I have seriously overstretched with a barbecue and I am panicking.

[Theresip]

I decided to have a barbecue next weekend because I’ve got my garden looking the way I want it and I do enjoy hosting. I’ve been inviting people for the last couple of weeks or so. I thought I’d invited around 10 people but I haven’t. I’ve invited almost 20. I’ve only just counted them up and now I am seriously panicking.

I’m not a particularly good cook, never mind on a barbecue. How on earth can I do 20 burgers and sausages and time it so people aren’t sitting starving? It’s a charcoal barbecue so putting more charcoal on after one batch would mean some people waiting another 40 minutes whilst the coals cook and I cook again?? What can I do?

And also, my garden isn’t tiny, but it’s not particularly big. I have a garden sofa and stools that could fit around six people near the kitchen door, and then on the upper decking I’ve got a high dining table that would seat another six. I do have additional small stools but they’re too little for the high table and it would be very squashed round the other table because it’s right in front of the kitchen where everyone will be getting their drinks.

Any advice gratefully received. I have never hosted for this number.

First off, take a deep breath because hosting twenty people is completely manageable with a few clever shortcuts. You do not need to cook everything on the barbecue from scratch at the moment of serving. A great trick is to oven cook your sausages and burgers inside first so they are fully cooked through, then transfer them to the charcoal grill just to get that smoky flavor and nice grill marks right before serving. You can also keep cooked items warm in a low temperature oven covered with foil while you finish grilling the rest. For seating and space, a barbecue is naturally casual, so most people expect to stand, mingle, and move around rather than sit at a set dining table. Setting up drinks and cold side dishes away from the kitchen door will help disperse the crowd, and serving easy hand held food like hot dogs and burgers means guests won’t need full table setups to enjoy their meal.

There is bound to be a guest (probably male) that enjoys bbq cooking and if so, s/he can be asked to help. Otherwise, use the oven and finish off on the bbq as others have suggested. Also, do/buy lots of simple salads. such as coleslaw, pasta salad, potato salad, Greek salad. Relax and enjoy. It is the company that people will remember, not so much the food.

ps I HATE frankfurters and I know I am not alone in that!

For sausages cook them in a baking tray in the oven the day before. Then once cool line them up side by side in groups of six-ish and two stick skewers through so you can turn them easily all together with your tongs on the barbecue. Get a small jar and mix up a little glaze (something like lemon, oil, ketchup, brown sauce, brown sugar, mustard, thyme,bbq sauce whatever your vibe is). Put it in the fridge with the sausages. On bbq day take them out, and paint them with the glaze (extra points if you can look a little Niggella-ish and do it publicly). Stick them on the bbq till heated through and sticky.
Fillers,
potato salad (buy new potatoes cook day before and have mixed with mayonnaise etc ready to go),
bread (rolls if you are going sausage or burger in a bun, or large loaves of crusty loaves cut into wedges and dips like hummus, olive oil and vinegar, sour cream and chives)
Crisps fill the gaps
a big tomatoe salad
remember you will need cutlery if you provide things that can’t be eaten with your hands.
Napkins!
sweetcorn on the cob is easy if you own a big pot to boil in. It’s delicious on the bbq but I don’t think you’ll have room. As with everything presentation is everything so just boil roll in butter and then sprinkle with pepper or sumac or a hand full of herbs.

Your real problem is more likely to be serving so many in a tight space. Have a bin outside for rubbish and another for dirty plates and cups. If possible have drinks set up so people can help themselves or each other. It’s hot people drink a lot. Have plasters and waspease someone always gets stung or cuts themselves.

They are coming because they like you. Do as much as possible beforehand so you get to talk to them too.

The easiest pudding is icecream or strawberries and cream. Huge cake or pavlova works well but again sooooo many plates!

Hello again!

A couple of them are bringing their partners. Others want to enjoy a long, boozy barbecue with their friends, unencumbered by partners or children.

it’s possible for colleagues to also be friends.

Pre-cook all meat in the oven the day before/morning on. Heat it all on the bbq. So much easier

You are extremely easily impressed. Only one of them has young children, who will be looked after by her husband whilst she comes and relaxes at the barbecue.

It is all current or former colleagues, although I don’t know why you care.

Youngest in his 20s and oldest in his 80s.

Sorry if someone has suggested it already but I'd cook chicken drumsticks in the oven as they are really cheap. Then just put them on the BBQ. That way you know they're cooked and it's a quick and easy way to keep a steady flow of food.

You cannot read.

Dear God.... Heaven forbid anyone try's to have a BBQ without a man standing over it!!!!???

It's 2026 - women are more than capable of hosting a party - even a BBQ without a mans help you know!

@Theresip You've no need to panic, BBQ's are always casual affairs. Most people wont expect to sit "at a table" as such so if you've got plenty of chairs that will be fine as most people will balance plates on their knees happily.
As others have said prep as much in advance as you can - precook sausages and burgers etc. You can do either chicken wings or pork ribs in a slow cooker with just a bottle of made BBQ sauce and a sliced onion and that can look after itself for hours - no need to sear the meat first just bung it all in together and switch the slow cooker on.
Get your friends to bring a dish - i imagine most will offer that anyway so ask them to bring tings like made up salads, coleslaw, quiches etc. so you have a bit of variety.

Get a cool box handy in the garden to keep things cool. If you have two - use one for drinks.

Also have some recycling containers and rubbish bags handy so people will have somewhere to put their empties and any rubbish. Have fun!

We’ve already had this conversation.

The partners coming are also colleagues.

You keep saying this, and then after your posts are deleted you reappear under another name. It is extremely weird and creepy.

@mumsnet should be picking up on the IP address though. Unless the banned are using VPN.

I am married and have children but do not find it difficult to ‘swing’ an afternoon as a bbq at a friend’s house, whatever month it is! Do you never see friends without your husband and kids?

Late to the MN thread, but with 20 in the house/garden:
Buy loo roll and napkins/kitchen roll
Buy spray on stain remover and kitchen towel (somebody is bound to pour/drip/spray something down their front)
Spare suncream
Antihistamine/sting spray

Good luck

@Theresip hasn't got a garden she said but decking.

It is a garden, it’s just decked instead of having a lawn.