AS DINNER parties go it was an unusual affair.

At one side of the table sat our guests – speaking a mix of German and English – and at the other were our good selves and one of Firstborn’s chums.

In the middle was a raclette - possibly the most sociable form of dining ever invented. Our guests, in role reversal, had brought it with them - along with vast piles of Fleisch und frisches Gemüse.

They arrived early to set it all up, which is just as well because there was a lot of chopping to be done.

A raclette, for those who have yet to be initiated, is a sort of indoor cheese-based barbecue. Firstborn described it as a cross between a Beijing hotpot, barbecue and fondue, which just about sums it up.

There’s a griddle for cooking meat and a grill underneath for toasting.

Most of the effort involved in dining à la raclette is in the preparation, producing small bowls full of peppers, meat, tomatoes, mushrooms, boiled potato, raclette cheese etc.

There’s a definite rhythm to raclette dining, which was outlined to us by our friend Jörg in a sort of pre-dinner speech. Put a piece of meat/fish on the griddle, fill your individual raclette pan ("mind that you don’t scrape it out with a metal fork or it will damage the non-stick surface’’), pop a slice of cheese on top of the vegetables, stick it under the raclette, and while it’s all cooking have a drink or two. Repeat.

Meeting new people or entertaining those who fall into the acquaintance category can often be tricky. There may be awkward silences or small talk that ends up in a conversational black hole. What you need is a focus or common ground.

Enter the raclette: the busy, fun way to dine.

Whose chicken is that?’’

"Is something burning?’’

"Pass the Ananas please.’’

"What goes well with mushrooms and prawns?’’

Jörg’s mother says that it’s a Swiss invention and the sort of meal that their family traditionally serves on Christmas Eve.

We’re seriously thinking about buying one to use on Christmas Day - although this idea has already met some resistance from Uncle Richard, who says that you can’t beat a traditional British roast.

But then he hasn’t tried the raclette.

I know where Secondborn’s vote will fall. She’d much rather hear "pass the pineapple’’ than "pass the Brussels sprouts.’’

Come to think of it, Uncle Richard isn’t a great fan of winter greens either.

The Swiss Raclette Association says there is documentary evidence to prove that one Wilhelm Tell, apple-shooter extraordinaire, was a racletteer!