4 Tips To Planning A Potluck BBQ Party Amid Safe Distancing
As outdoor social gatherings are now limited to a maximum of five, can the BBQ party still go on? Even though more tends to be merrier, there are other ways to maximise the fun and enjoyment despite the small group. Nevertheless, here are some practical tips to help ease the planning process of your mini BBQ party!
1. Prepare the BBQ essentials
Aside from food and company, the most important factor in every BBQ party is the basic BBQ essentials. And yes, this includes charcoal, trash bags, fire starter, tongs and more!
But now that we’re amid a global pandemic, you might want to add on a few more items to your list of essentials. For example, you should bring an anti-bacterial hand sanitiser, wet wipes, surgical or reusable masks, personal cutleries, mosquito repellent, and so forth.
2. Discuss who’s bringing what food beforehand
Anytime we meet up with our friends for a BBQ party, we tend to go overboard with food because it’s better to have more than less, right? But as we laugh and chit-chat the night away, we end up having an abundance of already-cooked food on hand, which will then be packed and distributed in take out lunch boxes.
Though it’s not necessarily a big issue, you might want to consider bringing lesser food to accommodate your significantly smaller group of friends. As such, be sure to discuss with your group on who’s bringing what. This way, you can get a variety of food at your BBQ, from drinks to desserts to marinated ingredients. At the same time, you’re also avoiding the overlapping of similar types of food.
3. Pack and prepare the amount of food appropriately
Now that you’ve settled the type of food you’ll be bringing, it’s time to prepare them! Portion them appropriately according to your group size. Next, consider how you’ll pack it for the trip to the BBQ area.
If you’re in charge of desserts, then you might want to store your sweet treats in a cooler bag. Or if you’re in charge of the marinated ingredients, then you can keep them in plastic containers, which is less bulky and more convenient.
Once you’re done with the containers, don’t throw them away! No matter how oily they are, you can still wash them and reuse it later on. As we know how troublesome it is to wash greasy containers, we’ll let you in on a tip.
In the container, add some dishwashing liquid, a piece of tissue paper, and water. Close the lid tightly before shaking it thoroughly! After, rinse it off with water and your container will be as good as new.
4. Comply with safe distancing measures
Besides bringing along essentials in line with COVID-19, there are other aspects that you’d need to consider:
- Keeping a distance of at least one metre between one another
- Avoid cross-infection through shared cutleries
- Stay home if you don't feel well
Having fun is essential, but you wouldn’t want to compromise the overall safety of your group, as well as others around you. With the following tips above, we hope it’ll aid your planning process for your BBQ party!