Barbecue Etiquette: How to be the Perfect Host

If you’re holding a barbecue this summer, we have some top etiquette tips that will ensure you'll be the perfect barbecue host:

Burning citrus candles is a great way to keep the bugs at bay and stop them biting your guests – especially if you’re serving any sweet food or drinks. You can buy bamboo garden torches which can be filled with citronella oil to repel insects - and these torches look great and give your garden a cosy glow. If you’re looking to get rid of midges on a larger scale, check out our website www.midgeater.co.uk.

Make sure you know how many guests are coming to your barbecue and ensure there’s a comfortable seat for everyone. If you have built in seating this is a perfect supplement to furniture that keeps your garden uncluttered.

When you plan your seating make sure you are seated near to the kitchen. This means you won’t be barging past your guests when going to and from the house – pushing guests is, of course, an absolute barbecue no-no.

If you’re having an afternoon barbecue, make sure there’s plenty of shade to avoid sticky sunburnt guests. If you really want to impress check out the fantastic Calor Garden Room - available at the Calor BBQ Shop, which includes a Mirage Heat’n’Light, a 4 person cooking grill, a large hardwood table and 4 armchairs.

Keep jugs of iced water handy – particularly if you’re barbecuing on a hot day. If you stick with the beer or wine your guests will soon be dehydrated (and you maybe too tipsy to tend the barbecue). So pour some water - it’s the healthy choice!

Many agree that there’s nothing worse than a warm beer. If you don’t want to keep trekking to the fridge you can fill a couple of buckets with iced water to put drinks in – great if the fridge is full and you don’t own a cool box!

Having a Sunday roast on the barbie? In the UK its tradition for the host to carve the meat and put it on a plate before serving each person. It's almost the opposite in France where carving meat for people is sometimes considered an insult as it looks like you don’t want your guests to help themselves to too much. Keep this in mind should you have any French guests at your barbecue.

If you’re having a barbecue at night, don’t forget to consider the lighting – what could be worse than not being able to see your guests! A perfect way to keep your friends’ faces illuminated late in the evening (and keep them nice and warm to boot!) is the Mirage Heat ’n’ Light available from Calor BBQ Shop.

Avoid an embarrassing barbecue faux pas by checking with your guests if they have any special dietary requirements. Imagine having nothing but lettuce for a vegetarian to munch on when there are so many delicious alternatives that everyone can enjoy.
The wonderful aromas created by your BBQ may not seem quite so wonderful to your neighbour sitting in their lounge watching a Sunday evening film. Be aware of wind direction and the proximity of neighbours noses when placing your BBQ. The easiest solution is to invite the neighbours round!

Other articles from July 2003 newsletter: