Halloween isn’t just for kids any more! Spooky Halloween catering and party planning

Despite the backlash from some, more and more Aussies are marking Halloween on their calendar every year. It’s not too hard to imagine why: sweets, costumes… what’s not to love? We’ll let you in on a secret, though: there’s no law saying that Halloween is exclusively a kid’s event. In fact, it’s entirely possible to put together a Halloween shindig that adults will love, too!

Start by choosing a Halloween theme

Embrace your inner child

When people think of Halloween, chances are a couple of things immediately come to mind, including pumpkins, ghosts, witches, skulls, and lots of sweet treats! These are staples of any child’s Halloween party. But who says they’re just for kids? Or that adults can’t cut loose sometimes and have a bit of fun? Embrace your inner child and go all out with the zany colours and “spooky” decorations. You might think it’s a bit naff, but that’s arguably the point! Not your kind of party scene? There are plenty of other options on the table.

Go for a classy Halloween

Plastic skeletons a bit too cheesy for your liking? Why not go for the polar opposite and go for a classy, elegant Halloween? Believe it or not, it can be done! Instead of using jack-o-lanterns, dredge out some empty wine bottles to use as candle holders. This adds instant atmosphere to your party. It can even be something as simple as colour choice. Rather than use all of the traditional Halloween colours, keep your colour scheme simple. Limit yourself to black, white and one other colour (orange and purple work best, though green can work if done tastefully).

Go vintage

The abandoned village is a classic horror trope. But when it comes to Halloween parties, it gets overshadowed by witches, ghosts and tombstones! You don’t need garish monsters to make Halloween work. Instead, why not set up a scene that gives your guests the genuine heebie-jeebies? Sepia photographs, oil lanterns, typewriters, rusty bikes… take a look around your garage or local op shop for anything that reeks “overgrown-abandoned-village”. You can even play a scratchy lo-fi recording of a retro song to complete the image! (An easy cheat? Find it on YouTube and play it through your speakers!)

And of course, you can’t forget about Halloween food!

For many Halloween parties, the first thing that comes to mind is lollies. However, that’s not the only option you have! Food can make or break your party. To ensure your menu adds to your event, consider professional Halloween catering.

Delicious sweet treats

Believe it or not, there are plenty of Halloween party foods that aren’t lollies. Your Private Chef’s dessert menu features a huge range of treats to add a sweet spin to your spooky soiree. Some of our favourites include:

• Chocolate, caramel and berry jar cakes
• Colourful macarons and eclairs
• Sweet chocolate brownies and donuts

Add a personal touch to your Halloween party food

For food that’ll really make your party stand out, we also offer custom cakes and desserts. Our talented cake decorators can put together cakes in all shapes and sizes. That includes tailor-made Halloween cakes and cupcakes that are sure to be the talk of the party. Here’s a Halloween idea: what about cupcakes decorated with cute little fondant skulls or spiders? Or a sinister red velvet cake, topped with gooey red blood (read: sugar glaze with added food dye?) These are just some of the clever Halloween ideas we’ve seen over the years. If you have another idea, we’re more than happy to work with you.

Halloween drinks

Looking for a sweet drink? Thanks to Your Private Chef, soft drinks aren’t your only option anymore! Our hot drink menu features a range of Halloween-appropriate options like hot apple cider (think liquid apple pie) and sweet mulled wine. Not only are they sweet, but they’re perfect for setting the scene – imagine serving your guests hot cider from spooky goblets? If that’s a bit too extravagant for your tastes, you can always settle for something nice and simple, like a rich bottle of red or plenty of champers.

Halloween catering from the professionals

Organising any party or event can be a nightmare. Take some of that work off your shoulders by getting in touch with a professional catering team like Your Private Chef! We specialise in providing you with mouthwatering gourmet food for every occasion; birthdays, Christmas, special events… the list goes on. And it also includes halloween catering! Get in touch with our private chefs today – call us on (03) 9018 8321, or tell us a little about your event here. Want to explore our menus?  Click here to enter the top of our menu explorer. Click through the links and categories to discover a menu perfect for your upcoming Halloween party!