Hosting Brunch like a pro!

5 steps to hosting the perfect at-home brunch and dazzle your guests!

Brunch is absolutely my favorite meal of the day! It’s a great time to combine sweet with savory into one big meal. It gives you the chance to sleep in and save the eating for later while then taking in two meals at a time. I take brunch very seriously and make sure everything on my menu is suitable and the décor is filled with details that will make the time memorable. After all, a Sunday well spent brings a week of content!

1. WHat foods to serve

This is a question I get asked a lot! Should the food be more breakfasty? Should I serve more consistent lunch dishes? How can I combine these two properly?
I’m going to let you in on a little secret; there is no set way, rules or guidelines on what foods to serve at brunch. However, there are several food types and assortments that will make for the perfect Sunday brunch!
 
First and foremost, I suggest you definitely serve an egg based dish such as poached eggs, deviled, hard boiled, soft boiled, baked, shirred, omelets or frittatas are all EGGcellent options! The possibilities are endless! For this brunch, we offered Eggs Florentine, which consists of a poached egg topped with hollandaise sauce over sautéed spinach and sourdough bread.
 
Next up, go for a sweet breakfast food like pancakes, crepes, waffles or French toast. In this event, we set up a bowl of waffles for guests to serve themselves and eat with their favorite toppings. 
 
You don’t want to overwhelm your guests with too much food so I suggest that beyond this, you only serve light snacks and treats to nibble on such as nuts, olives, cherry or sundried tomatoes, mushrooms and fruit. 

2. What Drinks to serve

When it comes to brunch drinks, it is important to include a variety of flavors and textures; those being, fresh, fruity, bubbly, sweet, sour, light and thick. Each person has a particular taste and preference, some could be more prone to coffee than tea, some prefer sparkling water to still, and some could potentially enjoy sipping cocktails more than others. With that being said, it is of the utmost importance that you have plenty of options and a variety of drinks to serve your guests. In the end, you must know them more than I do!

5 drinks you must serve during brunch!

• Peach Bellini (My favorite recipe here) or mimosas. 
• Fresh juice (Orange juice in this case)
• Bloody Mary, obviously! (My favorite recipe here)
• Sparkling Water
• Tea/Coffee (depending on your guest's preference)

3. The display

The food, dessert, drink and guest tables should be the foremost in any event. These are the places where your guests will pop up more than once and really keep their eyes on.

You should think of various ways of making your table display one to remember. The first thing I tell people to keep in mind is the flowers! The flowers give the party life, personality, colour and vibrancy. For this event, we chose an assortment of red and white roses with green foliage over a blue and white china vase. We chose only one central arrangement to really add life to the table without it being too overwhelming. Balance is key!

​Another aspect of the table was the tray distribution and its different heights! We opted for pewter trays and crystal glasses to give the whole setting a refined feel; which is what the client sought after. 

4. The table setting

For the guests, we kept the same colour scheme and overall feel as the main buffet table. It included white runners along the table, a silver charger, white china plates with silver details, cut crystal glasses, silver cutlery and a bow shaped napkin to match the red roses. 

5. Proper prepping

Hosting an event and having people over can be quite overwhelming; which is why you must be prepared and know how to host smartly. Follow these simple steps and you’ll have nothing to worry about!
 

1. Prep cocktails in advance. On the night before, make sure that all glasses for each type of cocktail are washed and ready. Mix the tomato ingredients and cut the celery sticks for the Bloody Maries. Pre-process the pulp for the Bellinies are prepper all garnishes you might need. Refrigerate the vodka and prosecco only to be added right before serving. 
2. You can set up the guest’s table even days in advanced! Simply make sure that you cover it with another table cloth or plastic to prevent it from getting dusty. 
3. Add any decorations including flowers, welcomes signs, guest towels, etc. at least 3 days in advance. As long as the flowers are fresh and you water them, they will not go bad. 
4. Make a check list for everything you have to do, buy and cook. This will help you organize yourself and your time accordingly. 
5. Have fun and enjoy yourself! Sunday brunch is meant to set back, relax and have a fantastic time!! You’ve got this! ​