As the weather warms up, you can be sure that everyone is ready to return to normal life. Summer means garden parties, which means a lot of planning to ensure it goes off without a hitch. You have been in hibernation for far too long, this is your chance to get the barbecue fired up, and turn the music up. The only question left to answer is what do you serve?
The options are endless, but your choice will depend on who you are catering to. What size group are you trying to feed? What type of garden party are you holding? What space do you have to work with? The first thing you need to do is sit down and make a plan! Let everyone know that your party is on and then get down to business. You don’t have to come up with a theme, but themes are always fun. Before we get into details, you might want to consider a beverage station. Either, somewhere guests can easily serve themselves or a cocktail/drink upon arrival that can greet them as they enter your garden.
The last thing you want is to run out of food, so it’s always wise to over-cater to ensure everyone is satisfied. The worst that will happen is you have leftovers to work through, which you could always share with family and neighbors. With that out of the way, let’s focus on the foods you can serve for your summer garden party.
Barbecue
Everyone loves a barbecue. The biggest issue with a barbecue is that someone will be chained to the grill all day to keep the food coming. Chicken, ribs, sausages, brisket, and pulled pork… there is something for everyone with a barbecue. If you have vegetarians to contend with, then you will need to go hard with the sides to keep them happy. If you opt for a Hawaiian theme, then a luau barbecue is ideal. If you want to keep it light and fresh, why not experiment with a seafood barbecue?
Action Stations
An action station can be stocked with anything. The idea is you set up a station that is ready for a line of hungry guests to work through and fill their plates. Whatever theme or cuisine you choose, action stations should either be bulk dishes like pasta or dishes with many accessories like ice cream sundaes, baked potatoes, or fajitas.
Pig Roast
A pig roast is a big win! It’s delicious, it’s a stunning display, and it’s fun! If you opt for a pig roast, the company you deal with will often display the pig, so everyone has a chance to see it, before serving. You can either make it the sole focus of your garden party and max out on the sides. Or, you can make it a feature and still offer hamburgers and hot dogs. It’s up to you and will depend on your crowd.
Of course, rather than dealing with the stress and hassle of arranging everything, you could enlist the services of a professional caterer who will do it all for you! You will find a wide range of packages available from DRJ Catering.