{"id":19425,"date":"2024-05-14T08:00:47","date_gmt":"2024-05-14T06:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/?p=19425"},"modified":"2024-05-14T08:38:29","modified_gmt":"2024-05-14T06:38:29","slug":"set-to-impress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/joburg-north\/blog\/2024\/05\/14\/set-to-impress\/","title":{"rendered":"Set to impress"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hands up if you love entertaining \u2013 but hate all the logistics around it? Natascha Le Roux\u2019s The Nifty Pantry has you covered!<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Natascha is the kind of person who makes any person walking into her home feel like a VIP \u2013 seemingly with very little effort. She\u2019s also the kind of person who, rather than getting bored with her possessions, delights in finding new ways to use them, usually to very striking effect. Here\u2019s an example. A few weeks ago, she found a still-life painting. It could have looked stuffy in anyone else\u2019s home, but Natascha placed it underneath a glass table top, matched it with crockery, napkins and glasses, and voila \u2013 a tablescape quite unlike any other.<\/p>\n

The result? Anyone lucky enough to receive an invitation to one of her dinners is certain to have an experience that will linger long in their memories.<\/p>\n

That was certainly the case for the contestants who found their hosting talents pitted against Natascha\u2019s when she entered the South African version of Come Dine With Me – a competition she won thanks to the combination of her cooking skills (guests were served a rainbow carrots and beetroot carpaccio with homemade labneh and Middle Eastern flatbread, seared salmon served with roasted cauliflower steak topped with homemade anchovy butter and minted pea puree for mains, and a dessert of blueberry jelly mousse with her own sugar edible flowers) and unbeatable flair for entertaining. After all, how many people do you know who can cut off the top of a champagne bottle with a sword?<\/p>\n

Admittedly, Natascha had plenty of practise before she perfected the fine art of hostessing, as founder of the cooking club Messe and Forks. \u201cIt was back in the early 2000s, when everyone was joining a book club. I loved the idea of getting together to chat, drink wine and eat great food, but I didn\u2019t necessarily have the time to read,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n

Everyone has time to eat, though \u2013 which is why she invited six friends (one each to cook up a starter, carb dish, veggie side, protein and dessert) to host a monthly dinner at each other\u2019s houses. At the end of each dinner, members were able to vote for their favorite dish and rank their host on everything from the welcoming drinks they\u2019d received to the table setting and the cocktails on offer and overall experience of the evening. \u201cIt grew rather competitive,\u201d Natascha laughs.<\/p>\n

And that meant that members were constantly trying to outdo themselves. So, when Come Dine With Me SA announced it was looking for entrants, Natascha was ready. Her success got her thinking … much as she loves the part of entertaining which is all about conjuring up a look and feel, there are people out there who don\u2019t enjoy it, or who simply don\u2019t have time for it. What if she created a service to help them? And so The Nifty Pantry was born. \u201cMy mother had recently passed away at the time, and that made me realise that life was short. I had created my business plan back in 2018, but I didn\u2019t have the courage to leave me corporate job until that moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Launched in November 2022, The Nifty Pantry \u2013 inspired by her friend\u2019s giant pantry, which stores all manner of gorgeous items to set a beautiful table and is one of Natascha\u2019s favourite places \u2013 is all about helping hosts and hostesses stage the perfect event, while saving them on the stress. It\u2019s all about simplicity. Natascha has put together pre-designed table settings, including tablecloths, dinnerware, cutlery, glasses, candles and centrepieces and everything in between. Clients hop online, choose the look they love, let her know how many guests they\u2019re expecting, and she\u2019ll deliver everything they need to recreate the look at home, including instructions and a photo of what their table will look like once they\u2019ve followed all the steps. \u201cIt\u2019s a fabulous choice for people who aren\u2019t really able to visualise all the elements together \u2013 we\u2019ve done it for them. And it\u2019s also great for people who want to offer their guests something new with every visit, but don\u2019t have the space to store everything they need,\u201d Natascha says.<\/p>\n

Her table settings have added style and sophistication to all manner of events, from bridal showers to milestone birthdays and corporate functions. And it\u2019s not just about setting a stage. Natascha\u2019s keen eye for detail means that she\u2019s able to remove the areas that typically cause stress for hosts, from coming up with an exciting theme to managing RSVPs.<\/p>\n

One of the reasons she\u2019s so passionate about the concept is because she has a real love of bringing people together. \u201cWhen we\u2019re with our friends and family, we\u2019re able to share meaningful conversations and make memories. That\u2019s what entertaining is all about \u2013 so you shouldn\u2019t be put off just because you\u2019re not mad about coordinating napkins and table cloths.\u201d<\/p>\n

Natascha is looking forward to growing the business so she can create more jobs and upskill her current employees \u2013 and, of course, to help more people spend time laughing around a table that looks just beautiful.<\/p>\n

Details: www.theniftypantry.co.za<\/a>, 083-365-3000.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Natascha\u2019s tips for setting a beautiful table<\/strong><\/p>\n