Serving hot food at a children’s party is another option, particularly if you are planning a lunchtime party or in winter time. Here is a few tips to help avoid disaster.

If using a cooker in the village hall make sure you know how to work it.  Try switching the oven on before the day.  Does the oven get hot?  How clean is the oven? Does the hall also have knives and forks or will you need plastic ones.

Cooking for 20 plus children is not the same as cooking for 3 people.  If you are cooking oven chips, large trays of them will take a lot longer to cook.

It may be a good idea to consider that if planning to eat 45 minutes into the party you will need to be in the kitchen virtually from the start.  This means missing most of that special time.

Try and keep it simple. Offering a choice of hot dogs, burgers, fish fingers and pizza will only complicate matters.  As usual don’t overload the plates.  It’s nicer to see empty ones at the end.

Lastly have someone on hand to go round with the tomato ketchup.  That way everybody gets the same measured amount.

Please let me know your experiences.