The Secret to Creating the Perfect Grazing Table? Hint: Colour
An aesthetically pleasing grazing table can look more complicated than it really is. The trick is to work within a colour palette and let your hues do the talking (while you do the eating).
There’s nothing more impressive than walking into a dinner party and seeing the most perfectly curated grazing table, worthy of an Instagram post.
The best bit? They’re the most relaxing way to entertain because there is no cooking involved, and you can have it prepared before your guests arrive. But while the concept of grazing tables is nothing new and sounds relatively easy, you can definitely tell the difference between a grazing table that’s Insta-worthy and one that’s, well, not.
In fact, it takes a little more than simply throwing an abundance of the finest cheese, fruit and crackers on a board, and calling it a day. According to cook and founder of Stories to Gather, Lia Townsend, there’s one specific trick you need to implement if you want to build the ultimate grazing table: colour.
“Select a colour palette and tie all the elements back to this,” Townsend previously told Bed Threads Journal.
Pick two to three colours and incorporate them throughout the boards, food, and decorations. “Seek inspiration for your colour palette from a beautiful ingredient that is in season, florals or the table linen you would like to use.”
For example, for Townsend’s Put on a Spread feature, she was first inspired by beautiful black grapes and green leaves, which led her to style her table using our 100% flax linen Olive tablecloth and Sage napkins. She then paired this with edibles in white, beige, green, and black tones.
Need some more inspiration? Here’s how to execute the perfect grazing table using tableware – including our new Table Runners – in two of our community’s favourite colours: Lagoon and Cacao.
How to create the perfect grazing table using Cacao
1. Layer complementary tableware colours
Cacao possesses an innate elegance and sophistication. It works well with verdant cool and coastal hues such as Oatmeal and Lagoon, but pairs perfectly with warmer tones such as Pink Clay, Hazelnut, and Terracotta.
2. Pick ingredients with bright and harmonious hues
Here are some examples of ingredients that pair well with a Cacao colour palette:
- Cheese: Buffalo mozzarella, Brie and Jarlsberg
- Dried fruit: Apricots, candied oranges, pineapple and goji berries
- Fresh fruit: Figs, oranges, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, mango and grapefruit
- Crackers: Your favourite crackers, crispbreads and breadsticks
- Dips: Beetroot hummus, basil pesto and French onion
- Nuts: Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts and cashews
How to create the perfect grazing table using Lagoon
1. Match it with cool-toned tableware
Lagoon is the perfect marine-inspired blue, with just the right amount of grey undertone, evoking the tranquil beauty of an ocean pool.
For the perfect colour palette, pair Lagoon with green hues, contrasting pinks and cacaos, subtle pops of deep reds and serve with our matching Lagoon or White.
2. Pick neutral or cool-toned ingredients
Here are some examples of ingredients that pair well with a Lagoon colour palette:
- Cheese: Herbed feta, Danish blue and aged cheddar
- Dried fruit: Figs, dates and raisins
- Fresh fruit: Sicilian olives, pear, figs, raspberries, cherries and black grapes
- Crackers: Your favourite crackers, crispbreads and breadsticks
- Dips: Tzatziki, olive tapenade and hummus
- Nuts: Sunflowers, pecans and almonds
Colour Your Table
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