William Yeoward - Entertaining

An invitation to dine with William Yeoward must be much sought after. For the aesthete, he is the dream ticket. Here is a man whose attention to detail is legendary and in his second book, Entertaining, he sheds a little more light on looking after guests Yeoward style.

FEAST FOR THE EYES

With lavish photographs by Paul Ryan, Entertaining is a feast for the eyes showing how special occasions can be themed to suit a location, table setting and menu. Thinking out of the box, William pulls a scheme together using treasured belongings that might not normally be used at table. The effect is sometimes over the top, sometimes drop dead romantic and never ever dull.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

Use the photographs as a source of inspiration and the text for some useful tips. A good starting point to any theme is the flowers, and if they're home grown - even better. The trick is to have bunches of flowers in high vases (not so high that people can't talk and see each other across a table) and then have single flowers in little vases by each place setting. Vary candle height too and remember that if candles are your only source of light, limit the use of coloured glass holders as it dims illumination.

Crisp linen always sets the scene well and generously sized napkins are a delight to use. Simply folding or tying napkins in an unusual way has an impact and he's not talking worked napkins looking like waterlily flowers. A little rule to remember is that a cloth should ideally hang twelve inches over the table.

INSPIRATION AND IMAGINATION

From poolside dining to a table laden with fruit and vegetables for Harvest Festival through to Christmas, there are plenty of ideas to plunder. Look upon your belongings as a dressing up box for the table and you'll find there are no limitations to your imagination.

William Yeoward is a man with a Midas touch when it comes to Entertaining.

Publication details:
Cico Books
£25
ISBN 1906094624
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