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Planning a barbecue? Here’s what to do!

You should pay attention to a few things to make sure your barbecue is a success. We'll help!

For the perfect BBQ: tips & tricks from THOMY

Be perfectly prepared for a great BBQ

We've all been there: you're about to hold a BBQ, but you're not sure whether you've got enough food and drinks. With our info, tips & tricks, along with the shopping list, you'll have everything under control and be best prepared.

Tips & tricks to help you think of everything

To ensure both you and your guests can enjoy a relaxed barbecue, you should pay attention to these five steps:

Calculate the amounts required and plan enough time for your shopping.
Chill the drinks in good time.
Prepare as much as possible before the guests arrive – if the table is laid, the kebabs are ready to go and the salads are already served, you can enjoy more time with your guests.
Remove the meat from the fridge approx. 1 hr. prior to cooking, cover and leave to stand.
Fire up the barbecue well in advance – then you can get started.

Barbecue quantities: Enough for everyone, with no leftovers

Per person

Big appetites

Meat or vegetarian/vegan alternatives

Per person

300 g

Big appetites

450 g

Fresh salad

Per person

150 g

Big appetites

200 g

Potato or pasta salad

Per person

250 g

Big appetites

300 g

Bread

Per person

100 g

Big appetites

200 g

Barbecue sauces

Per person

15 g

Big appetites

50 g

Water

Per person

1 l

Big appetites

1.5 l

Beer

Per person

0.5 l

Big appetites

1.5 l

Wine

Per person

0.2 l

Big appetites

0.5 l

Tips and tricks for your BBQ

Fresh charcoal provides plenty of heat with little smoke.

You need (fresh) charcoal

First things first: leave last summer's charcoal exactly where it is. Over the last few months in the cellar or garage, it will have absorbed a great deal of moisture. Of course, it will still burn and produce heat – but it will produce just as much smoke. And the only thing that should cause eyes to sting at a barbecue is freshly chopped onions. Talking of eyes: they should look out for the FSC label when buying charcoal. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) stands for responsible forestry and sustainable forest use.

The crucial barbecue question: how long should food cook on the barbecue?

The right timing

Different foods require different temperatures: 230–280°C is perfect for steaks, whereas spare ribs and pulled pork only need 90–130°C. You can turn the meat when it starts hissing and sizzling and the meat juices are gathering on the surface. This means the underside has sealed, and the meat juices can no longer escape. It's even easier with a meat thermometer. You should never slice into it with a knife or poke at it with a fork! This will allow the meat juices to run out and it will become dry.

A fly swatter will chase away pests while cooking.

Keeps flies away!

You won't need a fly swatter if you halve a few lemons, limes or oranges, push cloves into them and place them on the table. This looks nice, smells good, and drives away pests. Wasps, on the other hand, are hard to drive away, but you can distract them. Simply place a bowl containing juice, jam or overripe/bad fruit a small distance away from the BBQ. You can also try avoiding clothing, table decorations and other utensils in white, blue and yellow – wasps are drawn to these colours!