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It’s almost time for that much-loved British tradition.

As the nights draw in and the evenings get chillier, the 5th of November gives us a good excuse to cosy up and take a breather before the big climb up to Christmas.

On this night families and communities gather to enjoy the simple pleasures of thrilling fireworks, glowing bonfires, tasty food and passing this joyful historic tradition to the next generation. What’s not to like?!

Whether you’re returning from an organised event or doing it all at home you’ll be wanting to make an occasion of it.

We have a few ideas and tips to help you make the most of this fun evening, whether you’re a large party or a small group.

Creating the right atmosphere is vital for a successful and memorable evening. You want it to be warm and welcoming. So how do you achieve this?

Our best ideas for a cosy bonfire night

1. Set the mood with lighting!

• Fairy lights are a great way to create ambience both inside and out. They're easy to put up and easy to take down (just don't get them tangled!)
• Table lamps set a cosy atmosphere.
• Candles (you can even get battery operated ones).
• Lanterns to give that warm and pretty glow.

What pleasure to enter a house that’s beautifully lit on a cold night!

2. Make the place warm!

• Bonfires - mesmerising and relaxing and it IS Guy Fawkes night after all, but first check out the environmental and safety concerns surrounding them (that’s why many prefer to attend public bonfires).
• Firepits.
• Patio heaters.
• BBQs.
• Log burners.
• Or just a heated house!

These will all produce that much desired warmth.

3. Stock up on indulgent food and drink!

Bonfire night and food are inseparable.

It’s definitely the focal point of the evening (most of us think about food as soon as Bonfire Night is mentioned!).

You can go for the traditional Bonfire Night foods or go for party-style finger foods. Whatever, you don’t want to be messing about with cutlery on this fun, informal evening.

Or if you're planning a cosy night in, check out our family hampers, which create unforgettable shared experiences for families.

Traditional food for Bonfire Night:

• Jacket potatoes – so deliciously warm, comforting and nostalgic. Bake in the oven or in foil in a fire/firepit.
• Sausages – on their own or as hotdogs, on the BBQ or in the oven.
• Burgers – a classic favourite.
• Toffee apples – did you know these were created accidentally by a confectioner called William W Kolb in 1908? He dropped an apple into a cinnamon mix he was concocting, and the toffee apple was born!
• Yorkshire Parkin- this popular delicious sticky gingerbread is traditionally eaten on Bonfire Night.
• Toasted marshmallows – so easy to toast over a low fire or hot coals. Kids love this activity.
• Soup – comforting and delicious.
• Hot Chocolate – the ultimate comfort drink. Smooth, sweet and warming. Perfect for a cold autumn night.
• Mulled cider – deliciously autumnal, this drink will warm and cheer.

We’ve shared a couple of recipes at the end.

Fireworks or no fireworks:

Fireworks are beautiful, exciting and noisy and whilst many of us love to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over them, others are not so keen which includes pets and wildlife.

Try sparklers and glow sticks. They’ll provide hours of fun and are a good alternative to full-blown fireworks.

Activities:

Keep the kids happy and busy.  Not all kids want to settle down to arts n crafts so here are a few livelier things to do:

Apple bobbing (not just for kids!):

• All you need is a bowl filled ¾ full of water, a few apples with space in between them, a stop-watch and towels for after. Take it in turns to try and remove as many apples as you can just using your teeth. Simple and silly.

Glowstick tag:

• Just ‘tag’ using glow sticks! The player that’s ‘it’ wears a red glowstick. Great fun.

The Chocolate Game:

• Perhaps it’s called something else, but we know it as this!   All you need is a chocolate bar, some over-sized silly dressing up clothes, a knife and fork and a dice. Take turns in rolling the dice. If it’s a 6, you dress up as quickly as possible and try to eat the chocolate using the knife and fork. Meanwhile, the others continue rolling and as soon as someone rolls a 6 they take over.

Kids love this game but it can get very lively, be warned!

Now for those recipes:

Toffee Apples

• 8 apples
• 8 skewers
• 400g golden caster sugar
• 4 tablespoons golden syrup
• 1 tsp vinegar
• Sugar thermometer.

Can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Method:

1. Place the apples in a bowl and cover with boiling water. This removes the waxy coating and will help the toffee to stick. Dry and twist off any stalks. Push a wooden skewer into the stalk end of the apples.
2. Place the apples on top of baking parchment.
3. Put the sugar into a pan along with 100ml of water and place over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the syrup and vinegar. Using the sugar thermometer, boil to 150 degrees or ‘hard crack’ stage. If you don’t have one, pour a little of the mixture into cold water. If it hardens immediately and turns brittle when removed, it’s ready. If it’s not, continue to boil it.
4. Working quickly, dip each apple into the mixture until covered, letting excess drip away. Then place onto the parchment to harden. If the toffee mixture is becoming too thick, heat it up again.
5. Leave to cool.

Yorkshire Parkin (BBC Good Food)

Makes 16 squares.

Heat the oven to 160 c.

Ingredients:

• 200g butter
• 1 large egg
• 4 tbsp milk
• 100g medium oatmeal
• 200g golden syrup
• 85g treacle
• 85g light soft brown sugar
• 250g self-raising flour
• 1 tbsp ground ginger

Method:

1. Butter a deep 22cm square tin and line with baking parchment.
2. Beat the egg and milk together with a fork.
3. Gently melt the syrup, treacle, sugar and butter together in a large pan until the sugar has dissolved.
4. Remove from the heat.
5. Mix together the oatmeal, flour and ginger and stir into the syrup mixture, followed by the egg and milk.
6. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 50 min to an hour until it feels firm and a little crispy on top.
7. Keep up to 5 days before you eat it -it’ll just get better and better!

Good food, good company, warmth and a little entertainment is all you need to cosy up on Bonfire Night.

It’s all about creating everlasting memories.

Not able to party this year?

Don't worry, we have a great range of family hampers suitable for all tastes and ages, making them perfect for the whole family, to send or to treat yourselves on this special night.