New Rules of
Staying In-In

Staying in in: not going ‘out-out’, but not just staying ‘in’ either

Stoves is rethinking the art of eating and celebrating the joy of not going out. Instead of settling for the ordinary, we’re encouraging people to turn their backs on take-aways, indulge their love of cooking, savour the planning and preparation of their own culinary masterpieces and go the extra mile for their guests and themselves.

From finding the best ingredients to trying challenging recipes and cooking techniques, it’s all about celebrating restaurant-quality cooking in the comfort of home with friends and family – not just staying ‘in’ but ‘staying in in’.

An image of food

Engineered for food, Stoves has been making clever kitchen appliances for almost 100 years. With true cooking benefits such as multifunction cooking and even self-cleaning ovens, our collection of built in ovens, hobs and range cookers help even the most ambitious night in become a triumph.

Going ‘out out’? We’d rather stay ‘in in’.

Our new research has revealed that ‘staying in in’ is the new going out with half of people preferring to stay in and cook for their friends rather than go out for meals. Indeed the average household throws at least one soiree a month and – meaning as many as 720 menus planned, tables carefully prepared, and meals cooked for our nearest and dearest in our adult lifetime. And with this new trend comes a new set of rules to live by…

We surveyed 1,500 people and asked them about the new rules of ‘staying in in’:

  • 42 percent agreed it’s crucial to have everything prepared for when guests arrive
  • 41 percent said you should always check in advance for guests’ allergies
  • A third said cancelling after you have invited people is a no-no
  • Almost one in five said they’d always offer a vegan option
  • One fifth said talking politics should be avoided at all costs
  • 18 percent said letting guests help with the cleaning up was a faux pas
  • One in ten recommended ending the night before midnight - nothing good happens after then!
  • Sitting guests boy / girl / boy / girl is out of favour with only seven percent of people saying they’d create their table plan this way
  • A laid back 14 percent said they’d expect guests to be fashionably late
  • And the same number said they’d take the time to create a custom playlist for their guests
  • One in ten would only post flattering pictures of their guests online, and 16 percent said posting photos of your own food wasn’t the done thing
  • Favourite meals to serve included show-stopping beef wellington, hand-made pasta and lobster thermidor
  • Vegan options included Middle Eastern meze such as grilled aubergine, falafel, seitan kebabs and steamed peppers

Ask our etiquette expert

So, with the ‘rules’ of the modern dinner party constantly evolving, how can you make sure your next kitchen supper is the talk of Twitter – in a good way? We’re working with etiquette expert Jo Bryant to answer your burning questions. Is it okay to send invites via Facebook, and how do you deal with guests who may have enjoyed themselves a bit too much? Submit your anonymous questions below and we’ll be sharing Jo’s answers to a select few in the coming weeks.