Food, glorious food

Food can make or break a party, so if you're fed up of serving sausage rolls, try these delicious, mouth-watering alternative menu suggestions

Summer barbecues

With a bit of planning, barbecues don't have to consist solely of undercooked sausages and tough chicken drumsticks. Instead, throw succulent prawns in their shells onto the barbecue along with ribs marinated in honey.

Fire-roasted cherry tomatoes (cherry tomatoes barbecued on a skewer for five to eight minutes) are delicious alongside any type of fresh, grilled fish garnished with chives, lemon and watercress butter. Serve with a large tossed salad and plenty of fresh bread.

Finish off with ripe cheese and baskets of plump, ripe summer fruits, as well as mini tubs of ice cream.

When it comes to drinks, serve large jugs of colourful fruit punches (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic).

Afternoon tea

Afternoon tea is a wonderfully indulgent party meal. It provides the perfect excuse to eat sinful cakes and pastries and is the ideal way to celebrate a christening.

As well as serving traditional pots of tea, whizz up fresh fruit smoothies in a blender and serve in tall glasses. Banana and strawberries make a great combination and kids love them. Remember that tea should be an elegant meal too, so make sure the portions you serve are small and can be eaten with one hand. Cut sandwiches into small triangles or slices and don't over-fill.

Offer lots of different combinations of breads and fillings -- smoked salmon and cream cheese on brown bread, ham and grainy mustard on white. For a bit of fun, cut cucumber slices into heart shapes and top with fresh prawns and mayonnaise. Make sure you serve a selection of fresh cakes and cut dainty manageable slices -- there's nothing more off-putting than a huge wedge of cake sitting on your plate. Remember to label any cakes containing nuts.

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