I enjoy cooking and love entertaining but as a busy working mum, the realities of the menu preparation, the food ordering, the food prep and the dry run to make sure the meal tastes good means that I end up hosting dinner parties very infrequently.
When a work success meant that some of our team needed a celebration, I thought the informality of inviting them over to mine would be a nice change, and allow some deeper team bonding. But no sooner had I suggested the idea, I realised the realities of my invite. It was one thing ordering enough alcohol, drinks and snacks on my delivery app but quite another actually catering for everyone. And while I flirted with the idea of sausages on the barbeque or a few huge lasagnas, my already time-strapped weekend just didn’t have the slack to allow the prep and planning required. It was bad enough overseeing the family-wide clean up operation that was necessary to transform the scruffy home of teenage boys and two fluffy cats into the backdrop for a somewhat more sophisticated soiree!
Pow Foods had been in touch recently to talk about their new made-to-order business – a mother and daughter enterprise set up to create healthy gourmet dining in the comfort of customers' homes.
It felt a bit nerve-wracking relying on someone else to provide all the provisions for a party in such a personal environment, but the food was fully prepped, easy to heat and serve and the evening went beautifully.
They provided everything from delicate starters to hearty mains and delicious puddings. We ate beetroot cured salmon gravlax and horseradish cream, mushroom parfait, sea bass with rainbow ratatouille, lamb kofta, free-range orange glazed chicken, alongside salad and sweet potato mash. Then, we tucked into vegan cacao and avocado mousse (don't be put off - it was a decadent chocolate treat and didn't taste like a salad) and vegan mango and lime mousse. Definitely more dishes than I could have created! The gravlax went down a treat and everyone had second helpings of the mash.
The food was amazing, and the experience so hassle-free it caused a huge revelation – that catering like this (and it’s affordable – the per head price was £21) could open up a whole new way of socialising. Ordering in dinner doesn’t prevent you from feeling like a hostess with mostess – far from it. It allows you to be even more attentive to your guests and to actually relax and enjoy the event as much yourself too.
I live such a busy life, with work and family responsibilities constantly vying for attention, but I love entertaining. Being with friends and family is one of the key components to a happy life and what a shame that the practicalities of the preparation burden prevent me from doing it more often. This is the perfect solution and I’m already lining up my next no-cook dinner party!
Pow Food is available for home delivery but not home catering, we on this occasion tried a special preview of the dishes from the team in person, the regular deliver service focuses on delivery deliciously nutritious meals to your door.
