The season starts here

Trends From tequila fountains to midnight cheese toasties, Samuel Fishwick has a guide to what’s fuelling the capital’s Christmas parties

LONDON has lit up. The Night Tube is filled with sequined revellers heading to twinkling venues, each host trying to outdo the last. Ubers are in hot demand and you’re wondering how many mince pies you can eat while still fitting into your velvet tux. It’s been quite the year and we are ready to call time — with a proper party. Here’s how the capital is toasting Christmas.

Graze amaze

The best parties are stand-up occasions with an informal buffet of food, according to Tart London. The catering team headed by ES columnists Jemima Jones and Lucy Carr-Ellison has worked with everyone from Kate Moss to Vogue so they should know. Popular dishes this season are mix of the healthy — bowls of pearl barley and beetroot — and the hangover-busting: posh fried chicken. Turkey roasts have made way for posh friend chicken, steamed dumplings and wood-fired pizza. People want to save the Christmas dinner for 25th.

Margot Henderson, who with her partner Melanie Arnold cater for events from their Rochelle Canteen kitchen, says: “For bigger parties I like to cook one-pot dishes, like mushroom risotto, or a big bowl of sausages and mash, followed by a great cheese, like Berkswell.”

Ravinder Bhogal, who will invite guests to her Marylebone restaurant, Jikoni on December 10 and 11 for “Christmas with Ravinder”, says food is essential. “There’s nothing messier than cocktails and no canapés. Middle Eastern food lends itself well to cooking for a crowd.”

Early hours food drops are beloved by all. LOVE magazine had cheese toasties at midnight for its recent party with Burberry.

Drink it in

Henderson is into mulled cider this year. “Cider seems to suit being