When it comes to planning a dinner party, nothing's set in stone. But the Cooking Coach has a few words of advice to point you in the right direction

Know your guests. If the dinner party is an informal affair with friends, this shouldn't be a problem. If it is business related and more formal, try to find out any extreme likes and dislikes and if any of the guests are vegetarian, have specific dietary requirements or any allergies, e.g., nuts, shellfish, wheat.

Keep it simple. Even if it's formal, you don't have to bust a gut over the food. Never bite off more than you can chew by trying to cook a complicated dish that you haven't served before - it's best to be familiar with any potential pitfalls or difficult ingredients. And try to choose dishes that don't need constant supervision.

Plan ahead. If you want to use special or unusual ingredients, make sure they'll be available when you need them - nothing's worse than needing that unusual herb or spice and finding it sold out on the day of the party. If necessary, order in advance from fishmongers, game dealers, butchers and greengrocers.

Prepare as much as you can in advance. After all, you're the host and should spend as much time with your guests as possible. If you seem flustered or always rushing about, people will feel uncomfortable. You can do a lot before the guests arrive: cold starters can be plated, salads mixed (but not dressed until the last minute), meat browned off in advance and laid out on a baking tray ready for a final roasting, desserts made up and refrigerated, sauces prepared and so on. And be sure to lay the table before people start to arrive.

Choose courses that go well together. Plan courses that complement each other, and don't repeat ingredients throughout the courses. For example, don't serve mini shortcrust tartlettes followed by a main course of Beef Wellington wrapped in puff pastry, rounded off with some type of sweet pastry tart for dessert. And try to use seasonal ingredients. What seems lovely and fresh on a warm summer's day will be inappropriate on a cold winter's evening.