At the Table: the art of hosting at home, with Lucinda Chambers

One of the greatest pleasures in life is to have friends and family around the table. Seeing new and familiar faces, a mix of all ages and from past and present, is just a joy.

When I’m planning a gathering, the first thing I do is put together a guest list. I like to mix things up and try not to over think it. Often the best parties are with the unexpected. As well as inviting the people I really want to see, I think about who would take pleasure in the others. I try and take myself out of the equation, but there is always somebody who I haven’t had a chance to see for a while that goes straight to the top of the list.

Putting yourself in other people’s shoes is vital. Try and see your home through the eyes of others: what cooking smells will greet them as they come in, how the lighting will be, where the comfortable chairs will be and what areas you’ll set up so that people can take themselves off to for quieter chats. These are all important factors.

Preparing in advance is essential – for me, at least. I often lay the table the night before, mixing the plates, the napkins and the candles. Nothing ever matches in our house, which is great as it means when something gets broken, it’s no sweat. In fact, you just have an opportunity to add another treasure.

One of my signature dishes is a Thai chicken curry. It’s delicious, easy and I can make it vegetarian if needs be. The best thing about it is that I can do it the night before. Then all I need to do is whip up a bright-red tomato salad. Another dish I make – if it’s a more low-key kitchen supper – is a really sturdy minestrone soup, thick with pasta and vegetables. It’s lovely for this time of year, served with all sorts of cheeses and quince jelly. It’s simple, tasty and somehow very heart-warming. You can go to town on the bread and wine while still keeping it simple and stress-free.

For parties at ours, there’s always something personal on the table, whether it’s place cards (it’s a terrible idea doing a seating plan on the hoof, when everyone is milling around and you’re trying to dish up), tiny flowers at each setting, or crackers – even when it’s not Christmas! They always look so joyous. Meanwhile, when it comes to laying up, I always plump for a mix of patterns, colours, textures and prints. It’s really uplifting – a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach!

My peerless party pointers:

Try and enlist the help of a teenager around the house. They can answer the door, take coats and pour the drinks.

Don’t try out anything new on the day. Cook what you know. Nobody minds repetition if it’s delicious!

Have a playlist going on in the background. You can just press play and leave.

Candles and fairy lights – everywhere! They make people smile and create the feeling that this is going to be something special. Beware of tall candles blocking peoples view of each other, however. I use tealights in different shaped glasses running the length of the table.

Mix things up… Starting with the guest list. Then go from there…

My ultimate tabletop wishlist:

Ochre candy-stripe napkins, by Amuse la Bouche, £36 for two, Collagerie.

Linen napkin with long fringes, £47 approx each, Once Milano.

Red ‘Tangier Stripe’ cushion, by Alice Palmer & Co, £75, Collagerie.

Red/green ‘Una’ side dish, by Casa de Folklore, £18, Collagerie.

Crackers, £42, Cambridge Imprint.

‘The Grand Hotel’ place cards, from £11.25 for 15, Papier.

Woven ‘Kaya’ placemats, by Kalinko, £38 for four, Collagerie.

Further reading

A Home with a History: the improvised charm of Lucinda Chambers’ colourful Edwardian “work-in-progress”