Make birthdays brilliant with Bettys

It’s time to enjoy being together again – and with delicious food, jolly decorations and that all-important cake, a birthday provides the ideal excuse to make seeing your favourite people even more of an event. So we asked Bettys’ ‘Head of Beautiful’ Robyn Cox to work his styling magic and share some ideas for indoor and outdoor party spreads that look and taste as wonderful as the occasion deserves.

Colour your world

A birthday is the perfect time to go wild with colour. Rainbow-bright pops on a neutral background such as this spotty tablecloth (main photo) allow you to be bold and eye-catching without the need for sunglasses.

We’ve added coordinating drinking straws and plates; these light but sturdy bamboo and paper ones are perfect for outside. Miniature party hats will get guests of all ages in a celebratory mood and the balloon-shaped decorations keep the cake at the centre of attention.

It’s really easy to add personalised touches: instead of ‘Happy birthday’, you can order cake toppers with a message of your choice online. Try making your own party hats by cutting and gluing paper circles. Use beautiful handmade papers to craft bunting with a difference, or print patterns or letters onto coloured paper to create your own bespoke designs.

Here, our Victoria Sponge is the birthday cake but our Almond & Raspberry Cake or Fondant Fancy Party Cake would be equally lovely – all of our cakes are suitable for any type of celebration. We can also create personalised cakes with a message just for your occasion.

Aim high

Our rich chocolate Sachertorte is already the height of deliciousness, but we’ve lifted it further skywards with our feather-light macaroons, held in place with a spot of piped buttercream or icing. Chocolate stars sprayed with golden lustre and a birthday cake topper complete the look but you can adapt the decorations to your own taste – just aim high for maximum impact.

The chocolate cake stands out wonderfully against our table setting, a glamorous and contemporary muted pink theme. We’ve chosen white flowers to contrast with the linen but you could also make your own garland using coloured flowers and eucalyptus leaves, or add towers of pastel macaroons or fondant fancies along the table. If pink’s not your thing, pick your own hue, perhaps coordinated with a beautiful set of crockery. Or make plain white china shine with coloured placemats.

Picnic panache

Make the most of any sunshine with an alfresco celebration that’s as picturesque as your surroundings. Being outside doesn’t mean you have to skimp on style: if you’re picnicking, start with a gorgeous rug, quality napkins and a lovely wicker hamper to hold all of your treats.

For garden gatherings, decorate the table with fresh foliage and flowers. Drape parasols with lights so the party can continue as dusk falls. Leave the plastic at home and bring your good crockery; if you’d rather not, then these paper plates in the shape of flowers are an ideal alternative.

We’ve created a light and summery spread, with fresh strawberries to complement our Strawberry, Cherry & Rose Tisane. Tempt guests with attractive open sandwiches and don’t forget extra touches such as ice and dainty lemon slices for drinks. And nothing compares with the taste of freshly baked scones piled high with clotted cream and strawberry preserve – trust us, we really don’t mind which of those two you put on first.