Choosing the Right Serveware for Your Gatherings

A successful gathering is about creating a warm environment where your friends and loved ones can enjoy a delicious meal over lively conservation. Part of creating the vision is through planning the overall aesthetic. Ensure that no detail will go unnoticed, from your tablescape to the menu and the serving dishes you present them with. 

In an effort to help you choose the right serveware pieces for your gathering’s menu, we’ve put together our best tips and considerations to make as you plan. We’ll walk you through how to easily incorporate your serving dishes into your meal, no matter how large or intimate your guest list may be. With our stylish shapes, patterns, colors, and sizes, we’ll help you prepare to serve your delicious dishes in style for any special occasion. 

Why Do You Need a Collection of Serveware Essentials? 

Think of your serveware essentials as a host’s foundation for any gathering. Your serving dishes make up the functional pieces necessary to present your prepared menu. A well-curated foundation of serving dishes makes it easy to add to, and it can grow as your entertaining needs do.  

From dinnerware sets to serveware, the essentials will become your tried-and-true pieces. Having a collection of serveware essentials means you’ll never need to worry about being unprepared for your guests. Each course will have a serving bowl, platter, or serving board ideal for your dishes. By starting your curated collection with the fundamental serveware pieces, you'll always be prepared to accommodate your guests. 

Why Do Color, Size, and Shape of Serving Dishes Matter? 

Curating an array of serveware sizes, colors, and shapes allows you to create a memorable menu that suits your theme or event without worrying about your presentation. For example, seamlessly move your party poolside for outdoor entertaining by transferring food to beautiful white serving dishes and platters. Or accommodate last-minute guests with ease by utilizing your large serving platters to hold extra food.

Your collection of serveware essentials will include core pieces that see you through years of hosting gatherings. Your friends and family will join together around your table, enjoying conversation and passing around the tasty dishes you prepared in the stylish serveware you selected. 

What Are the Serveware Essentials Every Host Needs? 

We certainly don’t want you to feel you must invest in all your serving dishes and accessories at once. It may take time to accumulate your collection, as it also did for us. Just know that adding to your collection to incorporate new colors, patterns, and holiday themes can be an ongoing adventure that creates a new experience for your guests each time they visit.

As you begin to build your collection of serveware essentials, we recommend focusing on the serving dishes your family will use for daily meals and small family gatherings. Select the serving platters and bowls that accommodate your favorite family recipes while offering a decorative addition to your tablescape. From deep serving bowls for your pasta dishes to mini bowls for dipping sauces, starting with the essentials will ensure you have your fundamentals in place for every event you host. 

The serveware essentials every host needs for the most common menu items include: 

• Bowls 
• Large Serving Platter 
• Small Serving Platter 
• Medium Serving Bowl 
• Small Serving Bowl 
• Serving Spoon 
• Serving Fork 
• Spreader 
• Salad Server  

What to Consider When Selecting Your Serveware for Your Menu

Our curated array of stylish patterns, colors, sizes, and shapes strives to make all your gatherings effortless. To help you select the most beneficial serveware for your menu, first consider a few things. 

Considerations to make when selecting your serveware include:  

• the number of guests you’ll host 
• the recipes you’ve planned to ensure the proper size and style 
• the occasion or theme for adding holiday or seasonal patterns 
• your environment and the feel you want to evoke during your meal 

How to Add Personality and Style to Your Tablescape with Serveware

Our love of entertaining guides us in designing truly functional serveware pieces that make everyday meals and special celebrations extraordinary. We enjoy creating options that appeal to traditional and modern hosts alike. Our charming handcrafted serving dishes  come in various sizes, colors, patterns, and shapes, offering the perfect way to infuse your personality with unique touches to your tablescape. 

Why Mix and Match Your Dinnerware and Serveware? 

We encourage you to mix and match colors, patterns, and themes to set a styled tablescape that reflects your personality and the feelings you wish to evoke. All of our shapes are handcrafted just as they have been since the beginning of Coton Colors. Over the years, we have experimented by introducing fresh silhouettes. However, our most loved classic shapes have remained the same.

From layering classic white dinner plates with patterned salad plates to incorporating decorative holiday serveware, you can add your personality in various ways. Mixing and matching serving dishes allow you to create a new and unforgettable experience for guests each time they gather. 

Don’t be afraid to layer and pair bold colors and beautiful patterns. Add a decorative salad plate that catches your eye, and enhance the tablescape by coordinating your serving dishes. You can change your settings and serveware to match the season, holiday, menu, or special occasion. The possibilities are truly limitless. 

Our Favorite Dinnerware to Mix and Match with Serveware 

Our classic white designs invite you to mix, match, and explore your options. Our Signature White Collection is designed as a foundational set for everyone to enjoy. The neutral color easily coordinates with everything in our dinnerware, serveware, and home décor collections so that you can expand for any occasion, season, or holiday. In addition, our signature ruffle edge is the ideal framework for all your entertaining and family dining needs. 

 

You can easily add color and personality to your Signature White Collection serving dishes with our Buffalo Ruffle Oval Platter, boasting a bold red and white pattern. Incorporate the pattern for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or an outdoor meal under the sun. The presentation of your appetizers or main dishes will be stunning on this vibrant serving platter as guests pass it around the table.

Serve up your edible art with your favorite charcuterie spread on our Iris Blue Burst Mango Wood Rectangle Board.  

Building a Foundation with Our Signature White Serveware Collection 

Creating your serveware foundation with modern white serving dishes leaves plenty of room to infuse your style throughout the years. Our Signature White Collection offers everything you need, from platters to gravy boats. Present a delicious grilled menu on our new wooden serving platters while complementing your classic white casserole dish. The matching signature ruffle design makes the two collections easy to pair. 

Our Signature White Serveware Collection also includes: 

• Signature White Ruffle Cake Stand 
• Signature White 13” Ruffle Best Bowl 
• Signature White Ruffle Round Platter 
• Signature White Oval Platter 

Why Serving Bowls are Essential 

Until you begin to host, you may not realize just how many items require serving bowls in various shapes and sizes. From holding dips and sauces to salads and pasta, serving bowls large and small will always come in handy. We also suggest collecting a variety of bowl depths to accommodate various dishes, like our white chicken chili recipe you’re sure to enjoy. 

We continue to design ample serving bowl sizes and practical shapes to fit your menu and entertaining needs. You’ll find our bowls make the most multi-functional pieces, with plenty of opportunities to mix and match as your style sees fit. 

We recommend having a variety of bowl sizes to suit all your serving needs. For optimal functionality, plan to start with at least one medium size serving bowl. A 9” diameter bowl is ideal for salads and sides, including pasta, vegetables, and rice dishes.  
  
Start with three small serving bowls for your toppings, dips, and sauces. At around 3-4” in diameter, they are also ideal for all your little garnishes. You can even use your dinnerware bowls as smaller serving bowls when you aren’t hosting large gatherings or have small dish portions to lay out for guests.

Why Serving Platters are Essential 

Our serving platters are designed to be striking yet practical. Each of our platters is multi-functional and will suit your serving needs for any occasion with any menu item you wish to serve. On large platters, you can set out cheese and crackers, line them with desserts, or use them to serve your main course in style. 
  
Serving platters are vital to your serveware collection, so collect various sizes and shapes. You never know when you’ll be tasked with hosting a large event or designated as the holiday host! From displaying Christmas cookies to presenting the Thanksgiving turkey, serving platters of every shape, pattern, and size will always come in handy.

We recommend a minimum of one large and one small serving platter as part of your serveware essentials. The ideal large serving platter should be around 15 – 20" long to give you plenty of options for a main course or meat. 
  
While our large serving platters are perfect for a dinner party appetizer, main course, or robust side dish, they have other incredible uses to consider. Our rich Fundamentals Ruffle Serving Platter is made of uniquely textured acacia Wood, making it ideal as a home décor piece when you’re not serving food. 
  
We highly recommend adding a small serving board roughly 8 – 11" long to your serving dish collection. Small serving boards offer incredible appeal and versatility. They’re ideal for appetizers and side dishes and fit perfectly around your space for guests to access as they mingle.

Don’t Forget Serving Utensils 

Serving utensils are frequently forgotten essentials for entertaining, but a good host knows that gatherings are also about the tiny details. The experience you create for friends and family includes the atmosphere, menu, and little touches that make your meal unique. Collecting various serving utensils in various colors and styles will add to the aesthetic of your gathering, making your meals unforgettable. 
  
Start your serving utensil collection with at least two serving forks and two serving spoons. We also recommend keeping three spreaders on hand for butter and spreads. And a beautiful set of salad servers will always come in handy. 

 As you’re setting out your entire spread of appetizers or prepping to serve, your choice of serving utensils may feel like it will make or break your desired look. Whether they’re too big, too boring, or simply not right, we don’t want you to worry! We’ve taken the guesswork out of the equation so that you can pair any of our serving utensils with our serveware line. 

Our Fundamental Serving Utensils You Can’t Live Without 

The Fundamentals Wood Appetizer Utensils have been designed to solve your pairing problem. Available in three shapes: Fork, Spreader, and Spoon, they are all designed in the core collection of colors to enhance your look. 
  
The Fundamentals Wood Salad Servers are scaled to function for everyday serving or larger gatherings. The unique ruffled handles coordinate with the silhouettes in the collection and create a comfortable grip for use. 

Serveware for Any Season 

Our serveware is ideal for mixing and matching your seasonal and festive holiday dishes and décor. From setting a vibrant spring table in the yard to hosting Thanksgiving dinner, mix and match colors and patterns freely to create your ideal tablescape. 

We love pairing our Deco Gold Scallop Dinner Plate with our Christmas serveware. Add the bright white of our Signature White Collection, and the contemporary designs will bring a splash of Christmas cheer to your tabletop. 

Or, pair your serveware collection with our Fundamentals for a warmer hue and texture for your fall and winter gatherings. From dinnerware to serving utensils, the rich wood adds a unique color and texture to your tablescape. 

As the host, you have the opportunity to make entertaining and serving look effortless with your curated serving dishes that offer beauty and functionality. Serving can be a breeze with these stylish and practical pieces that will quickly become your everyday favorites. 

We hope you’ll continue to feel inspired by fresh patterns and new colors for your essentials as you continue to entertain. We invite you to explore all our serveware, dinnerware, and home décor lines to create a gathering that’s uniquely you.