Make dining at home special

The dining table has returned to its status as a focal point of the house recently, whether that’s for family working lunches or creating a moment of mindfulness with a meal for one. And to make the most of our newfound investment in mealtimes it’s also worth investing in the experience, by treating your tableware to an upgrade in the sales. From serveware to glasses, patterned to plain plates, table linens to coffee mugs, there are some great deals to be found… and to suit all budgets.

Make breakfast an event in itself – even if it’s just a bowl of cereal – with crisp tableware and linen napkins. Shop the sales for items that will mix easily with existing pieces. Try an accent colour, such as a zesty green, or a chic monochrome pattern – both work with everyday white. Think about how you can make your breakfast table more of an event, adding coasters for your morning cuppa, a bread basket for pastries or toast and a jug for that usual carton of juice. Look for smaller dipping bowls, which are great for serving berries, seeds or nuts. 

Weekends are made for more leisurely mealtimes, as we ease ourselves into downtime. Take inspiration from Scandinavia, where a smörgåsbord of family favourites encourages a more relaxed approach. Get kitted out for brunch with a selection of serving boards and platters. Brunch also provides the perfect excuse to build up an eclectic mix of tableware, with smaller dishes and plates of different patterns and colours ideal for serving fruits, cold meats and cheeses. Often in the sales you may not get a set of matching bowls, so just look for individual ones that mix pleasingly.

Celebrate a birthday with afternoon tea at home. Clearance is the perfect opportunity to shop for those finishing touches that will make your tea-time treat extra special. Choose a colour scheme – something soft and pastel always works well and is easy to accessorise with a few fresh flowers dotted around your table. Think about what makes afternoon tea special at a boutique hotel or restaurant – it’s often the fine bone china, the cake stand, the napkins, the teapot… and even slurping your Earl Grey from a teacup and saucer.

If you’ve become something of a mixologist or hosted your own virtual wine tasting session recently, then you might be missing those specialised glasses that you've suddenly found a need for – a champagne coupe, gin ballon or bordeaux goblet, for example. Look for sets of glasses in Clearance for a great deal.

As we are becoming increasingly adventurous with our home cooking, make sure your table looks the part too. If you’ve been surviving without a great one-pot dish or the right serving bowls for curry nights in, then utilise those sale bargains to give your dining table that relaxed restaurant vibe at a fraction of the price. Use the money you’ve saved dining out to revive your dining room – when you can entertain at home again, you’ll have the decor to match those Michelin-starred creations.