No-sharing parties are here to stay

Until a few moons ago, we believed and nurtured the power of sharing meals. The gesture of slicing the cake (and other desserts) with loved ones, acquaintances and sometimes even with strangers spelt camaraderie, love, and generosity. Cut to 2021, we can’t even dream of eating a birthday cake someone has just blown all over.

Yes, the party menus in 2021 have no place for community eating and sharing. But that doesn’t mean we have to deprive ourselves of all things sweet, for individual desserts are here to save the day (and the party). “To limit the risk of exposure and maintain social distancing at gatherings, one should look at individual meals, which can be further personalised. This means there is no sharing of serving utensils as well,” shares Samantha Johnstone, Head Chef, Parlour Boutique.

Whilst safety is foremost, another reason to opt for bite-sized snacks is that it allows you to offer a wide range of options to your guests, regardless of dietary requirements/preferences. “Miniature desserts or itty-bitty treats, with a yummy punch, is the way to go,” adds Elaf Patel, founder, Sugargram, which offers mini cupcakes in a variety of flavours to cater to the palates of the guests. Plus, the options include regular, vegan and gluten-free cupcakes; so, no guest would go home disappointed.

“If one friend loves chocolate, another salted caramel, yet another pistachio — you don’t have to toss a coin, just get three individual boxes of each flavour,” says Rowan Kamel, co-founder, Cloud Restaurants, who offer Lotsa! Lazy Cake. Their boxes (three, six or 12 pieces with flavours like strawberry, salted caramel peanut, chocolate orange zesty, etc.) are party-friendly as they allow socially distant ‘cake’ celebration.

As we say goodbye to finger food, party favours are also getting reinvented, with the focus on catering to those who’d rather go home and eat or are concerned about not touching serving cutlery. Enter sealed packages, with portion sizes created to satisfy each diner/guest. Known for their sweet treats and a vast variety of candy options, Candylicious advises that pandemic parties allow guests to indulge safely and separately. Their newly introduced offering, The Sweet Box by Candylicious, comes with a pre-packed assortment of sweets as a safe choice, giving individuals the chance to share sealed desserts with friends. The top few items in their January edition included Garret popcorn, snacking bags of dark and milk chocolate, almond M&Ms, and a giant lollipop.

Well, another good thing about the trend, of course, is that you’ll always have room for dessert, for everyone is up for a tiny bite to attend to the craving. So, here’s to socially distanced dessert-ing. After all, we deserve something sweet.

purva@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai