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From Renaissance-style sharing platters to decorative butter, the face of entertaining is changing. Henrik Lischke meets the new super-hosts behind the most stylish tables<\/p>\n
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The Imperfect Perfectionist: Imogen Kwok<\/p>\n
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When it comes to events, it\u2019s the people behind the scenes who ensure that everything runs smoothly. Chef and food stylist Imogen Kwok is such a person. She\u2019s responsible for feeding the fickle fashion folk in a multitude of ways: nutritiously, tastefully and aesthetically. A mammoth task for some but not for the Michelin star-trained multi-hyphenate, who counts brands such as Miu Miu, Bulgari and Chanel among her clients, all relying on her artfully displayed food installations for their events.<\/p>\n
\u2018Obviously the food has to taste good, but I\u2019m a tactile person and there\u2019s a lot of consideration that goes into the presentation, how you experience it \u2013 not just on the plate but when you arrive at the table. You have to have a reveal moment,\u2019 she tells Grazia. Her work is meticulous and while her essential chef\u2019s kit might include pliers, tweezers, and brushes, these days it\u2019s all about being \u2018perfectly imperfect\u2019, she says. \u2018However, I\u2019ve retained a lot of my foundation, which is very precise.\u2019<\/p>\n
Another lesson she\u2019s learned from working in a restaurant environment is how to make your guests feel special. \u2018When guests come to your house, try to remember the little things that you know about them, whether it\u2019s their favourite drink or even a dietary requirement or an allergy that they have. Make them feel like you thought about them in advance,\u2019 she explains.<\/p>\n
When it comes to hosting, it\u2019s about taste but also about presentation, Kwok suggests, even if you\u2019re keeping things simple. \u2018Make sure that things are abundant. You want to be welcoming, you\u2019re having people in your house and don\u2019t want it to seem like you\u2019re not being generous. Always have fresh flowers and make sure the lighting is perfect \u2013 candlelight or lights you can dim. There\u2019s nothing worse than walking into a room and the light is so bright that everyone\u2019s skin looks bad.<\/p>\n
\u2018You don\u2019t have to spend a lot of money or cook something crazy luxurious, either. You can make a beautiful pasta dish as long as you put the effort into doing that. And always have napkins,\u2019 she says. For serial takeaway orderers, she has another piece of advice: \u2018It has to be re-plated. I\u2019d never eat out of a pizza box or a container. And it\u2019s nice to still make your own side condiments, dished up in little ceramic bowls on the table, whether that\u2019s mustard, soy sauce or a salsa verde. I like when people add bits to their food. I\u2019m not precious. You want salt? Add salt. You want chilli pepper? Add chilli pepper. It makes a difference.\u2019<\/p>\n
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Imogen\u2019s food creates a strong visual impact \u2013 a reveal moment<\/p>\n
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The Fashionable Feeders: Charlotte Forsyth Wastell & Sofie Thompson<\/p>\n
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Contrary to popular belief, those in the fashion world crave nothing more than a heavy load of carbs, great butter and even better pudding. Cue the success of Hands London, a duo bringing real savour \u2013 and flavour \u2013 to the table. \u2018We love carbs and sugar,\u2019 quips Charlotte Forsyth Wastell, one half of the duo behind the brand. Her business partner, Sofie Thompson, agrees. \u2018We both like big, carby food, so we\u2019ll always have some sort of amazing bread and lots of butter.\u2019<\/p>\n
Having both worked at major fashion retailers before pivoting into the art of hospitality around two and a half years ago, they\u2019ve had their fair share of evening events that left them dissatisfied and, well, hungry. Since then, their Henry VIII-style tablescapes \u2013 fresh produce often plays a central role in their \u2018foodstallations\u2019 \u2013 have become synonymous with get-togethers that no one leaves with an empty stomach, whether that\u2019s a breakfast hosted for Ferragamo or a dinner for Nanushka. \u2018There\u2019s also always something that feels like a centrepiece, such as a great pie or a fish \u2013 something with impact,\u2019 says Thompson. Tasting menu devotees needn\u2019t apply, as \u2018the food that we offer is very hearty, it\u2019s abundant and it\u2019s really delicious. It\u2019s arancinis and profiteroles \u2013 it\u2019s celebratory and retro.\u2019<\/p>\n
The duo\u2019s signature style, featuring chrome tableware and plain tablecloths, has a defiant dose of \u201980s dinner party to it, which is where it all began. \u2018We were both reading a lot of \u201980s cookbooks at the time \u2013 we wanted it to feel fun and playful but also something that people could photograph and keep as those memorable food moments.\u2019 The surefire markers for a successful spread? \u2018One full table with lots of big dishes, lots of silverware, candelabras and something that feels quite Renaissance. We usually expand on that with lots of decorative fruits and seasonal produce as props, rather than fabrics. It doesn\u2019t have to cost a lot and we end up making lots of jams, syrups or sauces with them afterwards.\u2019<\/p>\n
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Charlotte and Sofie champion hearty food with a retro heritage<\/p>\n
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The Sweet-Toothed Chef: Kirthanaa Naidu<\/p>\n
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You may have not heard of Kirthanaa Naidu yet, but you will have definitely come across her pandan cheesecake, which sent the 29-year-old stratospheric in the blink of an eye during the pandemic when the image of the bright green dessert went viral. \u2018Before lockdown, I\u2019d never set a table or owned much homeware,\u2019 she laughs. \u2018But I was always cooking and hosting supper clubs. Then the pandan cheesecake is what I became known for and, within five months, I had a pop-up with a restaurant in Notting Hill.\u2019<\/p>\n
Back then, this was all new territory for the Malaysian-Indian food stylist and cook. Working as part of the events team of Amnesty International before being furloughed, she made use of her time by preparing banquets at home for her flatmates. Fast forward to 2025 and Naidu has made a career of something that she only toyed with to keep herself busy and optimistic during a difficult time. She now gets hired to bring her idiosyncratic vision to the tables of brands such as Diptyque, On and Simone Rocha, and has even hosted a supper club for Dua Lipa in her home. Those lucky enough to have attended one of her dinners will attest that her style of hosting is a far cry from a sterile fine-dining experience.<\/p>\n
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\u2018I want people to feel comfortable. The table can\u2019t be overly done, it takes away the magic and the realness from it. I want food to be passed around, that\u2019s why I always do sharing platters. In a Malaysian-Indian household you don\u2019t ever just get your own plate of anything \u2013 you always have five to six different dishes. It sparks conversation, creates community and feels more homely. And you can always go for seconds.\u2019<\/p>\n
Her tablescapes are as intuitive as her choice of menu. \u2018The cooking came first and setting the table happened around that. I like to create a warm, inviting space with loads of flowers. I definitely always have linen on the table \u2013 it doesn\u2019t feel the same without it and can really transform what you\u2019re trying to create.\u2019 The takeaway? Never underestimate the power of a fresh white tablecloth or plain white plates, she says. When it comes to her signature dish (bar mouthwatering desserts), she doesn\u2019t need to think too hard. \u2018Curry develops flavour over a few days, so it\u2019s one of those things that you can prepare even two days in advance and have it ready for when the guests arrive.\u2019 And what makes a good guest? \u2018Always arrive with a nice drink.\u2019 <\/p>\n
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Kirthanaa\u2019s signature dishes are eye-catching platters and desserts<\/p>\n
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Photography: <\/b>Trisha Ward<\/p>\n
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Yes, Chef!From Renaissance-style sharing platters to decorative butter, the face of entertaining is changing. Henrik Lischke meets the new super-hosts behind the most stylish tablesThe Imperfect Perfectionist: Imogen KwokWhen it comes to events, it\u2019s the people behind the scenes who ensure that everything runs smoothly. Chef and food stylist Imogen Kwok is such a person. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":8371,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-casa"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"akindell","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8363"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8363\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8375,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8363\/revisions\/8375"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}