Sometimes it’s the unexpected turns which provide the fun at a dinner party.

In my mind, the perfect dinner party has to tick a certain number of boxes. The food has to be great, the company even better, and the after dinner entertainment has to keep the mood alive. If these three criteria are satisfied, I'm pretty convinced that means you've got a recipe for success.

That said, this week I experienced a rather unusual dinner party, which must rank somewhere in my top ten. First of all, the host was an old school friend of mine, as were most of the guests. Dinner parties to me usually mean that I'm going to meet some new people, so I didn't know quite what to expect.

The second thing which soon became apparent as unusual was the food situation. As it turned out, our host had intended for each of us to bring something to eat, to create a sort of buffet. He had intended to do this but it seemed he had forgotten to tell anybody. On top of this, the only food he had prepared was a rather odd looking dessert. By the time we had all arrived, everybody's appetite had become somewhat fierce and we needed something quickly before the evening turned sour.

So, spurred on by an ad I had recently seen on TV, accompanied by a few friends, I rushed to the kitchen to discover what we could find. When I returned from the kitchen clutching some glorious Heinz Baked Beans, crisis was averted and the British favourite came through for us once again.

This turn of events was naturally a source of much amusement but it got us all thinking about Heinz Baked Beans and the advert which kick-started our trip to the kitchen. Re-launching their popular ‘ring my bell’ ad, Heinz has managed to maintain its identity as the leading baked bean provider for some time. The advert promotes the new snack pots, a convenient baked bean helping that is easy to open and quick to microwave, but this is not its only achievement.

Thanks to the catchy soundtrack and the diverse individuals shown in the ad, Heinz reminds us that baked beans are for everyone. From schoolchildren to grandparents, there are few who can deny their love for these beautiful beans. With a Facebook page that boasts an impressive number of followers, Heinz has certainly established itself as a strong brand and I only wish more people would follow our lead and serve this great food at dinner parties.