing so I like to use paper napkins, especially fun paisley printed ones which really add a pop of colour to any tablesetting.”

Need to Know: The Butler’s Pantry has eleven shops around Dublin and an ever evolving online shop. All food is prepared by its team of chefs and bakers using the best ingredients without the use of additives or preserves in its central kitchen in Bray, Co Wicklow. To discover how The Butler’s Pantry can help with all your party needs, visit www.thebutlerspantry.ie.