Talks

Jago Rackham - To Entertain: Instructions for a Dinner Party

Where:

Castle Garden Stage - Castle Gardens

When:

13th September 2026
1:45 pm to 2:30 pm

Cook, writer and gourmand Jago Rackham has always sensed a specific magic at the heart of a dinner party.

Crowding his friends around a table in his east London flat, refilling glasses deep into the night and cooking generously and lavishly every week for the last few years has trained him in the art of hosting and fed him body and soul. He will guide you through inviting guests, transforming a tiny space into a nourishing sanctuary, entertaining many on limited funds and assembling a menu for each and every occasion.

Weaving virtuosic advice and discerning reflections on food and friendship with unmissable, indulgent recipes, this love letter to sitting around a table is as practical as it is moving.

Jago Rackham is a cook and writer based in London. His food is messy, baroque and sculptural, leaning on tradition to produce odd innovations. He designs banquets for events, with clients spanning art, design and fashion, as well as sold-out pop-ups in the UK, America and Europe. During Frieze Week 2025, he orchestrated his first performance, Greed, which The Face called "a McQueen runway presentation, filtered through a medieval fever dream" and featured his memorable dishes, curation by NA Service and a perfume he co-designed with Jouisance Parfum. His work has been covered by World of Interiors, Glamcult, The Face, Apartamento, Vogue, Spike Magazine and Nuts. He writes features and restaurant reviews for the Observer.