Sun, Sip, and Safety: BBQ Season Additional Essentials for Every Enthusiast

Posted on 26th April 2023

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With summer quickly approaching, it is time to start collecting those all-important essentials for spending time with your loved ones in the great outdoors. Besides the delicious food on the menu, there are many other things to consider when preparing for your guests.

Whether having a BBQ picnic in the park or getting out the industrial grill in your back garden, making sure your party is packed with entertaining games and good drinks is key for fun in the sun.  

Here, we will explore some of the BBQ season additional essentials that all summer enthusiasts should have when hosting the best back-garden bash.

Summer activities

Pool party

No summer party is complete without a pool or an inflatable hot tub to add to the mix. This is not only a great way to have fun, but it can also let your guests cool off or enjoy some much-needed relaxation time. While the meat cooks, your guests can take a dip and enjoy developing a tan from the water.

Garden games

There are various garden games at your disposal to keep children and adults entertained while they wait for their food. From water balloon fights to setting up your own back-garden cinema with a classic summer feel-good film choice, there are endless ways to provide entertainment, even while focusing on being a chef.

But make sure these games are played away from the BBQ area for the safety of your guests, and your sausages!

Cooling drinks

Iced coffee

Running around in the sun can work up a thirst – so what is a better way to cool your guests down than a drink selection they cannot resist?

We have seen the popularity of iced coffee growing from TikTok trends to big chains offering it across their branches. In fact, the rise of TikTok and content creators dependent on their cold caffeine drinks made out-of-home iced coffee sales up 53.4% in 2019 alone.

For the perfect BBQ set-up, you could offer different flavours of iced coffee or various coffee syrups, including a range of shaped ice cubes.

Homemade refreshers

Another cooling drink perfect for this summer is the slushie – you can even booze it up for the afterparty or an all-adult BBQ evening. Much like iced coffee, you can offer a station where guests can choose their slushy syrups or interesting toppings as a mixture of multiple slushie creations.

And nothing says BBQ more than a traditional homemade lemonade. Refreshing and cooling, we have seen it across our screens, from lemonade stalls to the BBQ buffet.

Safety kits

First aid

Being in the sun all day can cause many problems. While your drink station should keep your guests from dehydrating, making sure you have a first aid kit to hand to manage any bumps, scrapes, or fainting spells is best for a hot evening.

From alcohol wipes for cleaning wounds to sun cream for banishing burns, summer essentials can keep your guests happy and healthy.

BBQ Safety

It is also important to ensure all children and pets stay away from the BBQ. Fat in burgers and other meat products can splash from your equipment, and carbon monoxide production is dangerous for your guests. Declaring a safety zone around your equipment is best for avoiding accidents.

It is also important to know how to put out a fire in case it occurs. Smothering the flames and reducing the BBQ’s oxygen supply is the best bet for all types of BBQ. Having a fire blanket to hand or a powder fire extinguisher can mean you can stop the fire efficiently.

Whether charring up the perfect beef brisket or firing up burgers in abundance, your BBQ event is much more than just the food. While good food is a great way to spend the day, your guests being entertained, safe, and thirst-free in the sun is key to a good evening. From refreshing drinks to keeping the food going down to dips in the pool as the food cooks, you need to consider much more than the meat when planning the perfect BBQ evening.