How To Style A Gorgeous Grazing Table For Your Next Shindig
Buffet-style grazing tables are popping up everywhere, literally - from weddings to baby showers and birthday parties, these abundant displays of food instantly add a wow factor. Also known as feasting tables, these visually striking spreads work like regular buffets except in a much more casual, relaxed and stylish setting.
They also tend to feature a spread of finger foods, fruits, cheeses and other nibbles, instead of main course-items. It's a great way to get your guests comfortable before the main meal begins!
And while grazing tables may look effortlessly put together, there’s more to it than just putting together cheese and grapes.
Whether you’re ordering from a professional or creating your own, give the good ol' buffet an upgrade with these grazing table tips:
Text: Melody Bay/Home & Decor Singapore / Additional text: Elizabeth Liew
Most grazing tables look like someone just spilled their farmer’s market shopping all over the place, creating a luscious spread of food with all kinds of colours and textures. Pull together the whole look by framing the display with greenery, either in vases dotted around the table or by laying the food on large leaves. When choosing your greenery, bigger is better – think bunches of fresh mint, or banana or palm leaves. The idea is to echo the sense of abundance while using the colour to pull the look together.
Since grazing tables are all about beautiful chaos, placing everything at the same level can look boring and uniform. Elevate some sections of food by using cake stands or even an overturned basket – this creates an interesting tablescape for the eye to roam over, and also helps to separate some of the food that you don’t want to be touching the others, like cheese. Just be sure that the elevated parts are stable to avoid any risk of toppling over, especially if they see a lot of action!
Plates can only take you so far. Take your display to the next level by considering what other items you have in your kitchen that can come in handy – wooden chopping boards, dipping bowls, even martini glasses can all play a role at your grazing table. Glasses, for instance, are perfect for gathering small items like berries. To keep the look pulled together, stick to 2-3 main colours for your tableware.
Running low on space? Stack up food on top of each other to form tiered ‘cakes’ that serve as the star of your display. Use a cake stand to arrange smaller items, or if you have plenty of cheese rounds, place them on top of each other to create a multi-layered confection. Add some berries and leaves to complete the look.
Smaller-scale doesn’t have to be boring. For more intimate gatherings that feature platters instead of an entire table, you can get creative by arranging the food in shapes. Here, Lush Platters uses a large round plate as the base for a Christmas wreath – all you have to do is add some pine cones and holly sprigs (artificial, of course) for that magical Christmas atmosphere.