People looking to host stress-free garden parties this summer have been offered ten helpful tips for making the most of the weather and time with guests.
Outdoors experts from BillyOh.com have compiled a checklist covering everything from food and drink to games and rubbish.
Tips include pre-scooping ice cream, freezing berries and preparing the garden well in advance, meaning you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time socialising.
A spokesperson from BillyOh.com said: “There’s often nothing better than getting a group of people all together to enjoy lovely weather in the garden. The key to making the most of the party is to get as much of the prep done as possible before guests arrive.
“Although there may be a bit of pressure to get everything right, remember it’s also time for you to enjoy yourself.”
These are BillyOh.com ’s ten handy hacks for the perfect summer garden party:
1. Drinks
Storing drinks in the fridge or a cool place before placing them in ice buckets for guests to grab means that they’ll be the perfect temperature and won’t just be cooling in the inevitable bucket of water.
2. Rubbish
Having boxes and tubs with a few empty bottles in before guests start arriving mean that hopefully they will spot them and follow suit. This will help reduce the amount of rubbish you need to clear the next day. Remember to use different boxes for different materials, so you can recycle as much as possible.
3. Skewers
Putting thin vegetables such as asparagus on metal skewers means that it’ll halve the time they need to cook on the barbeque. This can also free up space for other vegetables and meats.
4. Lighting
If you’re planning on guests staying late into the night, having garden lights set out and candles placed means it won’t take as long to adjust when it starts to get dark.
5. Games
Having ways to entertain the children can mean all your guests can fully enjoy themselves. Giant Jenga and Boules are great for both kids and adults to get involved with. You could even set up a mini sports day If you’re feeling competitive.
6. Ice
Using frozen berries will help cool drinks quicker, without watering them down. It can help your drinks look extra special and also means guests can enjoy a boost of vitamin C at the end.
7. Ice cream
If you’re planning on serving ice cream in cones, placing a mini marshmallow in the bottom of each cone will stop any leaking. You can also pre-scoop your ice cream and place them in cupcake trays in the freezer until you serve them.
8. Glasses
Use gift tags for guests to be able to label their glasses. This means that you don’t have the inevitable ‘which is my drink’ question and can help reduce the amount of washing up you need to do.
9. Condiments
By placing portions of sauces and condiments in muffin trays you can help your table look a lot prettier. It also means that they are all in one place and bottles cannot mysteriously disappear.
10. Kebabs
There’s nothing worse than trying to eat a kebab and having pieces of food falling off into your lap. By using two skewers to secure your food it’s unlikely that will happen.
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