Throw a World Cup viewing party
The FIFA world cup is finally here and with it comes a month of excitement and celebration (and perhaps some commiseration…).
The most prestigious soccer tournament in the world, the world cup features 32 national teams going head-to-head in group stages with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout rounds.
Whether you’re having friends over to watch your countries first game, or you’re optimistic enough to plan a party for them making the final, kick off your world cup celebrations by planning a viewing party fit for champions.
Choose your stadium
First things first you need to decide where you’re going to host your soiree. For those lucky enough to have an open-plan kitchen diner, you already have the perfect spot for a gathering with a mix of social and culinary spaces. If your kitchens on the smaller side, set up two spaces for your party, stationing the drinks and food in the kitchen whilst using a living room or TV room to screen the game. A kitchen island is the perfect place for staging your party spread, with space around it for guests to gather and graze the food.
Set the scene
Like most major sporting events, one of the most exciting parts of the world cup is cheering on your country.
Choosing which décor to put up is easy, stick with your team’s colorway and accessorize your kitchen with decorations like balloons, bunting and streamers in their colors. Proudly display your countries flag and bunting by artfully hanging them around your party space. Use a large flag as a tablecloth to create an eye-catching and patriotic centrepiece!
Include smaller hand-held flags into your decorations to help set the scene and accessorize items such as plants and vases. These are multi-purpose as you can also give them to guests to use once the game begins.
If you’re watching for the love of the game and not to support a specific country, opt for international flags and simply celebrate the tournament!
Create a kick ass menu
An easy entertaining must have is a Charcuterie board – cured meat like Salami and Ham paired with cheeses, olives, crackers and other condiments, stylishly arranged on a beautiful board. These can be adjusted to suit your party, making them as small or large as required. The best thing about charcuterie boards is that they require no culinary skills to make!
How to make a charcuterie board
- Start by choosing your base- keep it simple with a wooden cutting board or go all out with a fancy display platter. Before planning your food, remember to check your guest’s allergy requirements.
- Arrange small dishes across the board to anchor your arrangement and hold the smaller items like nuts and olives.
- Choose pre-sliced meats like prosciutto, Parma ham, and salami, to save time cutting them up.
- Aim to include three to five cheeses including a soft cheese, a hard cheese, and a blue cheese. We chose a selection of brie, goats’ cheese, Wensleydale with cranberries and garlic cheddar. If you’re unsure on which cheeses to pair, ask your store clerk for advice.
- You’ll want to include at least two different types of crackers, breadsticks, and breads with varying flavours, plus some tasty dips to go with them.
- Add fruits and veg to your board for a light contrast to the salty meats and rich cheeses. Fruits like grapes, blueberries and raspberries are tasty additions that’ll also add pops of colour to the board.
- Fill the small dishes with savoury items like nuts, olives, cornichons, and dips, and finish the board off with a few sprigs of rosemary for an added touch of class!
Snack board
If you want to give your guests something a little heartier, create a tasty snack board with pizzas and sides. Go for a couple of different flavours of pizza, pre-cut them into slices and line them up on a serving dish or platter. Pair with sides like garlic bread and dough balls then simply let your guests help themselves over the course of the evening.
Add sweet treats like donuts and cakes to your snack station to really get it in the back of the net!
Guacamole soccer field
Get inventive and make a centrepiece dish that’s certain to get you a top score and win over your friends and family. A guacamole soccer field is both a fun and appetising addition to your party spread.
- Mash up two ripe avocados in a serving bowl.
- Stir in one chopped onion, one chopped tomato and one minced garlic clove, season Eason with salt, pepper, and lime juice.
- Decant into a rectangular serving dish to create your ‘field.
- Use sour cream to draw on your goal lines – we opted for a bottled cream to keep our lines precise.
- Serve alongside nachos and breadsticks for your guests to dig in and enjoy!
Drinks Station
Not having enough refreshments at a gathering is a huge social faux pas, so ensure you have plenty of drinks in to keep the party going.
The basic party staples to serve are beer, wine, and gin – with soft drinks on the side for the younger fans and non-drinkers.
Set up a drinks station and ensure your drinks are kept chilled by using an ice bucket. An innovative and rustic drink cooling solution is filling up a large bucket with ice and popping in all your bottled drinks. To keep with the soccer theme, tie whistles around some of your bottled drinks for fun (or annoying) party props.
If you want to get creative and impress your guests, then why not try your hand at a bit of mixology? Take a look at some of the biggest teams in the tournament and pick a few to make national cocktails. Treat your guests to a Caipirinha, a signature cocktail from Brazil – the country tipped to win this year’s tournament. England’s Harry Kane is favorite to win the golden boot and serving up a classic British cocktail like a Gimlet is sure to get you a clean sheet.
If you’re feeling inspired to host, have a go at designing your dream party space with our kitchen design tool.
You can also speak to one of our expert designers, who can help you create a kitchen fit for champions, or seek out more inspiration by visiting our blog or kitchen inspiration page!
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