Summer has come and the beach times and sun tanning days are up ahead; but no summer is complete without a BBQ! Update your status to โOff to Sahelโ and follow this guide to hosting the perfect barbeque in your Sahelโs garden because nothing is more valuable than having good company, food and vibe. This guide will help you brainstorm, plan and execute. Before you keep reading, take on what you like and discard what you donโt from this guide; abiding to all of it is by no means mandatory.
Brainstorming:
Initially speaking, the brainstorming phase is the most important one because it’s the foundation on which you base decisions that will make planning much easier afterwards. Develop a strategy in order to create a coherent process of planning and ask yourself questions that can help you set your foot on track like “Where will I have it?” Spill your ideas onto a piece of paper and let your thoughts drain.ย Deciding upon the venue is really important, because accordingly you would ask yourself the next set of questions.
Whom will I invite to the barbeque? Friends, family or both? If you canโt decide, use the basic pros and cons approach. See which side turned out with more positives and go for it. If both sides turn out almost equal, draw a Venn diagram and widen your horizons. It’s very important to determine your guests’ age group because as I’m sure you already know, venue and age are parallel on the satisfaction axis. For example, if you’re inviting children, you would need to be extremely careful in keeping them away from the grill. An open garden with no fence or an unfinished one might prove to be problematic. ย Offering a children-friendly alternative menu would also be a good idea.
The next question to ask is what time of the day do I want to have this barbeque? Time is also a parallel factor to venue and age. Can I have the barbeque till after midnight ย given that people in Sahel hardly sleep before dawn? is the place too hot in the morning with no shady areas at all? Is there wind at night or in the morning that might cause restrictions on time? Keep all of this in mind before moving on to the planning phase.
Planning:
Moving on to the planning phase, if you havenโt already gotten a pen and paper, do it now. You need to write a list of the things you need to get for the barbeque. But wait, first make sure you have a grill, and that it works. If you donโt have one, make it the first item on the list, and if it doesnโt work, get it fixed. Moving on, check if you have coal and its catalyst, because if you donโt, youโll need to make note of it as well as these are the main equipments you need for a barbeque.
Now comes your source of wind: the hairdryer. As simple as it seems, a hairdryer can prove to be more efficient than the wind on the beach. Donโt forget that wind can be nerve-wrecking when it comes to making a fire. Using your hand to stimulate the wind with the traditional newspaper method will take too much time and eventually numb your shoulders.
Next on the list, comes the subject of grilling the food itself. Itโs your choice to decide amongst the type of food you want to have and accordingly have it ready with the grill and its components. When deciding on which food you will use, decide on its complementary snacks, sauces and drinks to get the most out of the same aisle at your local supermarket.
Will you use plastic disposable plates, cups, forks and knives or will you access your own tableware? If you decided to go with disposables, head to their aisle. While shopping,ย add board games to your cart if you donโt already have some. Make sure you buy tea, coffee and sugar. Nothing beats an aromatic ย cup of tea after an amazing meal. Now, that the planning phase is done with, it’s time to execute.
Execution:
Execution requires a simple checklist that covers the final touches of your barbeque. Have you thought about the type of music you would be playing if you’re going to play any? Well, music is certainly one of the items that must be on your checklist. Somewhere on the list there should be hygienic utilities. Tissues, trashcans and cleaning towels are merely examples. You would want to be instantly ready for any stains or spills. Chairs and tables should also make it to the list under ‘set-up’; how would you set up the seating? Where will you place the grill? The set-up is very important for the image, safety and quality of the barbeque. Just before completing the execution process, take a look at some of the frequent hosts’ mistakes that mess up barbeques.
Common mistakes:
Frequently moving the grill or barbeque as a whole can cause problems. Food may get dispersed around, fire can catch to any surrounding if it’s too strong and guests would certainly not like that. Hereโs how to avoid such mishaps: Before the guests arrive, run a trail and test the grill, wind and location. When you’re happy with the setup, keep it that way until the day is over. Donโt keep changing the chef because that may lead to overcooking or undercooking of the food. Do not leave food unattended. Keep in mind that flies are hovering around so it’s better to cover the food with a plate or a stainless cover.
Go over the brainstorming and planning checklist as well as the execution phase again. Double check everything more than once just to make sure you’re good to go. And remember, the main objective is to satisfy yourself and your guests and what is a happy barbeque without seeing the smiles on your guests’ faces as they get ready to leave.
