Essential Guide to Catering Garden Parties
Planning a garden party? Read about how best to prepare the catering...
How to Prepare for a Garden Party
Garden parties are a wonderful way to entertain family, friends, colleagues and more during the lengthy summer days. There’s no magic formula to help you deliver an exquisite garden party, but there are certain questions to ask to provide a stunning outdoor catering experience to your guests.
The first item on your garden party to-do list should be to decide on the type of party you’re throwing. It could be a BBQ, an al fresco cocktail party, a picnic party or even a full outdoor dining experience. The type of garden party you opt for will dictate the equipment you need to make your outdoor catering event successful.
What Equipment Do I Need to Cater an Event Outside?
Larger items like the BBQ, smokers and pizza ovens are a given, but when you’re looking at other essential catering equipment for a garden party, what are the items you shouldn’t forget?
- Sturdy plates and bowls for serving
- Baskets for bread and other loose food items
- Chafing dishes for warm food
- Fuel and matches for dish warmers
- Cutting boards
- Cutting knives
- Spatulas and spoons for cooking
- Tongs, spoons and cutlery for serving
- Cloths
- Pitchers of water and ice
- Mini drinks dispensers
- Cups and glasses
- Ice buckets and tubs
- Baskets for sugars
- Hot water flasks
- Insulated milk jugs
- Rubbish bins
- Napkins
Crockery and Cutlery Basics
As wonderful as your garden party food might be, if you don’t serve it effectively and attractively, people will be talking about your outdoor catering event for all the wrong reasons. However, there is another caveat – crockery and cutlery for outdoor catering must be as practical as it is pretty. So, don’t choose those fancy bowls that are difficult to keep hold of while standing, choose the ones that are easy for your guests to carry around as they mingle.
You’ll also have a choice to make early on – will your garden party be environmentally friendly? If so, plastic disposables are off the table, and you might need to look at alternatives such as bamboo for lightweight crockery and cutlery that still looks fabulous and works just as it’s supposed to.
What about the menu?
One important consideration is the food you will be providing. For a BBQ, don’t forget some salads and items suitable for non-meat eaters. You might like to consider canapes for your cocktail party, and don’t forget some delicious desserts or cakes to finish the meal nicely. Garden themed party food ideas can be as elaborate as you like, and with a little thought, your garden party food will be sure to impress. If you are catering for a large number of guests, or have an especially important event to celebrate, you might consider getting outdoor catering or a private chef to do the work for you.
Whatever your menu, remember that some guests might have special dietary needs, so make sure you cater for those with specific menus, such as a vegan-friendly menu.
What Drinks Should I Supply?
Drinks can be a contentious issue at a garden party, so it can be best to set a few policies ahead of time and give guests the capacity to serve themselves. If you have guests who would have a hot drink even underneath the hottest sun, a flask of hot water can be useful, but you also need to decide whether you’ll be serving alcohol and what non-alcoholic drinks you’ll be serving too.
Remember that ice containers are vital for keeping your drinks supply cool throughout the length of your garden party – this will stop you having to keep running back inside for fresh cold supplies.
Entertainment at Your Garden Party
You might have assembled all the essential catering equipment for your garden party, but the food and drink won’t shine by itself. The best garden parties are remembered for the overall experience, so it’s time to think about the type of party you’re throwing.
Sometimes, a theme can help. Many people opt for holiday themes for their outdoor parties, and this can be comparatively simple to assemble with beach-like fun and games. If you’re hoping for a more decorous garden party, your theme could be connected with the menu or based on the drinks you’re enjoying at the event.
Your theme will feed neatly into the entertainment aspect of your garden party, and this is what will make your party different and memorable. Outdoor takes on indoor games like giant Jenga, ring tossing, and dominoes should serve to break the ice for your guests, and if they’re inspired by your theme, even better! Who knows, maybe your friends and family need a Jurassic Park themed garden party with dinosaur dominoes in their lives?
Ultimately, a successful garden party can be small or large, tightly budgeted or extravagant. The most important thing is that you’re fully invested in the idea of hosting your garden party, and that’ll make all the hard work worth it when the day arrives.
