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Outdoor Entertaining Tips

from Outdoor Heating Guide

three dancing pigs Holding a party outside is a great way to spend a balmy summer evening with friends and family. However, outdoor parties do have some special challenges that you should consider before getting underway.

Here are some outdoor entertaining tips to help you hold successful parties every time.

Have a Plan to Deal with Insects

Many a great party has been spoiled by uninvited guests – including creepy crawlies like ants, flies, and mosquitoes. 

Spray for insects long before your guests arrive and use real citronella candles to keep bugs away.

Cover any food that you have lying out to keep insects away, and provide bottles of bug spray for guests to use when necessary.

Think About Food Safety

Outdoor barbeques and picnics are a lot of fun, but they can quickly turn bad if good food safety habits are not practiced. 

  • To ensure that you don’t accidentally make your guests sick, avoid foods with ingredients that spoil easily, such as mayonnaise and eggs. 

 

picnic basket in shade on white sandy beach
© BURCU ARAT SUP

Make sure that you don’t spread out your food in full sunlight; find a shady place instead. 

beach parasol on white sandy beach
© BURCU ARAT SUP

  • Keep sensitive foods in coolers until they are ready to be served, and return them to the coolers immediately. 


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  • Finally, make sure that you think ahead and bring separate cutting boards and serving plates to use with cooked and uncooked foods.

Remember the Wind Factor

Gusts of wind can turn a poorly-planned outdoor party into chaos. To make sure that wind doesn’t wreak havoc with your outdoor party, give guests plate holders to keep paper plates from flying away. 

putting rubbish in bin

Use garbage cans with lids to prevent trash from escaping. 

Put out rolls of paper towels or use cloth napkins instead of paper. 

kitchen roll on stand

Your guests will feel more relaxed and comfortable if they don’t have to worry about their food flying away, and you’ll be able to concentrate on your friends instead of hunting down stray trash.

Plan for adequate seating

There would be nothing worse than inviting a host of people to your next outdoor event and there is no where for them to sit. 

People hate standing for too long so ensure you have enough seating for everyone including any kids that happen to turn up.

Most people are happy to sit on anything as long as it is clean and relatively comfortable so be creative….just make sure that it is safe.

pile of people

Whether you are using outdoor fireplaces, chiminea or fire pits, remember to get it started in good time, to give it enough time to heat up - nothing worse than having to wait until breakfast for your evening meal!

And finally, just enjoy the occasion. There is no point hosting a party if it is going to stress you out. Just relax and have fun!


 Additional Outdoor Entertaining Tips

contributed by Riverside Garden Centre

BBQs create a focal point for any garden party and there is nothing better to get even the shyest people socialising than a few bottles of vino and the aroma of a sizzling steak or burger. By doing some quick research on the internet for inspired BBQ recipes and food safety guidelines, you will be sure to have the most talked about party for streets around. If is likely to run into the early hours, remember to warn the neighbours….or better still invite them round too! 

Don’t let your imagination be restricted to just the food, this can be a perfect opportunity to show off your cocktail shaking abilities! Again some quick research on the net and prior preparation will serve you in good stead for this. Remember, the more flamboyant and over the top, the better! 

The biggest worry for anyone looking to hold an outdoor party is inevitably the weather! Consider investing in some temporary cover such as Parasols, Pavilions and Gazebos. This will mean that in the worst case scenario of a downpour, your guests will be kept dry while still maintaining the feeling of being outdoors. 
 


 

 



 

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