Mark your calendars, the start of October celebrates National Brunch Weekend in the UK – our favourite type of weekend get-together! Whether it’s bottomless, celebratory or just because, master the art of brunching at home with Spode.
When to serve brunch?
Brunch is typically served between 9am and 11am, being a mixture of breakfast and lunch. It’s ideal for a relaxed weekend when beauty sleep delays breakfast and it is too early to delve into lunch. It’s the perfect excuse to embrace a slow morning or get-together with friends.
The dress code
The beauty of hosting brunch at home is that you get to choose the dress code too. Celebrating something special? Then dressing up for the occasion is a must. However, putting on your comfiest clothes or even donning your fanciest PJs gets our approval too. Brunch is a relaxed affair so it’s important you and your guests feel comfortable to ensure the correct tone is set from the start.
The menu
The options for a brunch menu are endless - pretty much anything goes. The magical blend of breakfast and lunch, popular choices include the classic syrup-soaked waffles and pancakes or if you’re feeling something savoury, eggs and avocado on toast.
If you have a number of guests dining with you for brunch and it’s a special occasion, opt for a grazing board that stretches down the length of the table full of different goodies. Not only does it look impressive, but grazing boards are also great for feeding a crowd and pleasing lots of different tastes. Guests can also help themselves to as little or as much (within limit!) as they like without too much pressure.
For drinks, make sure you have the staples of tea, coffee, and fresh juice on offer. But again, if you’re celebrating, a bottle of prosecco or non-alcoholic sparkling wine will go down a treat.
Styling the table
As mentioned, brunch should always feel relaxed, so your table should be styled more playfully rather than overly formal, even if you’re celebrating a special occasion – a few special touches, such as vases of flowers and tealights can help to elevate it if needed. Patterned-filled tableware, such as our Morris & Co. or Blue Italian collections, bring colour and interest to the table with ease. Layer with contrasting textiles so it feels effortlessly put together.
To feed a crowd or to allow guests to help themselves to food, platters and serveware are a must. But at the very least ensure your guests each have a dinner or side plate, cutlery and something to drink from.
When it comes to drinkware make sure you have a mixture of mugs or teacups and glasses available to cater for all drink varieties. Not everyone will want to drink alcohol at brunch, but make sure everyone has the same type of glass so nobody feels left out and the table still looks aesthetically pleasing.
For more inspiration for hosting at home see our guides below: