Summer officially begins on the 21st June in 2019, but whichever year you’re reading this in, we know that you can’t wait to roll out your calor gas bottles and start up the barbecue for a good party. In this blog, we show you how to upgrade your BBQ party from great to amazing, it just takes a little planning and preparation.
Guest List
If you want to avoid overstuffing
your garden with people then a guest list is a must-have. More people will also
mean needing to buy more food, so if this is your first-time hosting keep your
party small to ensure a roaring success. You don’t want your party planning to
feel too much like work, but once you succeed with a smaller audience, you will
have the confidence and knowledge to approach hosting a bigger party with gusto
and skill.
A Floor Plan
Know where all the important
items are going to sit in your garden and place them with maximum efficiency to
ensure smooth transitions. For example, keep your barbecue grill near an
entrance to your house so you can nip inside if needed, but be sure not to
block any entrances or footpaths – you don’t want to be bumping elbows with
guests when you’re trying to cook!
You will also need lots of chairs
or picnic rugs – ask your guests to bring their own foldable seats if you don’t
have enough. Optional extras to consider include the placement of cooler boxes
for icy beverages or keeping the meat cool. Place a small coffee table next to
the BBQ to hold items like paper plates and cutlery for your guests too.
Decoration
Setting the scene for your BBQ
means more than just planning the functionality of everything. Getting your
guests in the right mood will kickstart your BBQ party with a bang, so string
up some fairy lights along the fence or in the shrubbery. Bring out a CD player
or radio and start some tunes – not too loudly though, you don’t want to anger
the neighbours or drown out the conversation between your guests!
Food
For an amazing BBQ, you want a
range of food but beware, the more dishes you plan to create the more
ingredients you’ll need and time you will spend preparing. When planning your
menu, consider who you are inviting, their diets, and what kinds of food are
best for the BBQ setting.
If you have children present at
your party, then some tame dishes without any spice of strange flavours will be
a safe bet. If in doubt, buy in some pizzas for the kids and focus instead on
preparing some grand BBQ dishes for the parents – the kids will be perfectly
happy with their pizza.
Be mindful if you have
vegetarians and vegans visiting, perhaps designate one half of your grill to
non-meat foods so that they don’t have to worry about animal grease mixing with
their dishes – be wary if your BBQ is placed on a slope as the meat juices could
run onto your vegetarians’ dinner.
When planning your meat dishes,
think hard about what kind of sauces and glazes you want to season with, we’re
thinking strong BBQ sauces, sweet honey mustard glazes and creamy satay dip.
Drinks and Sides
The meat or Quorn might be the
main event, but you’re planning the Ultimate BBQ so you need to nail the drinks
and sides too. Meat and grilled vegetables can be quite flavourful, so you need
drinks that work in harmony with the event and the food. If you are worried
about supplying the right kind of alcohol, ask your guests to bring some to add
to your own collection – don’t worry about intimidating them, most of the time
people love to get involved in the process and help out a little.
Homemade lemonade or similar
fruity drinks can also prove very refreshing on a hot day with intensely
flavoured meals, and for similar reasons fruit salads will also go down very
well between burgers. Think watermelon and mint with a sprinkling of salt to
really bring out the juices hidden within.
Tips and Tricks
Here are some extra tips and
tricks to ensure your day goes off without a hitch:
Non-stick Grill: Rub half an onion over the grate to stop your meat
from sticking.
Bug Repellent: Have some bands ready for kids and burn essential
oils where there are lots of people – like on tables and near food.
Freeze-pops: Cheaper than ice cream and far more refreshing,
crushing these up into drinks can create some interesting combinations, and the
kids will love them too.
Temperature: If you’re starting early, consider a paddling pool for
guests to dip their feet in. If your BBQ is an evening occasion, have some
outdoor blankets ready to wrap up in.
All that’s left to hope for now
is a spot of good weather, so good luck in preparing your ultimate BBQ because
summer is coming.
