WATCH | Mr Price Home serves up summer entertaining inspiration

Summer is party season and whether you're planning an end-of-year bash or a festive feast, Mr Price Home has everything you need to add a South African twist to your celebrations.

In fact, 40% of Mr Price’s summer range is the result of collaborations with local creatives, said Stacey Gibhard, trend manager for Mr Price Home, at the brand's recent “Summer Loving” event, hosted in partnership with Sunday Times Lifestyle.

This inspiring event featured expert demonstrations for simple flower arrangements, affordable table decorations, delicious home-cooked dishes and creative cocktails. In other words, everything you need to plan the perfect party.

“Flowers for a Christmas Table” was the subject of the first demonstration, by floral artist Katja Kellhofer, who encouraged attendees to create affordable garden-to-table arrangements.

Her “Plett-Xmas” seaside arrangement used large palm leaves with proteas, succulents and accessories such as baubles.

For a “Safari-Xmas” she suggested using reeds, thorn-tree branches with small flowers on the thorns, and fairy lights to add a festive touch. Dried flowers could also be used.

Christmas, she said, is about family and togetherness and arrangements should reflect the host’s personality.

Bronwyn Parsons, interior stylist, demonstrated “Setting up a Christmas Table”, using a Georgina Taylor tablecloth featuring vervet monkeys and hadedas from Mr Price Home, with a plain overlay and “imperfect” place settings, each one slightly different. She created drama on the table with a big vase of proteas and fake green leaves, with a golden vervet monkey further down the table. She then added areas of accents: a scented candle, baubles, glittery balls and sparkling glassware. 

Her “Summer Table” was equally playful, with an arrangement of hydrangeas, proteas and pincushions complementing the colours of the tablecloth, cans of rooibos tea on ice, lemons, limes, naartjies, olives and scented candles. She used tea towels as table mats, with plain paper napkins, emphasising the need to create a comfortable environment for your guests, while still adding a touch of drama.

Food expert Themba Gwejela — better known as Mr Gwej from Mr Gwej’s Kitchen — demonstrated his choice of summer dishes.

He created a huge cheese board filled with a variety of local cheeses — “Don’t overthink it,” he advised — along with salami sticks, biltong slices, blueberries, grapes and strawberries sprinkled with edible gold for a Christmas effect. His meat platter comprised chicken wings, lamb chops, wors sausage and pap, which he rolled, dipped into an egg-wash and breadcrumbs, and then fried in hot oil to create fritters.