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.

They won't all arrive at the same time or want to eat at the same time. You'll be good, especially if you have lots of other things on offer as suggested.

Asking people to bring camping chairs if they have them sounds like a good idea to me. Easy to carry etc

Codiments - ketchup, mustard, fries onion, mayonnaise, relish and if you do pulled pork apple sauce!

Quiche is an excellent shout!

Why not? If you say you’re not a particularly good cook?

Just make loads of buffet dishes like salads etc bread, baked potatoes which loads of people will want to eat anyway

Sorry but I wouldn't encourage disosables at the moment unless op is up in Scotland with wetter weather

Brilliant ideas there! Thank you.

I am confident that these men won’t offer to barbecue.

Pasta salad is also super easy.

I would stay away from baked potatoes as they are hard to eat when standing with no table.

Are you joking? Not everyone is married or in a relationship and women don’t need a man to be able to host a blinking bbq.

I'd tell them that based on numbers you are doing a buffet. Then you might actually have time to enjoy yourself!

Is this a joke?

20 people isn’t a huge amount, it’s doable.

I would make a few salads before hand, get your bread rolls etc ready. You can alway partially cook things before finishing them off on the BBQ?

Because I am hosting and would find it very odd to allow a guest to cook the food. I am confident that these are not the type of men who would want to take over the barbecue anyway though.

Definitely not a good idea safety wise. I take it you haven’t read the story of the lady who burned down basically her whole street of houses.

Because it’s not their house or bbq… and she’s not some helpless female who can’t work out a bloody bbq

If you don't own an eski then any plastic storage container with a lid will work...

Where was this?

TBH more men have started fires with BBQs, particularly those shitty disposable ones, then women for sure just by putting them in idiotic places...

This, especially for chicken stuff as you don’t have to worry about it being cooked long on the bbq as you’re just finishing it off.

or get another bbq, you can pick them up for very little

Don’t panic - it will be fine - take the more the merrier approach - people will mill about and some will be indoors and outdoors. I regularly invite too many and it always works out. Don’t do individual burgers do big kebabs or a whole fish that can be divided and some sausages! Plenty of salads and nibbles for grazing - enjoy your BBQ

You could get an extra bbq/hotplate cooker?

Before the days of DH's obsession about outdoor gadgets (a continuous argument) I would have a gas and charcoal bbq, also cook normal stuff like burgers, chicken wings in the oven for when everyone arrived.

IME the 'men' took over in turns, yes it's a thing.

Also plates of other stuff like sarnies, sausage rolls, sliced pies, mustard potatoes, fruit platter, doritos and dips. As for salad, well apart from potato/coleslaw/couscous, they never got eaten!

Having a hot dish on the stove, such as curry, chilli, with naan breads goes down well too.

So to say, the bbq may be the invite but with extra food it doesn't have to be as much pressure on one option.

Yes do borrow chairs, get some inflatable seating, a good investment 👍 xx

My mum always does a big pot of chilli and jacket potatoes for a bbq as well as the meats

Thank you - what do you do for the big kebabs?

have Things they can eat straight away - salads (watermelon and feta salad is easy yet fancy), potato salad, bread, dips, other nibbles.

have some puddings ready for at the end si it doesn’t matter if the bbq doesn’t fill them up.

have lots of drinks

you could do a big chunk salmon wrapped in tin foil on the bbq that can be put out out in tinfoil.

things in sticks are easy to do lots at once

Make some side dishes the day before……potato salad, a quiche, bowls of green salad, pasta…..delegate some guests to bring a couple of chairs each, perhaps a travel rug for the ground. Pre-cut the rolls and cobs to save time on the day, and recruit some help…..surely no one is going to expect waitress service and there’s always some alpha male who loves taken the helm of a BBQ…..it’s in their DNA.

https://mol.im/a/15928489

link to daily Mail coverage on it.