It’s a tragically rare occurrence, so when the British weather decides to play nice, you better believe we’re going to make the most of it. The second the thermometer ticks into the low twenties, excited Brits across the country immediately turn to each other, message group chats, and summon their mates with some of the most beautiful words in the English language: ‘summer BBQ at mine this weekend?’
Whether you’re holding a family BBQ, having your friends round for a chill evening of grilling and good times, or throwing a full on summer BBQ party, we’re here to show you how to have the best BBQ party. From fun ideas to the best food and drinks to serve, we’re going to make sure your BBQ is the envy of the whole street.
Ideas for a summer BBQ
Wondering how to plan the perfect summer BBQ party? Here are a couple of ideas to get things cooking with gas…
Make sure you’ve got your grill all set up
Whoever’s doing the grilling, make their job nice and easy by making sure they’ve got everything they need – use our handy BBQ checklist to get it all set up and ready to go by the BBQ.
BBQ checklist:
- Grill tongs
- Metal spatula
- Grill fork
- Basting brush
- Oil
- Gloves and apron
- Towel
- Aluminium foil
- Charcoal or gas
Plan lawn games for kids (and adults)
Kids will love to get involved with games like Twister, giant connect-4 or jenga, or even something simple and easy like this DIY ring toss from I Should Be Mopping the Floor! And honestly, who are we kidding – even adults like to get involved when their competitive streak comes out. Make sure you’ve got enough games to go around and everyone is bound to have a good time!
Throw a special birthday BBQ
A summer BBQ is a perfect way to celebrate a special summer birthday, and a great excuse to gather everyone round for a party! And what would a birthday bash be without the perfect birthday card?
Pick some summery tunes
Crank up the volume, and throw on a super summery playlist. Need some inspiration? Check out our positive playlist for plenty of bangers with some real feel-good vibes, or search Spotify for the perfect crowd-sourced BBQ playlist. You can also invite your friends to join a Spotify listening party, so you can all collaborate and throw your favourite summer tracks into the mix!
Set up a drinks bar
No matter what kind of drinks you decide to serve at your summer BBQ (and keep reading to find out our must-have suggestions for perfect summery drinks) make sure you’ve got a one-stop station so your guests can serve themselves. No more dashing around trying to keep everyone’s glasses filled – let people mix their own drinks, or set up a cooler filled with ice and bottles! You can also serve non-alcoholic drinks for kids or for teetotallers who might feel left out at a boozy BBQ – make them an all-singing all-dancing mocktail station instead!
The best food for a summer BBQ party
There are countless BBQ recipes for a gourmet grilling experience, so we won’t try to reinvent the wheel here – but if you’re planning your summer BBQ food shopping list, here are some of the things you might want to pick up for the main event:
- Sausages
- Burgers
- Chicken thighs or wings
- Hot dog rolls and burger buns
- Lettuce, sliced tomatoes, red onion, burger relish
- Cheese slices
- Skewers of meat, fish, and veggies
- Corn on the cob
- Baking potatoes
- Coleslaw
- Potato salad
- Mayo, ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce and any other condiments
Summer BBQ salads
The main event of a BBQ is often the meat on the grill, but for veggie and vegan friends try some of these tasty summer BBQ salads – so tasty, they’re sure to please even die-hard meat lovers.
Greek salad
A Mediterranean-inspired flavour is perfect for hot summer days. This recipe from BBC Good Food is great with grilled meats, or on its own served as a delicious main!
Grilled halloumi salad
Just because you’re serving salad doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of the grill! Salty, squeaky halloumi cheese won’t melt on the BBQ, which makes it a perfect accompaniment to tasty couscous, asparagus and snap peas in this recipe from Good Housekeeping.
Roasted veg salad
Too often, the salad at a BBQ is a sad affair – a watery potato salad or a few sad lettuce leaves. Not with this beautiful fresh roasted veg and quinoa salad from Delicious! It’s a full-on main for vegan party guests that won’t leave them feeling like an afterthought.
Delicious drinks for a summer BBQ party
There’s nothing like a refreshing, fruity drink on a hot summer day while enjoying delicious grilled food! We’ve got a few ideas for larger crowd-pleasing suggestions, but if you’re looking for single-serve cocktails, check out our guide to easy summer cocktails you can make at home.
Top tip: plastic glasses are your friend. They might not be quite as elegant, but nothing curtails the fun of a summer BBQ like glass everywhere.
Summer sangria
While a red wine sangria is traditional, we’d suggest switching it up for a summer BBQ with white wine and plenty of summer fruits. The sweet, fruity taste and lighter profile pairs perfectly with grilled food and plenty of sunshine!
Chop, slice and freeze plenty of fruit, chill some big serving jugs, and let your friends serve themselves. You can really change the flavour based on the fruits you add here – for a tangier sangria, pick pineapple, lime, oranges and nectarines, or go for a sweeter flavour with peach, strawberries, watermelon chunks, and raspberries. Make it ahead of time and let the flavours get to know each other!
Summer sangria recipe:
- Lots of mixed fruit, pre-sliced and frozen
- Mint leaves
- Your favourite white wine – Pinot Grigio, Moscato or Sauvignon Blanc are good picks
- An optional extra liqueur, like Cointreau or Grand Marnier
- Sugar syrup, honey or cordial
- Bubbles – take your pick of something like sparkling water, lemonade, Sprite
- Plenty of ice
Build your own margarita bar
Ice-cold, tangy, and synonymous with summer – you can’t go wrong with margaritas. And even better when you give your guests the chance to customise their drink! Margaritas are easy to make – no complex muddling or pouring, just shaking together the right ingredients. Go big and really stock the bar with pretty bright bottles of fruit juice so people can really make their margarita their own. You could also make a margarita mocktail station for non-drinkers and kids!
Pick your favourite flavours to add to the bar, but we’d suggest bright, summery tastes like pineapple juice, mango juice, lime juice, and cranberry juice – you can also freeze and blend fresh fruit like watermelon, raspberries and peaches to create a selection of super-fruity flavours!
To build a make-your-own margarita bar, you’ll need:
- Plenty of fresh fruit juice, syrups or blended fruits
- Your favourite tequila
- Triple sec liqueur
- Lots of ice
- Fruit slices and berries for a garnish
- Salt for rimming margarita glasses
Swap out the tequila and triple sec for white rum and soda water and throw some more lime juice and mint in the mix, and you could also have a make-your-own-mojito bar, equally perfect for warm summer weather.
You’ve got everything you need to make the most of the British sunshine with a classic summer BBQ – so make it legendary. For more party planning ideas, check out our guide to organising the perfect garden party, and head to the thortful blog for more all-season inspiration!
