Come Dine With Me is a recipe for festive fun and friendly competition this Christmas season.
Remember the iconic British TV show Come Dine With Me? We certainly do! This party will put a competitive twist on your classic dinner gatherings, giving each guest a chance to showcase their culinary skills whilst providing evening entertainment and mealtime motivation. Here’s how to plan a memorable competition that can take place over the course of a week, or every weekend.
The Perfect Guest List
To capture the spirit of ‘Come Dine With Me,’ invite three to five friends who enjoy cooking, laughing, and lighthearted competition. You could partner up and host in couples, or try your hand solo.
Set Up A Host Rotation
In the original show, each participant hosts a dinner in their home, cooking a three-course meal for the group. For your event, choose a format that works best for your group. You could host a dinner a day for 5 days, or run the competition every weekend for a few weeks. Alternatively, if you want everything to happen in one night, you could assign each person a different course.
Choose Thrilling Themes
To make the night extra special, be sure to add a theme to each dinner or course! This could be anything from Mexican night to a trip around Europe, or even a throwback to the ’90s! A theme gives each host a framework for their meal and lets everyone dress up or bring themed decorations to create the right vibe.
Judge Like A Pro
On ‘Come Dine With Me,’ guests rate each meal out of ten based on taste, presentation, and ambiance. You can do the same! At the end of each dinner (or course), have everyone secretly score the host’s meal. Add an anonymous element to keep it friendly but honest. At the end of the final dinner, you could even give out awards for the most ‘Instagrammable’ dish or tablescape of the week, for who mastered zero waste and sustainability, or for who shopped local the most.
Atmosphere Is Everything
Don’t forget about the little extras that can make a difference. Set the table with themed décor, play music that matches your course or country of cuisine, and set a cosy or fun ambiance. Consider adding a game or a brief “entertainment” moment – karaoke anyone? – to give the night that TV-style entertainment flair.
Throwing a ‘Come Dine with Me’ party takes the classic dinner with friends up a notch, and with these tips, you’re sure to create an evening filled with delicious food, competitive spirit, and unforgettable moments. Good luck!
