Your handy summer BBQ survival guide

It’s BBQ season. Great news right? Virtually endless waves of invites for sizzling snarlers coupled with a few cold ones. But, putting my pathological love of sausages (and beer) to one side, from time to time this summer ritual can start to feel like a summer ordeal.

Kids running around. Overcooked food. Karen complaining about Sharon. Plus, endless chats about politics and house prices. (Yawwwnnn…) Now obviously a summer barbecue shouldn’t be a bad thing. But to help ensure this, I want to pass on a few survival tips. So I now present ‘how I’ve survived summer barbecues and lived to tell the tale’.

First off, let’s talk about the kids. You might’ve met them. You might even own one or two. They’re just like adults only they’re tiny and don’t have mortgages. And they have the power to turn a great BBQ into a nightmare. So make sure that they’re well catered for not just with food, but with games, colouring books, maybe even friends too. (And if all else fails, keep a life-saving iPad at the ready!) Plus don’t forget to keep them away from anything that’s either too sharp, or too hot.

Which nicely segues into my next point - the only thing getting burnt should be the sausages. So make sure you lather yourself in sunblock and seek shade from time to time.

Speaking of sausages, did you bring any? Because you should’ve. Always bring a plate to the barbecue. It’s not only good etiquette, but it also means you’ll know at least one thing that’s on the menu. And while you’re chowing down, remember you don’t want to look like a goober with ketchup on your shirt or hands. So make sure your napkin game is on point. I’d aim for a two napkins per sausage ratio just to be safe.

Don’t forget too that just as you reach for your second sausage or kebab, someone is bound to engage you in conversation. So make sure you’ve got some subjects locked and loaded to chat about. Obviously no one wants to talk about pandemics or work, so how about summer vacation plans (or summer staycation plans), binge-worthy shows, or maybe even binge worthy ice cream flavours.

Lastly, one sure-fire way to ensure the barbecue goes off – head to Texas Chicken and check out their Family and Friends catering options. Then everyone’s mouths will be too stuffed with delicious chicken and sausages to talk about house prices. Thank God.