How to organise the perfect BBQ party

When it comes to cooking in the summer, it’s all about having some friends over and firing up the BBQ, but what about preparation? What needs to be done before your guests arrive to guarantee your BBQ party will be a success? Here are a few tips to follow to turn your next BBQ get together into an event that will truly impress your guests.

-Make a guest list: A simple step, but a vital one. Make sure you know how many people you invited. If children are coming with their parents, you might want to make a table just for them, so knowing the number of families attending with their kids is important.

-Devise a menu: To prevent you from running out of food, write what you are planning to serve. Not everybody likes beef or chicken, so you might want to plan an alternative, like a vegetarian burger for example. Also, prepare some non alcoholic beverages to serve the children that are attending the party. You could always ask people to bring some of their own culinary creations, ask them to phone in advance so that you can add them to your menu.

-Don’t forget about supplies and snacks: Serve snacks to your guests while they wait for the food to be prepared. Also, be sure that you have enough plates, utensils, cups, napkins, tables and chairs for everyone attending. It’s always better to have a little extra of everything on hand instead of being short a few necessities when the party really starts to get going.

-Make sure you have all your cooking utensils ready to use: Large wooden cutting board, fork, spatula, grills so that you wont be stuck looking for them when the party begins.

-Be careful when preparing your food: you don’t want people to get sick from cross contamination. Clean your cutting board properly and make sure you use one to prepare your meat and another cutting board for your veggies.
You might want to check the weather during the days before your party. If rain is in the forecast, you can rent a tent so that everybody stays dry even when it’s raining outside. One thing is certain, by following these simple steps; you will be able to organize one smooth running party that all your guests will be sure to remember.