Socially distant garden meet up still being cautious food drinks

[Splattherat]

I have invited two friends round at 5pm tonight for a socially distant catch up in my garden. It is the only opportunity we could get together before one goes away. Basically I offered saying we could meet in my garden any time after 5pm as next door have builders in. So they have replied to say they are coming round at 5.30pm. Then I thought what can/shall I offer in light of Covid? I would usually offer coffee, a soft drink and maybe one glass of wine expecting them to be driving. 5.30pm is a strange time and its likely to still be very hot. I don’t want to be rude by not offering anything but am I ok
to offer a coffee, glass of coke, glass of wine and if I offered something small food wise what would you suggest? I am working until 5pm some it would only be nibbles. But then I don’t think in the current climate it would be a good idea to offer sharing food? What would be ok?

Maybe offer nibbles in individual bowls so people dont all have to dip in and share with others. It is definitely fine to offer drinks, just make sure you wash your hands before preparing them and wash them up afterwards.

We popped around to friends for a drink and everything was poured in the kitchen after host washed her hands and carried outside on a tray. There were 2 bowls of crisps to nibble on - one for me and DH and the other for the 2 hosts.

Thank you I will ask if they would both like some crisps and nuts and put them in separate little bowls as they are not from the same household.

Its all very new strange and awkward. I don’t want to waste food, come across as mean or make people feel uncomfortable by doing something not appropriate/against advice.

Well, watching my neighbourhood, friends & families, I’m yet to see anyone take their own food etc 🙈 picnics are being shared, bbqs, takeout .. everyone is 2m apart on the whole but food, plates, cups are all being shared!

Lol I don’t want to be taking any unnecessary risks or breaking any rules.

I'm having people in the garden and offering canned drinks and pre packaged nibbles only.

@manicinsomniac what prepackaged nibbles are you doing please. DH has offered to go to the shops for me.

Like other posters we had friends round last weekend (socially distanced garden only). Separate snack dishes. What they didn't have went in a bag in the food bin, dish straight in the dishwasher. Mumsy came round this pm. We had a socially distanced drink outside, again glass straight in the dishwasher.

I went to a friend's and had a cuppa. I don't see the issue really, she washed her hands, got a clean cup which had been through the dishwasher, made my tea, brought it out. Pubs are opening, bar staff will be touching glasses.

We are in Wales and have socialised with two sets of good friends. We’ve been to their gardens and “hosted” at ours. Each time we’ve all exchanged texts beforehand basically saying “it’s all really weird at the moment, so we are all going to bring our own drinks/snacks”, so acknowledging that the host would usually do this, just not at the moment

Think Wales is generally being stricter about it all at the moment though. So not saying your approach is wrong at all, just saying that not everyone is doing it that way.

That last message isn’t clear - there are three households in our group, but we’ve only met in groups of two households as per Welsh rules!

I think atm ppl will appreciate any efforts to separate snacks and drinks atm. Last weekend I sorted a lovely arrangement of flowers for our garden table, 2 sets of identical snack trays all covered over until our friends arrived; one set of snacks up each end of the table. Loads of drinks, clean cloakroom with wipes for cleaning after use (not that anyone ended up using it!). Everyone had a lovely afternoon!

It went really well. They didn’t come until 6. No one wanted any snacks and we just had prosecco poured into glasses on the table. We all adhered to social distancing and the birds were singing for us. It was a nice early Wednesday evening. I cleaned the downstairs loo but no one used it.

@splattherat it sounds like you've had a beautiful evening! So good for the soul atm

I did it was just what I needed low key and lovely.

We've been having friends / family round in our garden for several weeks but we either do bring your own food/ drink or we order a takeaway. We've done a BBQ using disposable BBQ for our guests and they cooked their own food.

We tend to use disposable cups / plates etc