Tips For Hosting The Best Summer BBQ

The sun is shining. The grill is smoking. It’s time to host an epic barbecue with these effortless hosting hacks!

As the mercury rises, many of us will be dusting off the barbecues and planning our next get together. But if you’re the host of the summer party this time round, you might be left a bit hot under the collar with the thought of all the prep.

This is why as part of The Ice Co’s Summer On Ice campaign, the brand, alongside Global Mixologist, Channel 4 Sunday Brunch presenter and World of Zing’s founder, Pritesh Mody, has pulled together a list of top BBQ hosting hacks to ensure your summer party runs to perfection without you event breaking a sweat.

1. Use a small paddling pool to create an ice table

There’s nothing worse than a bowl of warm dips or a soggy salad. Bring the cool outside by filling a small paddling pool with Party Ice and creating your own ice table. The best bit? You can top it up all night long and keep your food fresh for longer.

2. Don’t forget about the drinks!

A summer party wouldn’t be a summer party without ice-cold drinks. Nobody likes to sup a warm glass of fizz, so you’ll need a way to keep the drinks cool.

Dot ice buckets all over the garden, and make use of any old trays you have around by making DIY coolers.

Pritesh Mody’s handy hack: If you’re using a deep bucket or trough, a great tip is to put the drinks at the bottom, followed by a layer of ice, with another layer of drinks on top. You can keep doing this as the day goes on, but make sure you’ve got enough ice to hand.

3. Use a fitted sheet as a tablecloth

There’s nothing worse than watching your fancy cocktail go flying on a tablecloth. To prevent flyaway drinks at your summer party, use a fitted sheet on an outdoor table. Or, take the food to the floor and use a bed of blankets for a boho vibe.

4. Prescoop ice cream

We all know that getting those round, crisp scoops is virtually impossible and takes ages. Save yourself the bother of doing it on the day, and prescoop the ice cream and pop it back in the freezer. Then all you’ll need to do on the day is take one off the tray and stick it on a cone.

Pritesh Mody’s handy hack: Ice cream just tastes better at the end of a sweltering day, especially when it’s covered in scrumptious toppings. Why not set up a toppings bar and let guests customize their sundaes how they wish!

5. Use ice bowls to keep dips cold

If you’re going to have dips around the garden, keeping them cool is a must. Pop the dips in ramekins and place that in a larger bowl full of Party Ice. It’ll keep it cooler for longer, leading to less wastage too.

6. Make cocktails ahead of time

If you’re like us, a summer party must include at least one fancy cocktail with loads of crisp ice. But making them all up on the day takes time. Save yourself bother on the day by making some batches of summer punch and store them in mason jars. On the day, you can place the jars in ice buckets and open when you’re ready.

Pritesh Mody’s handy hack: Classic cocktails consisting only of alcohol, such as the Negroni and Old Fashioned can be made up to a week in advance, but again are best kept cool in the fridge.

7. Spray paint games on the grass

We’ve all seen the giant Jenga and outdoor Twister games on offer, but they can be super expensive. As a cheaper alternative, invest in some washable spray paint and create your own lawn games. DIY Twister normally goes down a storm, or you could even go old school and create your very own hop scotch!

Pritesh Mody’s handy hack: Sidewalk chalk for the kids is always a winner. You can then sit down, relax and let them take care of the evening’s décor.

8. Tie bottle openers to your ice buckets

‘Where’s the bottle opener?’ is a common phrase at a summer party. Save your guests the trauma of using their teeth and tie bottle openers to your ice buckets. That way you’ll avoid any dental catastrophes and keep the party running smoothly.

9. Put condiments in muffin tins

If ramekins aren’t your thing or you hate washing up, put condiments in a muffin tin. Sure, it may not look the part, but who cares! It does the job, saves you washing up and is easy to rest on a bed of ice to keep it cool.

Pritesh Mody’s handy hack: If you’re serving a veggie platter, use hollowed out peppers instead of ramekins to serve the dip. It looks awesome, and again saves on washing up.

10.Cover drinks with cupcake liners

Most of us have a few spare cupcake liners lying around. Rather than sitting at the back of your cupboard, utilise them by making your own drink covers. Pop one over your drink, stick a straw in the middle and sip safe in the knowledge you won’t be swallowing any flies at your summer party.

Looking for more hosting hacks ready for your long-awaited summer party? Visit the Summer on ice website, here: https://www.theiceco.co.uk/summer-on-ice