Get bobbing

Greening up a Hallowe’en or Guy Fawkes party this autumn is easier than you might think, says eco-friendly party planner, Bridget Stott of Piece of Cake Party Planners.

If you’re planning a Hallowee’en or Bonfire Night party, go green from the start by letting the colours around you guide your choices when it comes to decorations, food, drinks, costumes and games.

Dramatic autumnal shades – yellows, browns, reds and rich oranges – are also available at markets. Look out for richly-coloured squashes, fuzzy-skinned yellow quinces, the golds and browns of wild mushrooms and the deep russet reds and purples of apples and plums and use them wherever you can when planning your menu.

As a professional party and wedding planner, I actively encourage the use of local, fresh and seasonal produce wherever possible, so head to your local farmer’s market, where the produce will not only taste better, but is grown locally, saving energy.

Happy Hallowe’en
Of course, no Hallowe’en party would be complete without the magical pumpkin. So much more than a decorative touch, it can also be used in breads, soups, pies and desserts, and be sure to save the seeds. Either bake and serve them to party guests or feed them to the birds.

When it comes to drinks, local should apply to booze, too. Sustainweb (www.sustainweb.org) calculates that a sustainably UK-brewed bottle of beer clocks up just 600 miles. By contrast, a bottle from one of the main four brewers who control the UK market accumulates 24,000 miles in production and transport. Adnams is British ecologically brewed beer while St Peters brewery uses UK organic hops. And if it’s champagne you’re after, try www.justchampagne.co.uk, if you’d prefer something organic. Nitrogenous fertilizers liberally sprayed on grapes in the Champagne-Ardennes region are not my favourites.

Another easy party option is to use re-usable plates, cups, utensils and tablecloths and hire glasses from a local wine merchant or supermarket. Paper cups and plates are expensive and end up in landfill. I always ensure that all bottles, cans and paper are recycled, and kitchen and plant scraps are composted.

When planning your invitations, send them by email to save paper and postage. Use free online sources such as www.evite.com or www.regards.com, or make your own using recycled paper or tree-free paper made from hemp and even elephant dung.

And when it comes to putting a costume together, don’t bother buying new or even hiring one. Just make your own from what you can find at a charity shop or jumble sale. An old sheet still makes a great ghost!

To decorate, carve out a number of pumpkins in various sizes and use to line shelves and windowsills. For flower arrangements, add plants and cuttings from your garden or go on a forage to find anything colourful and decorative such as bright pink spindle berries, silver birch branches, orange physalis, red rosehips, bay leaves and seed pods.

To entertain guests, think of traditional activities kids and adults will enjoy doing together, from dunking apples in a bucket or biting apples hanging from a string to making recycled paper hats, or creating a mural using a long sheet of recycled paper taped to the floor or wall. Ask guests to draw some Hallowe’en scenes using crayons and glitter pens. For prizes, give out healthy treats including home-made popcorn and ice cream in cones.

Bonfire night blast
The nights around Guy Fawkes are alive with the whoosh and bang of rockets. But they release chemicals like dioxin into the atmosphere, while firework remains end up as litter. Bonfires also release carbon monoxide, dioxins and particles into the atmosphere. So avoid burning anything plastic and old tyres and don’t use paraffin or other petrol-based accelerants to get the party started.

No bonfire night would be complete without a Guy, so organise a Build a Guy contest. Separate guests into groups and have a variety of old clothes, pillowcases, markers and recycled newspaper available. Give groups 20 minutes to create their own Guy with prizes for the scariest or funniest, before carefully placing on the bonfire before lighting.

Serve hot, home-made soup, mulled wine and baked potatoes with locally-made sausages, apple pie, marshmallows and home-made toffees.

Bridget Stott runs Piece of Cake Party Planners offering bespoke but glam events that are kind to the environment. For more information contact 01608 646905 or visit www.pieceofcakeuk.com