After planning over 9,000
events in his time, including annual Christmas parties for the Queen,
and Prince William's 21st birthday, Johnny is now dishing out his top
table scaping tips and serving skills to ensure shoppers have all the know-how
they need to wow guests over the special bank holiday break.
With the help of Aldi,
items such as afternoon tea sets, quirky G&T pots, delicious cakes,
succulent British strawberries and premium rich conserves will be high on
everyone's shopping list.
Johnny said: "It's
the first time the nation will be celebrating a monarch's Platinum Jubilee, so
many Brits are likely to want to go all-out with their parties over the long
bank holiday weekend."
Noting his expertise in
planning royal parties, he added: "I have organized many royal events at
Buckingham Palace, Holyrood, Highgrove and Windsor - for several years I
provided the catering and decoration of the wonderful parties that The Queen
hosted every Christmas for her staff - huge dinners for between 800 and 1,200.
Johnny Roxburgh is a Royal Warrant holder and a party architect to the royals
"When planning a party
for the royals everything must be considered, the finer details are incredibly
important. There is also the endless issue of protocol - who arrives when. The
arrival of our Royal Family is managed in meticulous order and the timing must
be flawless.
"Of course, the next big
party for the royals is the Queen's Platinum Jubilee so many of us are likely
to want to go all-out with their parties over the long bank holiday
weekend. It offers the perfect opportunity for hosts to flex their
table-laying muscles to serve impressive, yet simple and affordable spreads
that even the Queen would be proud of.
"I'm delighted to be
showing shoppers how easy it can be to bring a touch of Buckingham Palace
straight to their home at incredible value for money thanks to Aldi."
Use
flowers and herbs to make your party table stylish
Take your presentation from
beautiful to extraordinary without breaking the bank, simply by adding some
fresh foliage. To keep your table looking beautiful for longer, make sure your
flowers and herbs are all well-hydrated. I like to place pots of herbs like
Parsley down the centre of the table so guests can snip the herbs to add
finishing touches to their dishes.
Kick-off with a champagne cocktail
As your guests arrive, place a
raspberry and a sugar lump into a champagne flute. Top up with Aldi's delicious
Jubilee English Sparkling Wine – for extra oomph add a splash of
brandy to create a Jubilee cocktail.
Gold
details
Nothing says royal glamour
like gold cutlery. It is as sophisticated as it is contemporary.
Serve
cheese on a platter
Cheese is always a winner. On
your spread should be a selection of cheeses, ruby red radishes and glossy
black grapes (the colour of the black pearls in the Queen's jewel collection).
Add crunchy celery and little bowls of sundried tomatoes to really bring a
freshness to the display. Delightful!
Show
off your cakes on a cake stand
Add height to your table with cake stands - they don't need to be expensive. I like to mix all the cakes up so that everyone can choose their favourites, from Angel Cake to Eclairs and a classic Victoria Sponge – and don't forget the Tea Cakes (my favourite!).
Make a show out of the sides
Bowls of clotted cream and
jams may not be showstoppers, but they add that touch of decadence and their
display doesn't need to be boring. Select a range, including vibrant
blackcurrant, classic strawberry, and rich raspberry and tie a bunting flag
around the jars, then set them on a tray of rose petals and sprigs of mint to
create the wow factor.
Serve
foods you can all tuck into
Jubilee celebrations will be
all about sharing, and Aldi’s delicious Summer Traybakes are perfect for this.
Sit your guests at a long table and serve the traybake for everyone to enjoy.
For little ones (or even the big ones), serve Crestwood Scotch Eggs and Snack
Sausage Rolls.
Pour it up with a range of drinks
I like to offer guests a
variety of drinks. My must-haves are sparkling white and rosé – even better if
it's in a magnum so it looks as though you have really pushed the boat out.
Don't
forget the little details
To make your drinks royally
special place a raspberry in each compartment of an ice tray, freeze in water,
add to a glass and pour over your drink of choice. And don't forget to pop
juicy strawberries on top of a Victoria sponge or cheesecake to add an extra
touch!
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Prepare
the good old fashioned sing-song tunes
All parties need music. Ask
someone to type up the words, and print them out on paper covered in Union
Flags – this is the time to really celebrate each country in the United
Kingdom, everything from The Lambeth Walk, Auld Lang Syne, We'll Keep A
Welcome to Danny Boy. Nothing will unite us more than celebrating the
extraordinary life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
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