How to Organise a Winter BBQ

A winter BBQ is a great excuse to dust off the grill and get some food favourites on the go, regardless of the weather – who said that hosting a BBQ has to be exclusive to summertime?

This blog post will cover tips and tricks for wowing your guests and hosting a fantastic winter BBQ.

Can you BBQ in the winter?

Of course you can! Even if the weather’s cold, you can still enjoy a winter BBQ. Although the temperatures are much lower in the colder months of the year, there are a few things you will have to bear in mind. 

So, how do you ensure you host the best possible BBQ this winter? Here are our top tips and winter BBQ ideas:

Be prepared

Preparation is key when it comes to hosting a winter BBQ, cold temperatures make things slightly more tricky and ensuring you have everything in order can help ensure the success of your event.

Moving the BBQ

One of the greatest barriers for avid grillers throughout the winter is the cold temperatures. If you’re cooking outside, it can get a little chilly.
A simple rearrangement of your BBQ might make all the difference in terms of temperature. Why not place your grill closer to the back door so you just have to walk a few steps away from your home? Remember to consider the direction of the wind and pick a spot in the garden that will shield you from any uncomfortable draughts.

Heating The BBQ

Preheat the grill to your desired temperature. In the summer, this process may just take a few minutes, but in the winter, preheating your grill may take much longer. Allow an additional five to ten minutes for your barbecue to warm up and achieve the optimum cooking temperature.
Top tip: Barbecues work harder in the cold, so stock up on additional gas or charcoal briquettes. Running out of ingredients in the middle of a meal will place a burden on your wintry grilling. Remember to leave the lid of the BBQ closed to ensure the quickest and most efficient cooking time.

Provide lots of shelter!

Shelter is essential in the winter months. Try putting up a gazebo to keep guests protected from the elements. (Ensuring the gazebo is not too close to the BBQ). After your winter BBQ, take your gazebo down and store it away in a dry place. It is always recommended that you investigate the wind levels before putting up a gazebo to ensure it will not blow away.

Some of the gazebos that can provide excellent shelter for your guests during your winter BBQ are: 

Trader 32 Series

Our range of Trade Gazebos have a carbon steel frame that is robust enough to handle regular summer and light winter use, making them ideal for a BBQ in winter. They offer great value for money without compromising on quality.
This kind of gazebo is also great for commercial and leisure use, including outdoor spaces at pubs and restaurants, garden parties, fetes, and fundraisers, to commercial traders and street food caterers.

All of our trade gazebos can be fitted with or without walls, giving you the ability to increase privacy, protection, shelter and security.

Extreme 50 HEX Series

Our Extreme 50 HEX range is one of the strongest gazebos of its kind in Europe and is a popular choice with commercial marquee companies and market operators, these gazebos also work just as well for providing shelter from the cold for you and your guests during your winter BBQ.
Due to its overall heavy frame weight and stability, this commercial-grade gazebo performs exceptionally well all year round.

Note: even the strongest gazebo of its kind needs looking after; our gazebos are not permanent structures so you should not leave your gazebo unattended for prolonged periods.

Keep yourself and your guests warm

Using patio heaters or gazebo heaters 

Infrared patio heaters are typically a safe choice for warming up your gazebo or other similar structures like a canopy or marquee in the winter months. It is not a good idea to have fire pits or open fireplaces under/or within close proximity to a gazebo for fire safety reasons. Always check the instructions of your patio heater before using it. 

If you don’t want to use an infrared patio heater, an Infrared Halogen Gazebo Heater is an excellent choice as it’s designed to clamp to the centre pole of any of our pop-up shelters and will also fit large umbrellas and tent systems (with a maximum stem diameter of 45mm).

Adding walls to your gazebo shelter

As the weather becomes cooler, adding sidewalls to your gazebo to keep the heat inside is a wonderful idea. If feasible, place your gazebo near a building’s entrance so that you and your visitors have easy access to both the interior and the outside during your winter BBQ.

If your gazebo has a window, draw it down to help keep the temperature up. You can also invest in winter gazebo covers which are essentially like putting a coat on your gazebo, protecting the roof and the frame from the weather.

Layer up

Don’t count on the warmth of your grill to keep you cosy! A BBQ in winter can be much colder than one in summer, so dressing appropriately is essential. Opt for a knitted jumper and a thick winter coat to stay warm, but steer clear of scarves, tassels, or other loose clothing that could accidentally come into contact with the barbecue. If you’re wearing gloves, ensure they are heat-resistant—standard winter gloves won’t protect you from burns and could melt or catch fire.

4. Winter BBQ party ideas

Serve winter BBQ food

A BBQ would not be a BBQ without the food! Some winter BBQ recipes ideas for winter-warmingwinter warming food that you can serve to your guests include;

• Winter Chicken
• Stuffed Butternut Squash
• Ultimate Barbecued Hot Dogs
• Marshmallow Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

No Winter BBQ would be complete without the classics: burgers and ribs. Wondering what to serve with BBQ ribs in the winter? How about some festive fries or slaw, both are sure to make your guests leave wanting the recipe!

Your winter barbeque menu doesn’t just have to include food, whyWhy not try serving hot drinks such as mulled wine, mulledmuller cider or a hot toddy for the guests? Alternatively, hot chocolate, tea and coffee are firm favourites with those who want to opt for a non-alcoholic drink.

Create an outdoor cinema

An inexpensive projector and projector screen is all that is needed for a back garden showing of your favourite films and TV shows. – then,  Simplysimply gather friends and family for the ultimate outdoor cinema experience after your winter BBQ! Don’t forget to bring out lots of blankets, cushions and other warm things so that you can be cosy while you watch.

Toast Marshmallows

A fun and wintery treat – toasting marshmallows either on your BBQ or on a campfire is the perfect way to get cosy at your winter BBQ. Stick some large marshmallows at the ends of skewers or stick and toast on each side until they’re gooey and warm in the middle. 

Add lighting

It isn’t just colder in the winter months, it’s darker too. Make sure your winter BBQ is in a well-lit area and why not decorate with some festoon lights for when the sun starts to go down? The warm glow of these bulbs gives a cosy feel to any outdoor space. 

How to clean a BBQ after Winter

After you’ve enjoyed your winter BBQ food, it’s important to clean the grill before your next use. Here are some simple steps you should follow:

Clean the grates

Remove the grates from the BBQ while they’re still warm, taking care not to burn yourself. Wash the grates with warm soapy water and a grill brush or wire brush to remove any food. If there are any pieces of baked-on food, let the grates soak for a few minutes or try using a scraper tool.

Clean the outside of the BBQ

Give the outside of the BBQ a clean with warm water and dish soap, then dry with a soft cloth. If you have a stainless steel BBQ, use a polishing spray to give it a shine. 

Coat the grill in cooking oil

We know what you’re thinking – you’ve just cleaned the BBQ, so why cover it in oil again? Your grill will thank you for this step as it will help prevent food from sticking and from going rusty. Give your BBQ a good coating of sunflower oil, then rub it down in the same way once you’ve finished.

Cover up

After you’ve cleaned your BBQ, protect it from the wintery weather with a cover and store it somewhere sheltered and dry.

Final winter BBQ thoughts

To summarise, you can still be a great BBQ host and ensure that everyone has a great time even when the sun isn’t out.

By making sure that you are prepared and provide warmth and shelter to your guests, you can ensure that everyone has a great time and your winter BBQ is a success.