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Hanging Out Watch Party Menu: Party Food Inspired by Ant & Dec's New Show

vviral

2026-02-11

10 min read

Pub-fare, retro snacks, and caption-ready plating hacks for a cozy Ant & Dec–inspired watch party. Make-ahead tips, recipes, and social-ready ideas.

If you love viral shows and the thrill of a cosy online watch party but dread scrambling for food five minutes before guests arrive, this guide is for you. We built a themed watch party menu inspired by Ant & Dec’s new show energy — think down-to-earth pub-fare, nostalgic retro snacks, and caption-ready plating hacks that make every still frame pop on Instagram or TikTok. Tested, timed, and tailored for busy hosts in 2026.

Late 2025 and early 2026 brought a clear shift in how audiences gather online: creators and entertainers (including Ant & Dec with their new Belta Box channel and podcast Hanging Out) are leaning into informal, interactive formats. Fans want to hang out — casually share food, clipable moments, and quick reactions. That means your food needs to be:

Easy to prep and scale for small or large groups
Comforting and familiar — pub snacks and retro food are trending as “cozy, clickable” fare
Visually arresting in short-form video and thumbnails
Friendly to pivots — quick vegan/gluten-free swaps without losing vibe

“We asked our audience if we did a podcast what they would like it to be about, and they said 'we just want you guys to hang out'.” — Declan Donnelly

We designed three fast lanes to a perfect watch party: Weeknight Meals (easy mains with pub character), Desserts (retro-sweet hits), and Meal Prep (make-ahead building blocks so you can focus on the show). Each recipe includes quick plating hacks and social captions so every dish is “thumb-stopping.”

Quick overview (scrollable plan)

Pub-Fave Slider Trio: mini bangers & mash, cheeseburger, and mushroom & stilton (vegan option)
Crispy Potato Skins with retro fillings (coronation chicken, baked beans, and smoked cheddar)
Loaded Scotch Egg Bites — deep-fried or air-fried
Retro Prawn Cocktail Shots (or avocado-tomato mocktail cups)
Sticky Toffee Bread & Butter Pudding (mini ramekins)
Build-a-Platter Meal Prep: charcuterie-lite, pickles, three dips
Two “Hangout” Cocktails: The Belta Spritz (signature), and a non-alcoholic Retro Lemonade Fizz

Weeknight Meals — pub snacks reimagined

These mains are quick to assemble, hold well on a platter, and are perfect for grazing while talking over the live show or podcast. Each recipe is designed for 6–8 guests and scales easily.

1. Pub-Fave Slider Trio (prep 25 min, cook 15–20 min)

Three sliders = three social moments. Serve on a wooden board with labels for each type.

Ingredients

12 mini brioche buns
300g good-mince beef, 200g spicy sausage meat, 200g chestnut mushrooms
Cheddar slices, blue cheese crumbles, ketchup, mustard, caramelised onions
Butter, salt, pepper, oil

Method

Make 6 small beef patties, 6 sausage patties; slice mushrooms and sear with butter and thyme.
Season and grill patties to medium (3–4 minutes a side). Add cheese in final minute to melt.
Toast buns in butter, assemble sliders and label each with a toothpick flag.

Plating hack: Stack sliders on a slatted board over parchment, scatter micro herbs, and take a top-down shot for Reels. Caption: “Three ways to win the pub quiz tonight. #watchparty #antanddec”

2. Crispy Potato Skins (prep 15 min, cook 30 min)

Retro, nostalgic, and an instant crowd-pleaser. Make half with vegetarian toppings and half with classic coronation chicken for variety.

Make-ahead tip: Bake potato skins up to 6 hours ahead; re-crisp at 200°C (400°F) for 6–8 minutes before serving.

Plating hack: Serve on a bright melamine tray in a zig-zag pattern; record a 6-second clip of a fork lifting cheese pull for social.

3. Scotch Egg Bites — mini (tested 3x)

We tested deep-fried and air-fried versions. The air-fryer saves time and cleanup with a small crispiness trade-off — ideal for watch parties where you want less fuss.

Pro tip: Use soft-boiled quail eggs for mini size; slump a bit off-center when slicing for a dramatic egg-yolk photo.

Desserts & Retro sweets

Retro-dessert plating is all about individual portions. They’re easy to eat between reaction moments and look great on camera.

1. Sticky Toffee Bread & Butter Pudding — mini ramekins (prep 20 min, bake 25–30 min)

Rich and nostalgic. Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon. Make 12 mini ramekins and warm before serving.

Make-ahead: Assemble the night before, cover tightly, and bake 30 minutes before guests arrive. For faster service, warm in a low oven.

2. Retro Prawn Cocktail Shots (or Avocado Mocktail Cups)

Layered presentation in shot glasses makes this a modern retro hit. For vegan guests, replace prawns with grilled king oyster mushrooms ribbons and swap Marie Rose sauce for a smoky tomato crema.

Caption-ready hack: Garnish with a sprig of dill and a tiny lemon wedge on a toothpick; shoot against a dark background for contrast.

Meal Prep: build-a-platter & short timelines

Great watch party hosts win on prep. Below is a 48-hour to 30-minute timeline and a compact grocery list so you can execute without stress.

48–24 hours before

Buy proteins, buns, and dairy. Make dips (ranch, smoky tomato crema, pickled onion relish) — flavors improve overnight.
Prepare sticky toffee pudding in ramekins and refrigerate assembled.
Chop garnish herbs and keep in damp paper towel in a container.

6 hours before

Bake potato skins and cool on racks. Store in single layer in fridge.
Mix burger and sausage patties; form and refrigerate.

30–45 minutes before show

Grill patties, warm pies/ramakins, re-crisp potato skins, and fill shot glasses.
Arrange platters and apply final garnishes (microgreens, lemon spritz).

Drinks: signature & non-alc

Two quick drinks that nod to Ant & Dec’s friendly, approachable style — playful, upbeat, and a little cheeky.

The Belta Spritz (serves 6)

500ml Prosecco or dry sparkling wine
200ml elderflower liqueur
600ml soda water
Slices of orange and mint

Build in a pitcher, stir gently, serve over ice in stemless wine glasses. Garnish with an orange wheel and mint. Social hack: film a snap zoom from pitcher to glass with bubbles rising.

Retro Lemonade Fizz (non-alc)

Fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, soda water, a splash of tonic, and a maraschino cherry

Serve in tall glasses with striped straws. Caption: “No hangover, all hangout.”

Dietary swaps and sustainability (2026 expectations)

Plant-forward swaps and zero-waste cooking are mainstream by 2026. Make these simple adjustments to keep the menu inclusive and aligned with modern dining values.

Vegan sliders: Use seasoned lentil-walnut patties or a high-quality plant mince; melt vegan cheese under a hot lid for quick bubbling.
Gluten-free: Swap brioche for GF buns or sturdy lettuce cups for a fresh take.
Zero-waste: Turn potato peelings into crisps by oven-roasting with oil and smoked salt; use day-old bread for breadcrumbs and stuffing.

Plating hacks for caption-ready shots

Short attention spans demand immediate visual payoff. Use these quick hacks to make dishes pop on video and in thumbnails.

Rule of three: Plate items in odd numbers (3 sliders, 5 potato skins) — it photographs better.
Texture contrast: Smooth sauces + crunchy toppings = depth. Add micro herbs for a professional finish.
Color pops: Use pickles, red chillies, and citrus zest to introduce high-contrast points in frame.
Action shot: Record a 6–8 second clip of a sauce drizzle or a cheese pull — great for Reels and TikTok.
Minimal background: A dark matte board or simple wooden table prevents visual noise in the thumbnail.

Use captions that sound like the show: friendly, cheeky, and authentic. Here are quick caption templates and video concepts optimized for 2026 short-form trends.

Caption templates (plug-in style)

“Hanging Out tonight like @antanddec — sliders, laughs, and mediocre dance moves. #watchparty”
“Retro snack revival: who remembers these? Tag your mate who used to steal the best one.”
“30-minute pub plates for your online hangout. Save this for your next stream!”

Short video concepts (6–30s)

Hyper-lapse of assemble (0–15s) — shows speed and makes it feel achievable.
Before/After plating split-screen — reveals transformation and invites saves.
Reaction clip montage — stitch friends’ reactions to the first bite (TikTok duet-friendly)

Grocery list (for 6–8 guests)

Mini brioche buns (12), beef mince 300g, sausage meat 200g, mushrooms 200g
6–12 eggs (quail if doing mini Scotch eggs), 6 large potatoes, cheddar, blue cheese
Marie Rose sauce components (ketchup, mayo, lemon), prawn or oyster mushrooms
Prosecco, elderflower liqueur, lemons, mint

If you’re sourcing ingredients locally, consider the neighborhood micro-market playbook approach: small, targeted sourcing and pop-up partnerships make restocking for events simpler.

We hosted a 10-person digital watch party in December 2025 using this exact menu. Timeline highlights:

Host prepped dips and ramekins the evening before (saved 90 minutes the day of).
Air-fried Scotch Egg Bites were the hit — quieter kitchen and faster cleanup meant more live reactions.
Social result: three short clips posted during the watch party gained the most views when they included a close-up food action shot paired with a surprised reaction face.

Lesson learned: prep wins. Guests appreciated variety, and the visual hooks drove extra engagement on social platforms — the same dynamics we see when creators pair food content with live streaming and paired content.

Advanced strategies for creators & hosts (2026-forward)

If you’re a creator or aspiring host who wants to grow a following around watch parties, use these higher-level strategies that have trended strongly in late 2025 and continue in 2026:

Sellability: Offer downloadable recipe cards or a paid playlist of branded “Hanging Out” menu PDFs — micro-subscriptions and small paid runs are an easy monetization route for hosts.
Cross-platform snippets: Cut 6–10 s clips for Reels and TikTok, then expand to 60–90 s for YouTube Shorts with behind-the-scenes prep — pairing this with smart distribution helps surface clips in edge discovery and live-event SERPs.
Affiliate links: Share tools (air-fryer, specific cookware) with honest reviews — transparency builds trust. For trade-show and market-ready kit options, see recent vendor tech reviews.
Community prompts: Run a “best retro snack” poll during the show to increase live comments and engagement.

FAQs — quick answers

Yes. Swap proteins for plant mince, use vegan mayo and vegan cheeses, and choose mushroom or jackfruit for prawn cocktail alternatives. Flavor-building (smoke, acid, fat) is key to maintaining that pub-fare satisfaction.

How long do the make-ahead items keep?

Dips and sauces: 3–5 days in the fridge. Assembled but unbaked puddings: 24–48 hours. Cooked proteins: best within 24 hours for texture, but fine for 48 if reheated carefully — similar shelf strategies are used in weekend stall kits and pop-up food setups.

Best short-form format for recipe promotion?

15–30s vertical clips with a clear beginning (hook), middle (action), and end (bite/reaction). Use captions and trending audio where appropriate — but keep it aligned with your brand voice. For better on-camera results, pair your clip with the right lighting and mini-set tips from audio + visual mini-set guides.

Final tips — host like Ant & Dec

Ant & Dec’s charm is casual and authentic — your food should be too. The easiest way to mirror that energy is to pick a few standout items from this menu, prep like you mean it, and leave room for spontaneity during the watch party. Don’t overcomplicate: the best nights are simple, sticky, and shareable.

Call to action

Ready to host your own Hanging Out watch party? Download the printable menu, timeline, and caption pack — plus a free checklist to master plating hacks and short-form clips. Try one recipe tonight and tag us with your best #HangingOutSnack — we’ll feature our favorites and share hosting tips live during the next watch party round.

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