'Come Dine With Me SA' makes a comeback with season 6

"Come Dine With Me SA" season 6 contestants. Picture: Supplied

"Come Dine With Me SA" season 6 contestants. Picture: Supplied

Published May 20, 2020

Share

With social and physical distancing on the cards - who knows when we will be free host our very own dinner parties. 

Worry not, because "Come Dine with Me South Africa" returns with an explosion of hilarious food prep blunders, saucy sabotage and peppery commentary from the legendary Dave Lamb from May 27 on BBC Lifestyle at 8pm.

Who can forget pink dogs, spontaneously stripping guests and possible food poisoning fiasco in the previous seasons.

Now, in season six a bunch of brand new hopefuls will be in the running each week to take home the cash prize of R10 000. 

In the first episode set to debut on May 27 on BBC Lifestyle, viewers will get to meet Gregg, a thespian who isn't shy in talking; fun loving Janet aka Miss J who takes guests on a Pan-African culinary experience; Shogan, who opts for a trip a little further east and brings colour to his dishes with the brightest red chicken tikka you’ve ever seen and Kelly who loves to include twists and surprises to her menu. 

Join in on the fun by creating your own virtual dinner party. The "Come Dine With Me SA" production team, put together a "How To" guide: 

Step 1: Find some interesting people

If you’re going to throw a fun, slightly silly yet somewhat serious cooking competition, then getting together the right blend of personalities is just as important as the menu, to add some ‘spark’ or is it ‘spice’ to the evening. 

As a true "Come Dine With Me SA" fan, you know that every good dinner party usually includes an overly confident novice, a picky eater, a wine ‘enthusiast’, a cocky know-it-all, a vibrant storyteller and a recipe modifier – so look out for a combination of characters to make your virtual dinner party truly Come Dine SA-esque!

Step 2: Set the scene

Create a mood with an exciting theme and encourage your guests to dress for the occasion. Since there’s no actual travel required, guests can use the time to spruce themselves up, even if they’re only focusing on the view from the waist up. 

There are so many fun themes to choose from - how about a mad hatters party or a travel theme inspired by the first city you’ll want to visit once travel bans are lifted - whatever you decide ensure there’s a shout out for the guest with the most ‘sparkle’ on the night. 

Step 3: Plan the evening’s festivities 

Once the initial novelty has worn off, you’ll need to maintain the momentum and there’s nothing like some entertaining games to strike the right note. 

Think ‘never have I ever’, ‘two truths and a lie’, a fun quiz type game like Trivial Pursuit or Pictionary to bring out the artist within. And if it feels like there’s a bit too much ‘screen time’ – hit up your favourite playlist and get everyone off their chairs and dancing. 

Step 4: Create a menu that Nigella would be proud of!

The goal is simple, allocate your guests to teams – either in groups or as solo players depending on your numbers. By the time your virtual dinner party starts each of the ‘teams’ should have a set dinner table with three courses in front of them – a starter, main and dessert. 

To achieve this, each team will need to decide on a menu. This is the moment your inner lockdown chef has been preparing for! To allow everyone to release their culinary crazy (read creativity), each team will be responsible for choosing and sharing a recipe and ingredient list for one of the three courses. Ahead of time, the host will nominate which team does which course. 

Fancy pronunciations on a menu selection, which leave guests guessing what they will be served may provide a classic "Come Dine With Me South Africa" move but can quickly turn into a facepalm moment if your guests need to re-create the menu at home.  

For inspiration check out some of the recipes from past contestants to get those creative juices flowing -  www.bbcsouthafrica.com 

Step 5: Sometimes you just can’t win but someone has to! 

Get ready to present your culinary creations to the world’s harshest (or most adoring) critics – your friends and family. 

As guests won’t be able to sample the ‘fruits of your labour’, each team will need to sell their courses based on other categories such as appearance, execution, creativity or plating. 

Categories, points per category and penalties (if any) should be decided upon and shared with the group upfront – get creative.

 After each presentation round, one could create official scoreboards like the show which could be sent to the host to tally up anonymously. 

Although this is not essential, it’s probably for the best...

Step 6: Spice up the competition

The points are in and you’ve discovered that sometimes you just can’t win but someone has to! As the host you’ll be responsible for announcing the points and placements of each team. 

To create an umami flavour to your virtual dinner soirees and stir up some healthy competition, offer up a prize to the overall winners who will be crowned host/s with the most. 

While a R10 000 prize might be out of the question, a bottle of wine or a dinner in a restaurant post-lockdown may be enough to incentivize your fellow competitors to pull out all the stops – ensuring the night is one to remember.

Related Topics: