When it comes to entertaining, especially for a crowd, we’re particularly fond of homewares that can make a simple salad look restaurant-quality or make a table appear like you’ve been dressing it all day, and cookware made for setting and forgetting until guests arrive. Investing in pieces that do the heavy lifting for you is the smartest way to nail entertaining. And often, it can be as easy as investing in unique servingware that makes that store-bought pavlova look a lot more ornate than it is or tableware that sparks conversation.

To inspire your entertaining endeavours this summer, here, we’ve curated an edit of our favourite hard-working homewares to carry you through hosting season.

For easy entertaining, we’re all about taking a bubbling dish straight from the oven to the table and letting guests serve themselves. Le Creuset’s elegant shallow white casserole is perfect for low-fuss slow-cooked dishes.

Cast Iron Olive Branch Casserole, $720 from Le Creuset, Ground Level

Forget place settings and elaborate centrepieces. Instead, adorn your table with Maison Balzac’s sweet flower napkins, a jug filled with crockery and little else, leaving plenty of room to laden the table with a delicious feast.

Wild Rose Napkins, $119 for four from Maison Balzac, Level 1

We’re firm believers that a dish should be as beautiful as the food served upon it, which is why we’ll never go past Dinosaur Designs when it comes to servingware. The brand’s Rock Platter makes the perfect base for a pomegranate-jewelled couscous.

Rock Platter, $320 from Dinosaur Designs, Level 1

There’s nothing wrong with a little help, which is why having a jar of Gewurzhaus’ Greek Grilling Spice on hand is essential during barbecue season. Mix a few tablespoons of this lemony, herby blend with extra virgin olive oil and use it as a flavoursome marinade on everything from lamb to vegetables.

Greek Grilling Spice, $14.25 from Gewurzhaus, Ground Level

A unique scent wafting through rooms is one very easy way to elevate the home when guests come over. Jo Loves’ Mango Thai Lime scent smells like summer and will set the mood for a relaxed backyard barbecue.

Mango Thai Lime Candle, $110 from Jo Loves, Ground Level