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The Busy Mum’s Guide to Christmas Hosting

The Mum Club5 December 2022

The Busy Mum’s Guide to Christmas Hosting

For some mad reason you (translation: your partner) decided having Christmas dinner at your house was a good idea.

So to help you scale back on the very long to do-list that you have been encumbered with, we’ve enlisted Professional Chef, Marcus Bean and Forage and Fleur Floristry to help save you some time.

And then we’ve rounded up the very best decor, food, booze (the most important bit) and games, to make the day your best one yet.

The Easiest Way to Dress Your Table

Becca Gibb, Owner of Forage and Fleur says, “By far the easiest way to dress your table is to buy a bespoke garland from a florist. You can get dried ones so they last longer or buy fake but I of course love the natural scent of real flowers – you can’t beat it. You can also take your wreath off your door and use it as a centre piece and put candles in the middle of it. I also love to use baubles and ornate tree decorations and just dot them around or place them on top of peoples napkins and plates. Really the main thing is to have fun with it and not to stress.”

Forage and Fleur

Photo: Soho Home

The Cheapest Way to Dress Your Table

Becca Gibb, Owner of Forage and Fleur says, “Get the kids out into the garden or go on a wintery walk and forage your own berries and pine cones. You can also dry your own fruit slices in the oven (if you can be bothered) and then buy a few interesting stems from your local florist and place them on the table around your dinnerware and candles.”

Forage and Fleur

Photo: Zara Home

Pre Make a Christmas Cocktail

Professional Chef Marcus Bean says, “One of the most stressful things is taking drinks orders when people arrive. Shut that down and have a pre made cocktail that you offer out instead. Mix it up, bottle it and leave it in the fridge and then pour into a big jug and leave it on the table so people can help themselves or decant into glasses ready for people to pick up.”

Marcus Bean

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

Make Parts of Your Christmas Dinner in Advance

Professional Chef Marcus Bean says, “Make your roasties in advance, peel and cut them, then rinse under cold water until the water runs clear, to remove the starch. Place in a pan of cold water, add a generous amount of salt, bring to the boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes until just starting to fall apart. Drain the potatoes and cool. Then freeze.
On the day bring out of the freezer. Pre heat a tray of Rapeseed oil or goose fat in the oven at 200-220c, then carefully place into the tray and cook for 50-60 minutes, turning them often to get an even cook and a golden crisp. For extra flavour, I like to crush a few cloves of garlic and add rosemary and thyme to the tray for the last 30 minutes of cooking.”

Marcus Bean

Photo: Healthy Living James

Don’t Do it Yourself

Manage the juggle and give other people jobs, maybe it’s grandparents on cheese, siblings on starters, and that random guest your mum invited on puddings. Whatever you decide just remember you don’t need to do it all, and actually, you shouldn’t! You can also go all out and get a Christmas feasting box and have a professional help you make the dinner! A very luxe way to do it but a real treat if you can afford it.

Christmas Kit by Tom Kerridge

The Best Christmas Decorations

Personalised baubles that double up as place settings, a full set of decorations in a (very expensive) box and fabulous items that bring us all the joy!