It’s hello from us
Like all the best and most famous partnerships, we met at a jumble sale while wearing bumbags. From our first words to each other, commenting on a vat of chilli that was being sold by the paper cup, it was clear that our common ground was food: buying it, cooking it, eating it.
We were both struggling to forge our careers in similar industries – TV and radio – so we had a lot of time and not much money. We’d either cook for each other every week or try a place for lunch that we couldn’t afford for dinner (daytime set menus are the frugal restaurant-lover’s secret weapon, it turns out).
Hosting was our mutual passion – getting everyone around a big table, laying out a feast and creating that warm feeling that comes from full stomachs and noisy chat. A few months after we met, we decided to set ourselves a challenge: could we make our lunch ‘club’ bigger and open the doors to our homes to cook for other people? Not just friends, but complete strangers?
When we started our supper club we didn’t exactly know what a supper club was. So we made it up. To the first one, we invited as many people as we had chairs (16), decorated the table with hyacinths and served slow- cooked lamb and lemon posset. We accidentally grilled the lamb and the flowers wilted but people stayed until the small hours and staggered home with new friends’ numbers in their phones. We marked it down as a success.
Fours years on and we have learned a lot. As home cooks we know the pitfalls of throwing a dinner party, but having run the supper club we also know great cheats, shortcuts and tips that make hosting that bit more breezy.
Maybe you, like us, have a shelf of recipe books that you rely on. If we want the ultimate chocolate fudge cake, we dig out a Nigella. If we need a great vegetarian curry, we turn to Anna Jones. But if we are racking our brains for a full spread for six friends on a Friday night, we sometimes struggle to find one source. So we thought we’d write just that book (it’s out soon, see page 47 for details): 24 menus for occasions when we have welcomed people round to ours, and we hope it might make you want to do the same.
Use the book for inspiration and ideas. Food, mood, space and table are important, but don’t forget, having people round is about sharing a great time. It’s hard to go wrong with fun guests, lots of booze and a killer playlist – even if you do serve pineapple and cheese on sticks!