The most relaxed way to plan a garden party is with a checklist that counts down to the evening. Two weeks before, you sort out guests and shopping; the day before, the preparation; and on the day itself, everything revolves around timing at the grill. This checklist is written with the outdoor kitchen as the centrepiece of the party, with concrete quantities and times, so you think of everything and still get to enjoy the party yourself.
How do you organise a garden party at home?
You organise a garden party at home in three steps: send invitations and decide on the menu (two weeks before), chill and prepare (the day before) and light the charcoal in good time on the day itself. Lovely ideas for the format include a pizza night where guests top their own pizzas and you bake them on the kamado, a low and slow afternoon with pulled pork from our kamado recipes, or a classic barbecue evening with skewers, bratwurst and salads.
Choose something that matches your grilling experience. A garden party is the time for dishes you already have under control. Save your first brisket for a quiet Sunday.
Two weeks before
Two weeks before, a garden party starts on paper. Invite your guests and ask straight away about intolerances and food preferences, so you can cook in a relaxed way on the evening itself and have something ready for the vegetarian among your guests too. Plan the menu around your equipment: a 16-inch kamado has a grate of about 40 centimetres and comfortably grills for 4 to 6 people. If you're cooking for more, work in batches or pre-cook.
Check your stock of charcoal, gas and smoking wood too. And go over the lighting for long evenings, because a garden party almost always lasts longer than the daylight.
The day before
On the day before the party, do everything that can stand the wait. Marinate the meat and put it in the fridge. Germany's consumer advice centres (Verbraucherzentrale) recommend leaving the marinade to work in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. You can also prepare most of the sauces and salads.
Put the drinks on to chill now, because keeping drinks cool on warm evenings starts a day early. The fridge in our outdoor kitchens holds 70 litres, enough for the drinks of a normal party evening, and you can bring wine to temperature in the 18-bottle wine cooler. Need more cooling space? A large galvanised tub with ice works brilliantly as an overflow for the beer bottles.
Also clear the worktop and wipe it down. Tomorrow you'll need chopping space, and searching between flowerpots and charging cables only costs time.
On the day
On the day itself, the grill is your clock. According to Grilltopia, charcoal needs about 30 to 45 minutes to glow properly, and the Verbraucherzentrale advises letting it burn through until a layer of white ash has formed. A gas grill from Weber, Grandhall or Boretti is ready after 5 to 10 minutes of preheating with the lid closed. So light the charcoal well before the first guests arrive.
Only take the meat out of the fridge when you're preparing it, and stick to the rule from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR): always keep raw and marinated meat well chilled until use, because salmonella multiply rapidly above 7 °C. Have separate tongs ready for raw and cooked meat and mark them so you can tell them apart in the bustle. Raw chicken on your mother-in-law's plate is a story that will follow you for years.
The checklist by area
Before the party, go through the fixed areas, from the grill to the wind-down:
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Grill area: grill or kamado clean, fuel for at least one evening, firelighters and a core thermometer.
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Work surface: at least a metre of clear chopping space, sharp knives, two chopping boards (one for raw, one for cooked) and kitchen roll.
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Cooling: drinks chilled a day ahead and within reach of your guests, so nobody has to keep walking through your cooking zone.
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Light: task lighting above the worktop and warm mood lighting at the seating area; see also our tips for styling your outdoor kitchen. Two separate circuits, because chopping by mood lighting ends with pink chicken.
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Seating and warmth: enough chairs, plus blankets or a patio heater for after midnight.
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Rubbish: one bin for general waste and a separate one for glass. That spares you an unpleasant job the morning after.
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Plan B for rain: a roof, a gazebo or at least an agreed retreat into the house.
How much worktop do you need?
How much worktop you need depends on the number of guests. For a group of up to about 6 people, a compact outdoor kitchen 109 or 157 centimetres wide is enough. If you regularly cook for 8 to 10 people, a worktop of 205 or 253 centimetres gives you the room to prepare, grill and plate up comfortably side by side. Our widest models at 301 centimetres are for anyone who wants to set up the whole buffet outdoors. There are 22 standard models in these five widths in total, so there's always a suitable size between a compact town patio and a large garden.
What does the cooling in your outdoor kitchen cost?
The electricity costs for an outdoor fridge are modest, but measurable. A 35-litre fridge uses 445 kWh a year. The larger 52-litre model surprisingly comes in lower, at 321 kWh. At the German household electricity price of 37.0 cents per kWh (BDEW, as of August 2026), that costs 119 to 165 euros a year if the fridge runs continuously. With a German new-customer tariff of around 25 cents per kWh (Verivox, as of September 2026), it's around 80 to 111 euros.
If you only switch the cooling on during the barbecue season, you roughly halve that. Good to know before you decide whether the drinks stay cold outside in the outdoor kitchen or indoors in the utility room.
Common garden party mistakes
The most common garden party mistake is lighting the charcoal too late, so the first guests spend an hour looking at an empty grill. In second place comes too little worktop space. Chopping salads on a 40-centimetre corner takes the calm out of the evening. And in third place is the host who wants to do everything themselves. Put the drinks within your guests' reach and limit yourself to two or three dishes. Then you'll be standing by the fire with a glass yourself.
Frequently asked questions
How do I organise a garden party at home?
You organise a garden party at home in three steps: two weeks before, invite your guests and decide on the menu; the day before, marinate the meat and chill the drinks; and on the day itself, light the charcoal early enough, because it needs about 30 to 45 minutes. Choose dishes you know, and you'll have time for your guests.
What accessories do I need in an outdoor kitchen?
The accessories you need in an outdoor kitchen are a core thermometer, two chopping boards (raw and cooked), separate tongs, sharp knives, lighting above the worktop and a cover. A spice rack, hooks for tools and a separate bin for glass are also handy. Start with the basics and add later whatever suits the way you cook.
How do I keep drinks cool at a garden party?
You keep drinks cool at a garden party with a fridge in the outdoor kitchen, such as Varetti's 70-litre model, supplemented by a galvanised tub with ice as an overflow. Chill your supply a day in advance. Place the drinks within reach of your guests, so nobody has to keep walking through your cooking zone.
How far in advance should I light the grill?
With charcoal, light the grill about 30 to 45 minutes before you start grilling. The German consumer advice centres (Verbraucherzentrale) recommend letting the charcoal burn through until a layer of white ash is visible. A Weber gas grill is ready after 5 to 10 minutes of preheating. So light the charcoal before the first guests drift in. For low and slow dishes such as pulled pork, you'll start hours earlier.
What are some nice ideas for a garden party?
Nice ideas for a garden party are a pizza night where guests top their own pizzas and you bake them on the kamado, a low and slow afternoon with pulled pork, or a classic barbecue evening with skewers, bratwurst and salads. Work with two or three dishes. Mood lighting, a fire bowl and self-service drinks take care of the rest.
