Whether you are planning a birthday party, wedding reception or just a large gathering, a barbecue provides a great way to cater for large numbers. Catering for over 100 people can be a daunting thought but with careful planning and time-saving shortcuts, you can host a huge barbecue with minimum fuss. Here are some of the key things to consider:
Location
Where will you hold the barbecue? Whether it's your own garden, a friend's garden or a venue that you've hired especially for the day, take time to consider whether it will be large enough to accommodate all your guests safely and comfortably. Think about entry and exit points so that people don't cause log jams when arriving and leaving and consider exactly where you will place the cooking and serving stations so that people can get to them easily. Let any guests who will be arriving by car know in advance where they should park.
Weather
The main problem with planning a large barbecue is that you will need to pick a date well in advance which means that you can't be sure that the weather will be in your favour when the day actually arrives. Have a contingency plan in case of rain or wind. As long as you can still cook the food and provide sheltered areas for your guests, then you will be able to go ahead with your barbecue whatever the weather.
The Barbecue
Think about the size of your barbecue. If you don't have a large barbecue already it may be worth investing in one that is suitable for mass catering. Alternatively, use three or four smaller barbecues and designate each one for a different food type - one for meat, one for vegetarian dishes, one for fish etc.
Remember that you might be cooking over several hours, so ensure that you have plenty of fuel and keep raw food in the fridge or a cool box until you are ready to cook it.
Food and Drink
The type of food you serve will be determined largely by the style of barbecue that you are hosting. For an informal affair it's probably best to keep things simple with a couple of meat options, a vegetarian option and a good selection of side salads and bread. If you're planning something more formal such as a wedding reception, you might want to introduce a few different dishes such as a selection of fish, hot vegetable dishes and a choice of desserts. Either way, it's always a good idea to include a few things that don't need cooking and stick to recipes that you can prepare in advance.
Think about fridge space. Check that you will have enough space to store everything safely and if not, invest in some heavy duty cool boxes or ask a neighbour if you can use their fridge.
When it comes to drinks make sure you have a good choice of alcohol and soft drinks. Have a chat with your local off-licence in advance as they may offer a 'sale or return' policy allowing you to buy more than you think you will need and then return any unopened items.
Keeping drinks cold can be challenging in hot weather particularly if your fridge is already full of food. Try keeping drinks cold in buckets of ice, or fill a bath or clean dustbin with cold water to keep bottles chilled.
Recruit some helping hands
When catering for large numbers don't try and do everything yourself. Draft in some responsible volunteers to help you and delegate different jobs to them such as greeting the guests, serving drinks and helping with the cooking.
Health and Safety
It's always important to think about health and safety no matter how many people are at your barbecue but when hosting a large barbecue the increased numbers can mean that accidents are more likely to happen.
Make sure you have fire extinguishers, fire blankets and first aid kits to hand. Avoid food poisoning by making sure you are confident when it comes to food safety and hygiene. If you are recruiting volunteers to help with the food preparation, check that they are aware of how to prepare and cook food safely too.
If it's a hot day, provide areas of shade for your guests so that they don't suffer from sunburn or sunstroke and make sure there are plenty of soft drinks available so that everyone can keep well hydrated whilst enjoying the sun.
Hints and Tips
When you are hosting a large barbecue, the last thing you want to be doing is running around in a blind panic because you cannot find a particular item.
Here are some hints and tips to help you stay calm and organised:
• Have plenty of utensils for cooking and serving. Remember to have an additional set for handling the vegetarian food.
• Use disposable plates, cutlery and glasses - not only does this save on the washing up but also prevents breakages.
• Put the bread and condiments close to the barbecue and line things up in a logical order so that your guests can get their bread, then their barbecue food and finally their condiments without any fuss.
• Consider putting food such as bread, salads, sauces and dressings on a few different tables so that you don't get a crowd around one table.
• There are always spillages at barbecues, so provide kitchen towels, napkins or wipes for your guests to help themselves to.
• Provide plenty of bins for rubbish and recycling.
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