When Lady Carnarvon came to visit me at Fox Hall for a luncheon in her honour, I placed this precious little Highclere Castle ornament on the silver serving platter! Now, how simple yet befitting is that?!
PC: Deb Key Imagery
"Party time is 'pretty' time!"
-Holly Holden
Mummy set an example for me by always decorating her party hors d’oeuvres platters with something pretty, unique and original. Instead of just a few flowers or greens to garnish her serving platters, she encouraged me to use something out of the ordinary. Whatever decoration that I decide to use, I keep in mind that it must not only complement the culinary creation being served, but also the decorative colors or aspects of the room where it is presented, the theme of the party... and that it should pay homage to the guest of honour!
On my travels, I make it a point to collect an array of precious little decorative items that I can easily place on a platter. For example, I use my Herend mouse from Scully and Scully in NYC to sit in the middle of a cheese platter… his own little fromage paradise! For Thanksgiving, I have a pair of porcelain pheasants nestled onto an hors d’oeuvres platter, which I purchased at an antique shop in Nantucket. Several other examples are pictured in my book. For the Christmas holidays, I have German Wendt-Kuhn wooden angels singing to various yummy offerings, including my cheese crispies.
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Millennial Tip
I use a small ball, the size of a dime, of poster board clay and place it on the bottom of my adornments to hold them more securely when passing the serving platter around.
Look around your house! You may find petite items that will work well as embellishments for your platter. The key is small and discreet, and not so large that it overwhelms the overall presentation and aesthetic of the food being served.
Here are a few examples of this practice that may inspire you: a porcelain Limoges box, Christmas ornaments for a holiday party, a silver baby’s cup filled with flowers, a small Staffordshire porcelain animal, or an egg cup with one blossom placed in it! Have fun and go hunting around your house. You may surprise yourself with how many tiny objects you discover.