Is this enough food for a barbecue?

[Theresip]

I’m having a barbecue for 24 people on Saturday. I haven’t hosted for this many before so can I check with those if you who are more experienced whether this is the right amount of food?

On the barbecue:

24 burgers
24 hot dogs

Prepared in advance and served cold:

50 buns
A large gammon joint
15 barbecue chicken drumsticks
15 plain drumsticks
A potato salad with lemon and garlic
Homemade coleslaw
A Caesar salad
Another type of vegan salad

Then for people arriving I’ll have a cheeseboard, crisps, dips, and sweets out.

Is it enough? Should I add a pasta salad?

Give it up will yer? They're having a drink, they'll be getting an Uber.

In a small town but in an old property in the middle of it so there are yellow lines everywhere and parking is a nightmare. Our friends in and around London have different parking issues but parking issues nonetheless. To me, helping guests with parking is an absolutely reasonable thing to do. When I lived in my last house, parking in the road was a nightmare for residents so, when we hosted, we asked people to park elsewhere (and helped them with where) then walk up to us, so as not to be an enormous pain in the arse to the neighbours... Much better than just leaving guests to it and them causing a huge inconvenience to other residents by filling up what little parking may be available.

There really is nothing more to it than that. Many things I am, disingenuous and dishonest I am not.

Most people just live on normal streets where you find a space and park your car without it being given a second thought.

But they mostly won’t be bringing cars anyway.

Plenty don't... So the idea of thinking about parking for guests isn't utterly crazy after all and there was nothing loaded in it.

Another example of you (and others) being far too quick to see something untoward or ill-intentioned in something entirely genuine and innocent.

It wasn’t even your suggestion 🙄.

I know! I just commented that I thought it was a good suggestion (because I genuinely did and do) yet got pilloried for it!

In spite of what I think about how you've reacted and responded to people, and commented on that, I have actually continued to contribute sincerely, too.

What? You have accused me of having been "rude and vile" and then "playing the victim".

Ah good, we’ve arrived at the part where posters who have been rude and vile begin to play the victim. It’s like night following day.

You have accused me and several others of being in some secret posse that goes around threads piling on, when the only thing we have in common and the only relationship we have on MN is we have apparently posted on both threads.

That is what they do. I think there are three of them. They PM each other about threads so they can all pile in. I’ve seen it numerous times.

It doesn’t matter on threads about barbecues. It’s a bit worrying with regards to their mental health but not a big deal, but they do it to women talking about their relationships and families etc. and it’s a disgrace. I think they must be the people for whom Mumsnet is their life and only social interaction.

There are deleted posts, perhaps from when you have all indulged in a glass too many, openly talking about sending each other PMs so that you can all come on threads. It’s not the first time I’ve seen it either.

Given you posted on both of your daft threads, maybe you are the ringleader of this secret posse of MN bullies?

There's just a little too much irony in it all, isn't there?

Christ on a bike, if I had the capacity to co-ordinated, or even part of, some online posse, I wouldn't be hiding it!

The assumptions and assertions from OP are really quite extreme. But they also reflect her seeming inability to see things as they are - pretty straightforward and without any poison.

I'm not going to suggest that she must be difficult because I suspect, and hope, she is far more rational and less defensive in person. I know that what's been levelled at me is so highly inaccurate it's funny.

Thankfully, I can observe it all from my ivory tower but not everyone has such a stable base or thick skin.

Interesting ‘too’.

It’s like you cannot understand how rude your own comments are and are mystified when people are rude back.

It’s a thread about a barbecue.

Yes, as in "addition"... In addition to commenting on your attitude. I thought I'd written that pretty clearly.

Thanks for that, Einstein.

And yet you agreed that my comment was not rude, after I pointed out this is in fact what I posted:

Boil the hot dogs for around 6 minutes in boiling water, as is tradtional, rather than wasting space cooking them on the bbq. You need to supply more than one burger per person.

Meanwhile, you have been supercilious and aggressively rude to scores of posters on both of your threads about this overwhelming bbq.

You have no response, I see, to making false accusations - which then garnered you a little posse who believed you making similar comments. It really is a fascinating combination to witness: the aggressive wet lettuce.

What you’ve suggested sounds enough, including the gammon and chicken. If I wanted to be add extra, don’t make it more meat. I’d add some corn on the cob - it isn’t much hassle to prepare or cook, popular, and makes the plate look better.

Most people will politely take one of each thing initially then go back if there is more available, and late comers will have to accept that there is less choice, so don’t stress over quantities.

If you want to keep using the bbq, you can bake foil wrapped chocolate bananas for pudding and serve with ice cream (or oat cream).

Tell your guests to take home the leftovers for the next day? Buy a bunch of foil take out containers from pound shop.

I'd add corn on the cob, I microwave them, super fast.

Why is the chicken not on the BBQ? I agree with adding some veg, either directly on the BBQ or with meat in kebabs.

You said you over cater, do you cook everything at once? Spread the cooking out and give people a shout when each thing is ready.

Watching this thread for ideas. We're having our family over for a bbq on Sunday. It'll only be 8 people but we are having beef kabobs from a local butcher that has a secret kick ass sauce, corn on the cob, ceaser salad, baked potatoes and garlic bread.
The kabobs are large so 1 per person, corn I'll do two per person and the kids can take any leftovers home.
I wasn't making appetizers but now thinking I should? Dh and I don't eat much but our family has hearty appetites.
Also, haven't thought of dessert but probably apple pie.
Hope your bbq is a great time!

The beef kebabs sound yummy but, overall, that doesn't sound like much food for people with a hearty appetite. Appreciate, with only 8, it's more likely to be a sit down meal (so people are likely to eat less than when they're grazing) but maybe kick off with some things done on the BBQ that everyone can pick at before the main course comes out (this is what my parents do - there's usually 7 of us - and it works well)? For example: different types of sausages, mackerel, pork belly (salt and chilli is delicious!), chicken strips, soy glazed salmon etc. My parents cut them up into bitesize pieces and put cocktail sticks out with little plates for everyone to help themselves to. It's a nice way to start ☺️

Thank-you. Those sound good. I especially the soy glazed salmon idea. 😋

I looove fish and seafood on the BBQ. I'm also currently obsessed with skewering anything within arms' reach 🤣 I've been buying the kg packs of boneless chicken thighs, cutting them up, marinating them in lemon, garlic, Greek herbs and Greek yoghurt then cramming as many as I can onto a skewer (so people take off however much they want). The leftovers are really useful, too. Another thing is, with veg, I've been putting the different veg onto different skewers so they can all be cooked for the right amount of time (and, again, people can just take what they want) - cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers (I alternate red and yellow sweet peppers, cut into squares) and red onion are favs, here. As for corn on the cob, my husband found this great recipe with honey, chipotle and god knows what else but they are delicious! You also can't beat (very simple) king prawns in sweet chilli, skewered and BBQ'd!

Hope you have a great time with your family ☺️

Thank-you. It's just a casual family bbq, dh bbq's often. Hopefully it won't be a scorcher. Table and chairs are under shade.
I better stop posting I don't want to highjack OP's thread! 🙂

Remember cheese slices for the burgers

I went to Costco last night and have got a massive pack of proper mature cheddar cheese slices. My friend did try and convince me to go for the plastic cheese but I like the proper mature cheddar much more.