"Food Risers" Are What Your Holiday Table Is Missing — Professional Caterers Always Use Them!

The holiday table is a place of aesthetic beauty, delicious food, and joyful celebration. But it can also be a place of complete chaos. With family members squeezed around all sides, and the centerpiece you worked so hard to create cutting down the room for actual dishes, there can be little space left for your food to rest. That is why I am here today to discuss how food risers are the table decor detail that can save the day.

Your Christmas table decor ideas will instantly be uplifted (pun intended!), giving your party guests a feast for the eyes, as well as their stomachs. Interior designer at Park Luxury Design, Ashlie Adam, says "Food risers are not just practical; they are transformative. A riser takes flat crowded surfaces and gives them dimension. Suddenly, your roast turkey isn’t buried in casserole dishes — it’s on stage. Your desserts aren’t hidden — they’re celebrated. With risers, the table breathes. It has structure, flow, purpose."

"They have been a standard for professional caterers and hospitality industry food displays for years," adds event planner Annemarie Schumacher of Make Every Day an Event, "and they are truly easy to use... there's really no right or wrong way to use them."

Getting through the holiday is a marathon, not a sprint. Mastering the art of thoughtful details will help you get to the new year full of joyful memories following a smooth holiday season. With only two weeks left until Thanksgiving, it's down to the planning details. Food risers are this year's stylish tablescaping must.

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How to style a table with 'food risers'

Interior designer, Ashlie Adam, says that when incorporating risers into your tablescape, start with intent. "A good tablescape isn’t accidental — it’s deliberate, layered, and unapologetic. Use risers to build levels. The eye loves movement, and craves a reason to travel," says Ashlie. Understanding how to properly place your dishes and foods so that both form and function are considered will lead you to the fall table decor of your dreams.

Ashlie's advice is to "Place the tallest pieces at the back or center, anchoring the scene like a lead actress in her best light. Let smaller plates cascade forward like an encore. Balance is key. Too much on one side will feel lopsided and unfinished." Then you can mix materials like wood, metal, and glass so that none of your best dinnerware set items get left behind. Like Ashlie says "The best tables feel collected, as if they’ve lived a little, just like you."

And though they may be called food risers, you don't have to just limit them to food. "For a buffet table, risers are a great way to add extra room for food or decor," says Annemarie Schumacher, of Make Every Day an Event. "In addition to food, I love placing candles and centerpieces on risers as well."

Out of all the unexpected holiday trends popping up this year, food risers are one that seems more like a timeless staple. You don’t need to spend a fortune to get it right. Giving levels to your holiday table is the aesthetic way to make more room for all the delicious dinner dishes. "The beauty of risers is their versatility. They’re the underdogs of table design — quietly making everything look better, without demanding applause," says Ashlie.

If you're coming to this idea last minute, too, you don't need to go out and buy anything at all. "I can't tell you how many times I've used an ugly cardboard box as a riser, but placed a beautiful linen over it and no one was the wiser," says Annemarie. "Look around your home and you'll find items that can do double duty as a riser."