Dinnerware and Serving Dishes

I’m having a drinks party. What glasses will I need?

First things first: decide on the drinks you’re serving. This will point you towards the types of glass you need. There’s usually a specific type of glass designed to serve each type of drink but you should be able to get through any party with the following:

Beer – pint glass
Shots – shot glass
Red wine – wine glass with a round bowl tapering inwards at the rim like the HEDERLIG red wine glass.
White wine – wine glass with an oval bowl tapering inwards at the rim like the HEDERLIG white wine glass.
Cocktails – martini glass for cocktails without ice, like cosmopolitans, highball glass for long cocktails
Mixers and non-alcoholic drinks – highball glass
Champagne – champagne flute
Shorts – lowball glass

Handy tip: if you’d rather be mingling with your guests than washing up all night, allow 3 glasses per guest.

I’m doing a party buffet. What serving suggestions do you have?

The right serving dishes can transform an ordinary buffet into something special. Decide what sort of occasion it is – formal, fun, modern, traditional etc, and invest in some serving plates that reflect the mood you’re trying to create. Here are some suggestions:

Formal: use traditional silver platters to serve your food.
When it’s mostly women… add some girly touches. What girl could resist a delightful cupcake when it’s displayed on this pretty IKEA 365+ serving stand?
When there are lots of children… add a bit of colour to the table with multi-coloured plates. Our LJUVLIG range comes in green, lilac and turquoise.
Traditional: glass serving plates offer a traditional feel. Try displaying your sarnies and sausage rolls on these cute ARV BRÖLLOP serving plates.
Outside: minimise breakages and stay stylish with IKEA 365+ wooden serving plates.

I’m hosting a formal dinner. What dinnerware do I need?

When hosting a formal dinner you need to think about the following pieces of dinnerware:

dinner plates
side plates
bowls – for starters, if serving soup
dessert plates/bowls (same as starter bowls and side plates)
water glasses
white wine glasses
red wine glasses
cutlery for each course
coffee cups

A mismatched service will probably upset the look of your formal dinner so invest in a new one: not only will it look great, it’ll be free of chips and cracks. Choose a service that complements the colour scheme of your dining room. Our 18-piece FÄRGRIK service comes in 5 different colours.
You should also consider other elements of the table – like centrepieces, serviettes and place cards.

Paper plates at BBQs really irritate me but I don’t want to take my good dinnerware outside. What other options are there?

The problem with taking your best plates outside is that if you drop them on the floor, they’re likely to smash.

There are materials that stand more chance of surviving if dropped on concrete slabs etc, so if al fresco dining is your thing, look for dinnerware made from materials like:

melamine
wood
polycarbonate

Serve accompaniments like salad and potato wedges in this lovely wooden BLANDA MATT serving bowl.

How do I create the afternoon tea experience at home?

Why spend lots of money going to a posh hotel for afternoon tea as a one-off when you can recreate the ultimate indulgence at home every day of the week?

To serve afternoon tea at home, you’ll need: