Did you know Mary Berry only keeps three oils in her house, and recommends just nine “basic” ground spices for most households?

Yup ― in her book Foolproof Cooking, the former Great British Bake-Off host wrote that buying a “whole range of obscure ingredients” is pointless. 

It turns out that her advice for stressed-out hosts is similarly simple. 

While the “pressure to impress” can make holding dinner parties “stressful,” the chef says, “with a little practice and by sticking to a few simple guidelines, you will be able to enjoy the preparations and have as much fun as your guests.”

Her rules for picking the perfect, but not too taxing, menu, are: 

1) Remember what season you’re in

Keeping seasonal produce in mind when you’re planning a dinner party is a helpful way to prevent overwhelm, the author said. 

Additionally, “seasonal ingredients tend to be better value for money,” and tend to suit the weather more too ― a light summer salad might not be as enjoyable in the depths of winter as it is in June, for instance. 

2) Keep the headcount in mind 

The cardinal sin of hosting a dinner party is overcomplicating your menu, leaving you too frazzled and anxious to enjoy your guests, Mary says. 

So, not only should you select “a simpler menu with fewer dishes” if you’ve got a lot of people coming over, but “you may also want to choose dishes with less expensive ingredients, as these can add up when cooking for a crowd.” 

3) Learn about any intolerances, dietary restrictions, or allergies ahead of time

Anyone who’s seen a vegan plate up two measly lettuce leaves on their plate while everyone else tucks into a decadent main will understand this rule. 

You should “tailor the menu” according to intolerances and restrictions to make the event enjoyable for everyone, Mary says.

4) Think about colours and textures 

This sounds a bit odd, but one of my requirements for a good meal is that it’s not “soft on soft” (ice cream with no crisp pastry and warm fruit underneath, for instance). 

Mary agrees, saying it’s key to “choose dishes that complement each other in terms of texture, colour, and flavour.”

“It’s always best to have a variety of textures on a plate,” she added. 

5) Don’t hit ‘repeat’ 

Similarly, the courses shouldn’t be too alike, or your guests risk getting bored. 

“If you have a pastry tart for a starter, for instance, you want to avoid pastry in the rest of the menu,” Mary writes. 

The same goes for flavours; don’t have two creamy courses, she advises.

6) Plan the main first 

Lastly, Mary reckons fussing about the starter or dessert should only happen once you’re happy with the main event.

“This is the main part of the meal and so it makes sense to decide on this first and then plan the rest of the menu around it,” the Cordon Bleu-trained chef says. 

Other tips included writing a time plan, making sure you have all the equipment and ingredients you need before starting, getting as much done ahead of time as possible, delegating tasks to your guests when you can, and ― typical Mary ― never, ever forgetting the booze.