Spice up those cold winter evenings…

The Pot Luck Party

What: Each guest brings a dish of their choice – with the freedom of making anything, (starter, main or dessert) no one knows what there is to eat until everyone arrives.

Flo Hester told The Tab: “Some people went much more experimental and gourmet than others, with some wimping out and buying crisps and dips from Tesco on the way there.

“Between the 20 of us at the party, there was a great selection of salads, pasta dishes, pizza and cakes, with the most unique dish consisting of bruschetta with strawberries and chocolate on.

“For those thinking of hosting a Pot Luck Party, it’s a great way of having lots of people over, without having to do lots of cooking and washing up whilst enjoying a excellent selection of dishes… And of course, asking someone what dish they brought is always a great conversation starter.”

The Tinder Dinner Party

What: Tinder has take Durham by storm. So if you’re feeling brave, why not get each housemate to invite a match from Tinder? Guaranteed to be an interesting night…

Joel Holford told The Tab: “Basically we had an address, a time and were told to bring some wine. When we arrived we met a few of the people who were very friendly and seemed as bemused by the idea of a Tinder Dinner Party as we were. The other guests all had some kind of connection to the house in which it took place, but we didn’t know what we were getting in to.

“Two housemates invited their matches, but all the guests that one of them invited bailed on it over the previous few days, so the turnout was smaller than intended and slightly embarrassing for the poor guy.

The Randoms Dinner Party

What: Get each housemate to invite a randomer (many decide to pick theirs up in Tescos). Alternatively you can each invite someone you have only met once before…

One randomers dinner host told The Tab: “The plan was basically to invite 4 random boys. We invited two guys we’d met only once and asked them both to bring a friend –  slightly risky move but worked out even simply for the hilarity factor!

“It was pretty informal, the conversation flowed well after some initial awkwardness, and we also played some dinner party games. Adding in 7 bottles of wine very much helped!

“The plan was to hit Sunday Night Klute but we ended up staying at the house chatting until 1am… Great fun, just be prepared for some very interesting topics of conversation to come up…”

Come Dine With Me

What: Inspired by the TV show (and Castle student Donal who won back in 2012!), why not try your own dinner party competition? 5 friends, 5 nights, and a week’s worth of entertainment…and it turns out we’ve even got our own society to organise it for you!