Help me host a party

[Ihitthetarget]

I'm planning on having a bbq next weekend to celebrate something. I wanted something fairly low key, so settled on a bbq at home - approx 14 adults and about 12 kids (8-13 yrs), barring any last minute cancellations. We have a large garden a d big enough house to move indoors if needed.

However, I feel a bit nervous now re hosting...

• How do people guesstimate how much food/ booze is needed?
• We have 2 fridges, but any suggestions on how to keep food and drink cold??
• Think kids will entertain themselves with usual stuff (football, trampoline, a lot of space to run around - they're mainly boys and don't all know each other, but everyone will know someone)? Or ideas to keep them busy?
• As well as eating/ drinking, anything that I've obviously missed- paper plates for kids, cardboard cups/ napkins, playlist, bunting...

Any help would be much appreciated as we don't host often, and want everyone (including me!) to relax and enjoy it!

Anyone?

Buckets with water and ice for keeping drinks cold, leave fridge for food, have all the glasses etc set out on counter so people can help themselves, table outside with juice for kids because they will have spillages.
in my experience once my boys have a football a match develops naturally.
Salads etc all made in advance ready to throw on table and let people help themselves, I always over cater so haven’t figured out the best way of guesstimating yet! About to eat a leftovers dinner after a party yesterday

Buckets with ice are a good idea, thanks. And leftovers sound good actually - guessing better to over cater rather than under!
Just hoping everyone turns up and it stays dry...

Definitely big buckets of ice and water for drinks. We always over do it with food, can’t help either with the estimating sorry! Would rather have too much than not enough as bbq leftovers can be used for other dishes, sandwiches etc in the following days.

I buy recyclable foil trays from Amazon that have cardboard lids for all the meat etc. Not as pretty as serving on platters, but you can label the lids, and once most people have got their food cover it up to keep it warm / flies off it and save on washing up. Also those little net umbrella things are great for putting over any platters to keep flies off the salads, breads etc. They’re my biggest pet peeve of serving food outside in the summer!

Plenty of toilet paper. More than you think.
If the children are smaller, make it easy for parents to wash hands.
Wrap cutlery in a paper napkin so people just pick it up. Wrap one per person and some extras. Put the leftover napkins somewhere handy with a weight in them.
You want plenty of food rather than plenty of choices.
Good bread or if you use rolls, slice them earlier.

Plan food that is all prepared beforehand so the only cooking is on the bbq and then it’s only getting the other pre prepared food into the table. Often you’ll find other guests will help with that. I only cook food that can be cooked in the bbq. I can’t be doing with all the part cooking in the oven beforehand - although if you aren’t an expert bbqer that would stop the raw inside, burnt outside scenario.

Arrange stuff so people can help themselves, sort themselves out leaving you to circulate and dh to bbq - at least that’s hire it works in our house 😃

Thanks for the tips all!

Crikey, hadn't thought of the actual bbqing bit. I've only done one once, years ago for 4 of us, and dh hasn't either. Our first bbq is arriving this week! Assume burgers/ sausages/ kebabs aren't too bad to do though? I'm not attempting anything tricky like fish (and might do sausages in the air fryer to make sure I don't make anyone ill). Hoping friends who bbq more will help out...

Napkin idea is good. Plenty of loo roll stashed!

Get a meat thermometer if you don’t have one. I’d buy loads of chicken thigh fillets and have a couple of different marinades. You can put in oven for 20 mins first then just on bbq to finish. Homemade potato salad, pasta salad, coleslaw. Anything that can be done the day before and chilled in tubs will save work on the day.

When your bbq arrives, put it together, wipe over to clean off the dust and light it to burn off anything nasty. These could flavour your cooking if not burnt off first.

Will it have a cast iron plate? https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-to-season-cast-iron

Thanks for the tips. Bbq is being delivered tmrw and luckily the forecast is good so will try to prep it!

Consider doing a load of jacket potatoes in the oven (I'd go with 1 potato per adult as kids might have half of one but some adults might take a whole one). Once they're cooked wrap individually in foil so they stay warm. Easy cheap carbs to add to the meat and salads. Will keep easier than potato salad and if you have lots left over you can freeze/make wedges etc.
Remember different families work on different meal schedules so some kids might arrive already hungry and ready to eat, the last thing you want is hangry kids. If you have a load of jackets cooked they can be given to kids with butter, cheese etc if the meat takes longer or others aren't ready to eat yet.
Enjoy your party! Paper plates are your friend!