How To Assemble The Perfect Grazing Table

The holidays are just around the corner, which means we’ve begun to think about hosting long lazy lunches and twilight dinners for family and friends. We love to make these shared meals feel special, but we also like keeping things uncomplicated so that we’re able to make the most of our time together. 

We recently got together with our friends at Harvest Gathering Co. and used their fine table linens to put together our ideal grazing table with local food and our very own Coco Unika furniture and homewares. We had such a lovely, long, relaxed lunch outdoors at The Barn at Rangeview in Glengarry, The Southern Highlands. The food was simple and delicious and the location breathtaking! Below we share our tips on how to create a grazing table for relaxed entertaining.  

EAT ALFRESCO

If weather permits, a table dressed up for a meal outdoors is always appreciated. It also gives people space to feel at ease in the fresh air, with room to roam for younger guests or anyone else feeling restless.

LAYER YOUR LINEN

Layered napery can make a grazing spread feel like a truly special occasion. For a relaxed, informal look, mix and match complementary colour schemes between tablecloth, napkins and placemats. We love these 100% European Flax table linens, handmade in Griffith by Mindy of Harvest Gathering Co.

USE NATURAL MATERIALS FOR SERVINGWARE

Natural, textured bowls and platters celebrate the ingredients they hold within. For our grazing table, we went with Coco Unika Gathered servingware. The variations of the dark teak wood stand out beautifully against the light linens; they also feel lovely to pass around.

CHOOSE AN INTERESTING VASE

Foliage or flowers placed in an interesting vase will anchor the table and add depth to the arrangement. We placed some simple foraged branches in our Coco Unika Leather Vas in Antique Tan and the result was striking!

CAREFUL SOURCING

Not only will artisanal ingredients look better on the plate, they will be a point of departure for conversations with guests. We visited the beautiful Cheese etc. store in Bowral for the most delectable selection of artisan cheeses and accompaniments, including crackers and crispbreads, chutneys, olives and charcuterie served with warmed loaves of sourdough bread fresh from the Sonoma bakery.  As a general rule, make sure to have something Crunchy, Creamy, Salty and Sweet on the table. We love placing whole seasonal fruits around the table too, they make great edible decorations. 

White Linen Tablecloth, Gingham Bone Linen Runner and White Linen Napkins by Harvest Gathering Co. 

From the Coco Unika collection:

        

 Captured by Moss and Co Photography

Styling by Coco Unika and Harvest Gathering Co.