National BBQ Week returns for its 28th year this 3rd – 9th June 2024 and grills will be sizzling across the country, with (hopefully) warm weather encouraging get-togethers with friends and family for a spot of al fresco dining. With a variety of BBQ areas and outdoor kitchens dotted across its roof terraces and podium gardens, Quintain Living – the award-winning management company overseeing the rental of over 3,390 apartments in Wembley Park, London – has shared its top tips for how to BBQ with friends this summer.
7 top tips for BBQing with friends
1. Collaborate to plan your menu
Discussing what you’re going to cook the day before makes it easy to ensure a balanced selection of tasty treats, as well as to cater to dietary preferences. Remember to plan your side dishes too – not just what’s going on the grill, whether courgettes for BBQing with a dash of balsamic, leaves for an ultra-fresh salad or herbs to give everything some added zing. Finally, factor in whether you’re cooking over coals or with gas, as the different methods lend themselves to different dishes.
2. Share the tasks
There’s plenty to do when you’re cooking for a crowd but there are also plenty of people to share the load. Whether it’s shopping, prepping, cooking, mixing drinks or washing up, get everyone involved for a smooth-running BBQ that feels like a true team effort. Remember that you can also make things easier by ordering your food to be delivered in advance, with everyone from supermarkets to greengrocers offering delivery services. Just remember you’ll need to keep any meat or fish in the fridge until about 20 minutes before you cook it.
3. Have your tools at the ready
From your foil to your fish slice, happy grilling for a crowd is all about being prepared. You’ll need utensils for cooking with, serving dishes and platters, oil, seasoning, a meat thermometer and more. Get everything ready beforehand to minimise stress while once the BBQ is lit.
4. Plan your table décor
From knives to napkins, a little forethought can ensure you have everything with you as you fire up the grill. It means you can all settle down for a relaxed affair, rather than constantly having to pop back indoors or to the nearest shop to fetch things you’ve overlooked.
5. Separate your grilling zones
Catering for a crowd means keeping everyone happy. With many people choosing a vegetarian or vegan diet, it’s a good idea to allocate different areas of your grill for meat and vegetables. And don’t forget to use different utensils for each area too, so your tongs don’t transfer meat juices to your mushrooms!
6. Don’t forget about dessert
BBQs aren’t all about the main course. Throw a few bananas in their skins on the grill as you sit down to eat and they’ll be perfectly cooked by the time you finish, ready to serve with anything from butterscotch sauce to ice-cream to a warming drizzle of rum.
7. Think carefully about timing
Do you want your guests turning up for a few drinks beforehand, at the moment you’ve lit the grill or as you serve the feast? Think beforehand about how long it’s all going to take and what would work best. It can be helpful to start with what time you would like to eat and work backwards from there.
At Canada Gardens, BBQs and outdoor kitchen areas are set in an acre of lush gardens. The Weber-grade outdoor grill area exudes a relaxed, country kitchen vibe, with faded brickwork, wooden tables and flower-packed planters. There’s also a community allotment area, with planters growing a range of vegetables and herbs for residents’ enjoyment.
Meanwhile, at Repton Gardens, the round, canopied BBQ hut sits within a 2,300 square foot podium garden. The clever design delivers a combination of privacy and connectedness, with four hireable BBQs and tables with seating for up to six people at each. The garden is also home to trees, lawned areas and two playparks, providing fun for residents of all ages while the food is cooking.
Over at Ferrum, both the podium garden and the roof terrace are home to outdoor kitchens, delivering outstanding views of Wembley Stadium’s iconic arch as residents cook up a storm. In addition to BBQ areas, the south-facing podium gardens and roof terrace provide lawn games, along with wooden dining tables, benches and pagodas. The natural, calm feel of the outdoor spaces is the ideal counterbalance to the effortlessly cool, New York warehouse-inspired interiors of Ferrum’s apartments.
“BBQing with friends provides scope for endless variety – you can grill every weekend and no two feasts need be the same. We are delighted that our residents enjoy such a wealth of facilities to enjoy during National BBQ Week and all summer long, as part of homes that they are proud to show off to their friends and family.”
Danielle Bayless, Chief Operating Officer, Quintain Living
For more information on Quintain Living or to book a viewing, visit www.quintainliving.com, @quintainliving on Instagram or call 020 3151 1927.
