Backyard BBQ Party
BBQs have always been an amazing way to have fun with family and friends. The host would fire up the grill, barbecuing hotdogs and burgers on a nice warm summer’s evening, with some cold beers or a fresh homemade punch. This is the classic bbq party that everyone can enjoy, including you! So why not throw together a good old British BBQ, and where better than your backyard?
New to barbecuing or in need of some new ideas? Here we have a great list of tips to help you out!
Your Party
No two parties are the same, even when having a BBQ party! It’s important to add some variety to your party, which can be easier said than done. Think of your excuse to have a party, and make this your theme. Are you hosting a birthday for your young uns? Are you having a long overdue social gathering? Are you meeting up to watch the game with some great BBQ food? All of these are great options for hosting the BBQ in the first place, but what’s more, is that each option has some unique ideas to make it a great event.
Even if it’s as simple as having a name for your BBQ Party, this can sometimes be enough to make the difference. Adding in a few props and specific ideas will be even better.
How about these for starters… and mains 🙂
- The Great British Banger taste test BBQ – vote for sausages and announce the results at the end
- The Grand Chicken BBQ – lots of different types of BBQ chicken
- The Real Ale BBQ Event – with alternatives for the taste challenged
- Men do all the work BBQ – including clearing away
- Dare to be a vegetarian BBQ – get practising those recipes
- The <insert sporting event> BBQ – timed appropriately
- Bring your own homemade sauce BBQ – with a description of each on display
- BBQ Friday – chill with friends after a long week
- The Big Green BBQ Party – we just like the name, you work out the details
Setting up for your Backyard BBQ
Space
Hosting a backyard BBQ party means that you have to consider more than just the food and drinks. You have to consider how many people will fit where you plan on hosting. Having too many people to fit into your space will make the party feel cramped, and having too few guests can leave the party feeling only half complete.
Make sure there are enough seats and space for people to get around comfortably, relax, and collect their food from the grill. Ask for guests to bring garden chairs if needed and maybe ask for a few spares. Upturned boxes, tree stumps, and old tables are really handy for somewhere to place drinks. They are so much easier than reaching down to your drink on the ground which has already fallen over because the grass isn’t designed to be level.
Decorations
Consider what kind of Backyard party you are hosting. If there is a football match on, get a few flags up, maybe some bunting, but think about the impact of available footballs. When trying to get hold of decorations, Amazon and eBay are your friends but plan. Make sure you have a big box to store the decorations for the same event next year.
On the other hand, decorations probably won’t be the best idea at a normal get-together bbq party as it may leave people feeling a little confused or out of place. Instead, Decoration turns to utility. Is there enough lighting when it gets dark, is the grill in the right place, and is there easy access to the necessities, being the food, drinks, and loo?
Games?
There are loads of great BBQ party games you can get for great prices. It’s best to focus on practical games as it’s something everyone can enjoy, but if some guests are unable to participate in those activities, you should have some less active ones on hand. A great one of these games is Shot in the Dark!
You can find loads of BBQ party games on shopping sites like Amazon or eBay, but also you can ask if any of your guests can bring a fun game over.
BBQ Backyard party Games we like:
- Garden Jenga
- Boulles
- Beach Volleyball
- Beach Tug-of-war
- Limbo
- Build a sandman
- Sand Castles
- Sand Art
Who’s Coming?
There are a few more things to consider when you are about to send out the invites. Do you want your BBQ party to be adults only, or will it be a family event? Keep space in mind, and if kids are coming, they will need space to let out their energy. If you have a smaller garden, adults only will be an easier option to manage. Kids also need lighter portions and likely less adventurous foods to keep them happy. Not only this but make sure there are some sweet drinks for them. Squash, lemonade, coke, and most soft drinks will work fine.
Finally, and a very important thing to remember, check with those who you are going to invite whether anyone has any allergies or intolerances. Nothing is more embarrassing than feeding someone something they are allergic to, for them and you. Not only that, but an allergy can be life-threatening, which can ruin a backyard bbq party fairly quickly. It is always best to ask everyone before you buy all the ingredients to plan accordingly. Make sure you have emergency vegetarian or vegan options, just in case you get surprised last minute.
Bring on the Food!
And now the most important part of any BBQ party is the food! When you go out to collect your ingredients, the first thing on your mind should be variety. For a classic backyard BBQ, you don’t want to go overboard and create a unique delicacy. You should have a nice variety of classic BBQ food, like burgers, wings, hot dogs, skewers, maybe. In particular, there are loads of varieties of British sausages for you to throw on the barbecue that is sold at all the big supermarket chains. What could be better for a British BBQ? Have your veggie/vegan options handy, and have your condiments and sides laid out and ready to be tucked into. I recommend Coleslaw as an absolute must-have to go alongside your mains, as well as keeping your cans of drink in either a large fridge or an ice bucket.
The food is one of, if not the most important, part of hosting a good BBQ party. Make sure your BBQ is well-fuelled and running at the right temperature. Otherwise, you could overcook your food and leave your guests less than impressed. If you are a BBQ beginner, it might be a good idea to look up an online guide. Youtube often has great grill masters who do a great job of explaining how to use your BBQ, whatever BBQ you have, properly!
Check out some of these videos on the following youtube channels:
And Enjoy
Now the food is cooked, and everyone’s eating and enjoying themselves, you can breathe your sigh of relief. The hard part is done! Make sure your equipment is safely secured, the BBQ is off, and join your friends sitting or standing to do some socialising yourself. It’s not all about your guests. You need some fun out of this as well, so go and enjoy the fruits of your labour!
The tidying can wait till later…