I fondly remember slow, summer afternoons withĀ family and friends gathered around a tableĀ of delicious finger-food during my childhood – the adults chatting and laughing, the kids pretending they understood the jokes. My parents had continued their Mediterranean traditions long after settling in Australia – and the simple joy of an effortlessly elegant gathering was one of my favourites.
What I don’t remember is my parents ever being stressed about the gatherings. It all just seemed to ‘come together’. Ah, how times have changed!
There’s something about the Italian style of entertaining that’s still so alluring in our fast-paced family lives. The idea of La Dolce Vita: a sweet life surrounded by family, friends, food andĀ minimal fuss.Ā Which is why we’veĀ enlisted the help of the entertaining experts at SandhurstĀ to share easy tips for elegant, memorable summer get-togethers.
We also asked our community of mums to share their tried and true, easy summer entertaining ideas, and we can’t wait to share them with you!
Euro-Inspired Entertaining
Before we dive into the delicious world of sumptuous, simple summer entertaining, it helps to know a little about the inspiration behind our guide. And that’s the concept of Italian entertaining – where time is taken to lovingly grow ingredients, before enjoying them with those you love.
Established in 1988, Sandhurst was born from the time-honoured traditions of generations of the family behind the brand – a proud Italian Australian family passionate about qualityĀ produce sourced from world’s best growers.
At the helm of Sandhurst are brothers Mimmo and Ray Lubrano, who live and breathe the impeccable ingredients that become the centrepiece of so many gatherings in Australian family homes.
“Tradition is what we stand for. We’re custodians of Italian values,” explained Mimmo. “When we go to Italy we see it in our grandparents, our parents came from Italy in the 50s. The tradition is a set of values: honesty, teamwork, participation, family – all the things you would associate with Italian family are the values.”
And it’s these beautiful valuesĀ that make summer gatherings in Australia an extension of the European table.
Easy Summer Entertaining Starts With … Time Saving Secrets!
A sweet summer of entertaining doesn’t need to be stressful. In fact, it shouldn’t be. It’s a chance to spend time with loved ones. To press pause on life and make memories. And it can be simple! So here are some really easy tips for making your home the place where everyone wants to gather this summer.
Create An Entertaining Kit
Whether it’s pre-planned or you’ve had friends or family drop-in, having a few things ready to go immediately melts away any stress. Here are some things to include in a summer entertaining kit:
- A red table cloth: It instantly says festive!
- Some platters and serving dishes
- Candles
- SomeĀ quality antipasto ingredients that simply need to be decanted and enjoyed!
Many Hands Make Light Work
As mums, we tend to be our own worst enemy when it comes to delegating tasks. But remember, a summer of entertaining is about creating memories – not perfection. So let the kids help, and accept offers from your guests who’d like to bring something along to share.
“It can be overwhelming, so just delegate, and prepare. I do one dish prep per day and pop them in the freezer. Then they just need to be heated up.Ā Let the kids do the decorating for you – plus keeps them busy!” – MoM Member Kirsty
Decorate With Happiness
There’s no need to pull out your finest crystal to pull off an elegant get together. Take a look around your home and garden to see what will bring your table to life. A bowl of lemons is a gorgeous addition, as is a bunch of gum leaves. Keep it simple and understated.
Finger Food For The Win
Nothing says simple summer elegance more than a charcuterie board (or three!). When myĀ friends and our familiesĀ get together, it’s our go-to –Ā every family is asked to ‘bring a board’. Some do savoury and some sweet, so we’re covered for a long afternoon of catching up.
“Food wise, I keep it simple by doing cold deli meats, cheeses, fresh fruits and veggies.” – MoM Member
But just because boards are easy to put together, doesn’t mean they can’t ooze elegance. And that comes down to including quality ingredients. ChoosingĀ Sandhurst products is the easiest way to guarantee the highest quality ends up on your table.Ā We love the premise behind the brand: from our family to yours – it invokes that nostalgic feeling of shared stories, history, gatherings and family.
How To Put Together A Charcuterie BoardĀ
There are no right or wrong ways to create a charcuterie board, but to ensure a balance of textures and flavours try to include:
La Dolce Vita!
A summer of sophisticated entertaining doesn’t have to be hours and hours of work. We don’t want it to be! By grabbing some beautiful ingredients to fill your pantry next time you’re shopping, you’ll know that at a moment’s notice you’ll have everything you need for a Euro-inspired gathering. No fuss, but plenty of substance and style!
Ready to host your own summer gathering? Choose Sandhurst’s quality produce and look for the red lid.
Mouths of Mums is proudly working with Sandhurst to bring you this article.
We may get commissions for purchases made using links in this post. Learn more.
Mum’s all over Australia are in for a fantastic treat this Mothers’ Day.
8:26 pm
Perfect.
4:31 pm
Nothing is going to stand in my way.
11:01 am
11:54 am
5:58 pm
7:32 pm
9:16 pm
3:12 am
8:18 am
10:31 am
12:58 pm
Lke it
7:54 pm
yummo
12:44 pm
Yummy!
11:07 am
The best chocolate around
4:04 pm
yummy a great variaty not only for mum but family.
12:05 pm
Great Little Bag of Goodies!
11:37 am
Delicious, Divine, that's Darrell Lea, so glad theyare still around.
1:58 am
I wish i could get this for mothers day!
10:17 pm
My go-to-gift
1:56 pm
Great Value!!
10:09 am
Great gift for mum
7:47 pm
An essential part of my gift to Mum
11:10 am
a decadent treat
11:55 am
Finally for mum's too!
2:24 pm
great value and lovely gift for all occasions
2:12 pm
Delicious
2:15 pm
Great taste and quality
11:24 pm
Love darrell lee chocolate.
10:02 pm
good quality chocolate.
3:09 pm
Super yummy products.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 7
- »
Click here to post a reviewReviews on this page have now been disabled.
To register for reviews that are not open yet and for future reviews, enter your email below and we'll send you an email as soon as a review is open for application.