Be it a family dinner, a catch up with friends, or a birthday celebration, a Virtual Dinner Party is a fantastic way to eat together, while staying safely apart! And with a little bit of planning and thought, these digital get togethers can be just as fun and filled with connection as the real life ones.

Here are our top tips for technology, table settings & menu planning so that you and your loved ones can party like it’s 2020.

Connecting with tech

We may have a love/hate relationship with technology but what would iso be with out it? There are tons of platforms that support video calls including Zoom, Skype, Facebook Messenger and Google Hangouts.

A couple of things to note:

If you’re using free Zoom session they only last 40 minutes, so if you’re planning on making a night of it, you might want to choose another option.

If you have a relative or friend who is a little tech-shy, it’s worth getting them set up and doing a test run a day or two early to avoid any issues or delays with them joining the party.

Location. location.

When you’re stuck inside all day, a change of scenery can make a world of difference. So if your internet connection allows it, and the weather’s nice, why not head alfresco? Another option is to make use of an otherwise unused room in the house, like a spare bedroom, to create the feeling of heading to a restaurant.

While PJs and trackpants have become the new isolation uniform, you might also want to use this occasion to dress up a little, if only on the top half!

Planning your menu

Ok now’s the fun part. One approach is to select a dish together, which you all can make. Something quick, like our Mushroom and Sun-dried tomato tagliatelle or a recipe that can be mostly made ahead and then finished off easily when the time comes to gather at the screen for a pre-dinner drink. Our Inside-out Chicken Parmigiana can even be prepared the day before making it a dinner party winner (even if it’s a virtual dinner party!).

Wanna go all-out? A Virtual Dinner Party is the perfect opportunity to try out a new cuisine or dish. After all, you’re actually still only feeding yourself or your family, so there’s none of the pressure which comes with “impressing the guests”.

Why not make it a themed party?

We’ve put together a fantastic 3 course Moroccan Themed Make-Ahead Virtual Dinner Party menu, along with step-by-step videos to guide you through the preparation.