Canada’s most prized, fleeting and controversial time of the year has arrived – Summer!
One thing’s for certain, everyone and their pet polar bear will be frantically checking weather channels, syncing to updates and planning weekends around inevitable hail.
Now with the unpredictable, four-season mash-up in mind, let’s move forward with our weekend barbecue party plans!
We at Barbecues Galore know that with the right barbecue, magic can be made – but sometimes it takes more than just the grill to make a party poppin’. *HINT: Don’t forget your meat*
So, we put together an easy to follow checklist to gear up for those upcoming long weekends, family gatherings and regular ol’ summer evenings.
Every successful barbecue should have:
- Fuel – It is so easy to forget this one. You’ve made your grocery store trip and tidied the backyard. You spread out your ingredients before realizing you have to venture out again for propane or charcoal. Inherently, this means you pick up a snack, or some fast food and now the night is ruined.
- Cleaning and Cooking Utensils – Before you can even start grilling you will likely have to clean off the last party from your barbecue. Be prepared with a grill brush, spray and water. After this, lay out all your cooking utensils (every pit-master should be allocated sprawl space).
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Main Protein Dish – Let everyone know in advance what your main dish will be. This adds excitement, morale and takes away any miscommunication. Otherwise it is always appreciated to have a grill-acceptable alternative for dietary issues and others.
- Condiments – That simple tossed salad needs a dressing. Making smokies? Bring on the ketchup and don’t forget some people will load up on mustards – specialty mustards are always fun. All those thrown together sides will most likely need a little sauce and those steaks and chicken wings aren’t going to season themselves.
- Drinks (and therefore a cooler)! – Whether you’re out in the back country, or out in your backyard, keeping a communal cooler close by and filled with ice will make everyone a happy camper.
- Seating – If you’re group camping you can assume everyone will bring their own chairs, but if you’re hosting then be sure to have optimal seating spots – no one likes to eat a steak standing up.
- Doggy-bags – A potluck, or barbecue buffet, will mean many want to take their leftovers home. Have some disposables ready and extra tupperware for yourself, so that you are not cleaning up well into the night.
Lucky for you and lucky for us you probably have your barbecue already picked out, because you're nothing if not prepared. However, if you were really having an off day before the party then stop by one of our three stores throughout the Greater Toronto Area including Burlington, Oakville and Etobicoke, or one of two stores in Calgary, Alberta for all your barbecue needs. Maybe even side-eye the patio furniture and fire table set, and if the party planner allows snag yourself an accompanying patio umbrella.
Since we’re a specialty store, you can take advantage of the expertise we’ve built over our years of service. Save yourself the hassle of shopping around for the most efficient, reliable grills – we’ve done the homework for you. We only sell equipment we’d use ourselves for our family meals, so you can trust our commitment to providing Albertans and Torontonians with dependable, high quality products. And since we specialize in barbecues, we can match you with the perfect grill at way less cost than you might expect.
We stock only the finest equipment and accessories, including Napoleon barbecues, Weber charcoal barbecues, the Weber gas go anywhere grill, and DCS barbecues – the best in high performance propane and natural gas BBQs and grills.