How to host the perfect BBQ

With the sun arriving, we're finding ourselves with all the more reason to spend time outside, and what better way of enjoying the sun than by hosting a BBQ with your friends? The bigger the better. The more people, the more food that can be brought over - saving you some of the load. Sharing is caring, and it's a great way to show the people in your life that you care about them, and an even better opportunity to show off your cooking skills.  

A BBQ needs a garden. As much as an indoor flaming grill would brighten up the house, there just simply isn’t enough space - along with the ventilation issues which may cause some concern for your health, and the fire alarms. The garden in question needs not be more than the total space of a parking spot - besides, concrete slab floors only add to the effect of a student BBQ. The event is always best when both cooked and eaten outside.

The classics to cook are any kind of meat. Beef patties, sausages and kebab skewers, to name a few. But with a student budget and a large variety of diets, it's become equally as popular to throw a couple of veg on the barbie, not to mention the wonders of grilled halloumi. If cooking chicken on the BBQ, it's recommended to close the lid and keep the chicken out of the flames - this creates a slower cook. To avoid this hassle, I recommend cooking them fully in the oven, then simply crisp up on the grill. Another tip is to use metal utensils, as these will help to slide under the foods as they drip through the grill - a spatula and tongs being the go-to.  

With all these heavy foods it's nice to give a nod to health and create salads for a side. On a budget, a great recommendation is a Caprese salad with only tomatoes and mozzarella as the ingredients.

Now you're ready to begin, it's best to set up your area, give yourself a place for the raw foods to sit and a separate place for all the cooked foods (preferably still with some heat under them) - ready for your guests to collect. Make sure all these spaces are sturdy and won't be knocked over, collapsing all your precious food onto the floor. It is also a good idea to have the BBQ itself at the back of the garden, where the smoke won’t get in people's faces, and no one will accidentally catch an ember on their clothes with the risk of becoming a human torch. If you're using a disposable barbecue, make sure it's stable and that it won't burn the surface you put it on. However, it's important to note that disposable BBQs can't be recycled and are dangerous to put in the bin while still hot - so best to douse them in water and leave them outside overnight to place in the bin in the morning.