Your Guide to Spring Entertaining with Jessica Nguyen

Master the art of entertaining at home this spring with tips from home cook and seasoned hostess Jessica Nguyen.

Spring is here and Jessica Nguyen is serving up the ultimate celebration, inspired by the new Feast collection from Serax x Ottolenghi. Not one to shy away from colour, she sets an impressive tablescape with brightly coloured glasses, serve ware and plates. The finishing touch? An iconic menu of Ottolenghi favourites and a toast of champagne.

What are your favourite tabletop trends this Spring?

Colour! And lots of it. People are ready to celebrate, cook and eat in the sun with friends – nothing shows the turn of the season and the beginning of warmer weather like colour. Coloured glassware is really having a moment from brands like Maison Balzac, LSA International and Brian Tunks. When it shines in the sun you get these beautiful patterns reflected on your table. Colourful crockery and table linen are also here to have fun with. If you know me and my tablescapes, you know I love colour!

Where do you draw your styling inspiration from?

Everywhere, everything and anything. It could be flowers and produce in season; something I’ve seen from a fashion show, film or on TV; a memory of a destination, places I’ve been to and where I wish to go. I start with one idea whether it’s a colour, ingredient, a season, an occasion or mood and from there, one thing leads to another and it becomes what you see on the table.

What do you love about entertaining during Spring?

The days are getting warmer and longer, I love lunches and dinners in the backyard, barbecuing and cooking outdoors, and picnics in the park. Spring is synonymous with entertaining and marks the beginning of the social calendar for so many big events and occasions that bring people together.

How did Serax’s new collection by Ottolenghi inspire this table setting?

I was first drawn to the beautiful colour palette: gold, cobalt blue, rich yellow, pink and turquoise. I also loved the mix of different textures like golden details, ceramic and concrete. I wanted to hero those colours and also build on them. I added orange to the mix to make it even more colourful and played with textures, including resin serve ware from Dinosaur Designs and glasses from Maison Balzac. I decided to keep everything on a clean white tablecloth to make the colours pop.

What’s on the menu?

I made Ottolenghi’s iconic whole roasted cauliflower, new potatoes with peas salad, roasted tomatoes on yoghurt and grilled grapes with burrata. I also served a selection of dips and snacks like marinated vegetables, a generous serving of bread and drinks, including champagne and a gin gimlet with a fresh cucumber twist.