We Americans love nothing more than firing up the grill and soaking up the sun in our gardens. Follow our top tips to throw the best BBQ of the season before the summer ends! 

Keep guests sitting pretty 

Outdoor seating can make or break a garden party or barbecue, so make sure everyone is in their comfort zone at your soirée. Musty old deckchairs or cracked white plastic chairs that have lived at the back of your shed for years, are more likely to send guests home with a bad back than impress them. Instead, create an inviting outdoor lounge and make the most of the space you have with clever modular units and sofa sets.

Ideal for casual dining and relaxed entertaining, they provide ample seating, look stylish and are perfectly configured for socialising. Thanks to luxurious cushions filled with premium foam, they are also a joy to sit on. Even better, all the materials we use for our outdoor furniture are low-maintenance or even maintenance-free, including our Olefin® cushions, which are fast-drying and stain-resistant, meaning there’s no need to panic over accidental spills.  

If you prefer formal dining, there are a wealth of options. This includes sleek aluminium dining sets with stacking chairs, as seen in our Panama, Topaz and Portals collections, as well as luxurious teak dining sets, such as this Jade Square Dining Set. Any of our outdoor dining sets are guaranteed to take your al fresco entertaining up a notch. 

Let the kitchen come to you 

The party is outside, so the last thing you want to do is spend your time running in and out, ferrying food and drink for your guests. Up your grilling game with a garden kitchen set-up, complete with storage, a prep area and even an outdoor sink. Not only does it make life (and entertaining) easier, but a well-designed outdoor kitchen also seriously enhances any external décor scheme and creates a real style statement that is sure to ‘wow’ family and friends. 

Complement this with a handy trolley for moving and serving food and drinks, or even have it stocked up as a mobile bar.

Set the mood 

You’ve created a comfortable space, filled with great cooking smells and plenty of food and drink, now you need to really set the mood with ambient lighting and some great background music. There are a number of great outdoor wireless speaker options you can choose from, including some Bluetooth models disguised to look like rocks. If your budget doesn’t stretch to premium surround sound, a crowd-pleasing playlist on any portable speaker will work perfectly – just keep the volume down whilst people are chatting until you are ready to turn up the party later on.  

Meanwhile, festoons of lighting strung up and lanterns, wireless table lamps or stylish wall lights can all create a fantastic atmosphere around your seating area. Solar options work well if you get plenty of sun and aren’t near a mains outlet. Outdoor pendant lights and chandeliers are also really effective if you want to blend your indoor and outdoor spaces together.  

Don’t forget a couple of cheeky citronella candles to keep biting bugs at bay. In fact, planting scented varieties like lavender, rosemary, marigolds or catnip nearby also helps repel mosquitoes, keeping your barbecue free from uninvited winged guests. 

Visit our showrooms 

All of our outdoor furniture and accessories are available to buy directly online but there are some great deals to be had from our retailers, so visit our showrooms today!