Posted By Laura in Entertaining, Featured, In the Home | 11 comments

We’ve been looking at the new Spring-Summer range from Fox & Ivy – Tesco’s own luxury brand of homewares and soft furnishings. They challenged us to create a Date Night Table Setting from the range – and despite misgivings that I’d head to my local Tesco for such things, I took them up on their challenge…

*Tesco delivery slots may be nigh on impossible to nab right now, but do consider using Click & Collect instead – my elderly in-laws are total converts, and if they can do it anyone can!  Book a collection slot at your preferred store and your groceries will be waiting for you in temperature-controlled storage.  It’s cheaper than a delivery, and there’s no need to step foot in store, it’s entirely contactless to your car*

I KNOW. pretty damn swish, if I do say so myself.

So swish, in fact, that one of the teens stuck his head in the door and asked who we had coming over as everything was looking ‘fancy’.
(he always was a charmer)

This is a paid collaboration with Tesco, who have compensated me for sharing with you the new season’s range. All product choices, opinions, reviews and photography are my own. Also contains affiliate links.

So – everything on the Date Night Table except the wineglasses, cutlery and napkins are from the SS19 Fox & Ivy range. I’m in LOVE I tell you.
Firstly – that crockery. It’s the most versatile set I’ve seen in an age. Rustic and sturdy enough to stand up to daily battering (dinner plates £4.50, pasta bowls £5). But lower the lights, dig out the linen napkins, light a candle – and you’ve got dinnerware that’ll look great when you’re trying to impress your mates with a posh supper party too. Want to add some excitement to your date night? Claim no deposit bonus in Australia and use it to set up the perfect ambiance with Fox & Ivy’s SS19 range.

We’ve mixed and matched between the Arno range (the pale grey-white service) with the Arno-Paio range (the glossy green). Both ranges have irregular shapes reminiscent of casually hand thrown ceramics, with a textured, pitted glaze finish which ensures no two are the same. Doesn’t matter how much you know they’re churned out in a factory, your eyes keep telling you they’re authentic.

We did pick out the Arno-Paio jug to use too – I’m a little obsessed with this jug. We use it a LOT – and it looks great with flowers in it too. It’s not just a pretty jug though; it has great proportions, pours well, the handle is roomy and sturdy enough to use when it’s full of liquid – and at £15, it’s a brilliant addition to anyone’s jug collection. And if you’re silly enough not to have a jug collection, this should be your first one. You’re welcome.

The ‘salad bowl’ is actually the repurposed Arno Roaster dish (£14). It’s such a useful dish – pasta bakes, roast chicken, sausage casserole, bread bowl, salad… I’ve used it for all, and it’s never failed. And of course just slot into the dishwasher to clean up afterwards.

To finish the table off, I selected the Ombre Vase (£16) – beautiful shades of purple-through-green which work so well with the Arno-Paio range. It’s a sturdy frosted glass column vase, with a small enough footprint for any table, and high enough to ensure arrangements won’t sit in front of your dining partner’s face.
Plus the gorgeous Glass Lantern (£18). The internal metal holder lifts out to hold a pillar candle. The ribbed glass defracts the light from the one candle making the lantern a brighter and yet softer choice than single candle flames.
Do note though – if you leave the handle in the position we did, it will get HOT HOT HOT. Scorched fingers may have ensued when we tried to move it after blowing the candle out… #Idiots

Oh, and Date Night was perfect thanks – in case you’re wondering, the pasta was a leftover carbonara sauce to which I added roasted peppers, wilted spinach and grana padano. We followed up with Nigella’s white chocolate cheesecake which I’d made the day before (so easy, so impressive and so GOOD. I just topped it with fresh raspberries for some tart freshness), and then we took the last of the wine out into the garden, sat under a rug looking at the stars and chatted to the small hours. Heavenly.

FIND IT AT TESCO…
The Arno dinnerware range is now available online here
To find out where you can purchase any of the spring/summer 2019 products featured in these pages, check Tesco here
Most products are not available online, but they are in selected Superstores and Extras, and are subject to availability.