Get fired up with these BBQ area ideas for spring and summer

Everyone loves a barbecue. Whether you’re the dedicated griller, mixologist in chief, or taste tester, it’s the perfect excuse to get together in warm weather. 

Now summer is almost upon us (yes!), and we’re finally heading into BBQ season. And as our juices are the perfect fruity accompaniment to an artfully burnt burger, and we love a good storage hack, we’re passing on some of our top tips for creating your perfect BBQ area…  

Your BBQ essentials checklist 

There’s more to a BBQ than just the BBQ. Think outside the grilling area – make you’re you’ve got these need-to-haves for your dream setup. 

Choose your weapon – when it comes to the actual BBQ, do you go standalone or built-in? There’s no right answer, but think about what fits your space best. With a built-in BBQ, you can get more cooking space and power, but you lose out on the portability that comes with a standalone one. So choose carefully! 

Get prepped – You’ll need a proper prep station for your cooking, unless you want to spend all your time running back and forth to the kitchen. So make sure you’ve factored this into your plans: all you really need is a small, portable table – and it can double up as a serving station, too. 

Cover up – A canopy or gazebo is a must for all-weather cooking. Summer is the true season of the BBQ, but there’s nothing stopping you from cooking outside year-round with some overhead protection. And we all know you can never truly rely on the British summer: what’s a burnt sausage without a splash of rain? 

Set the mood – Put up some hanging lighting for the perfect summer night vibe. It can be as easy as stringing up some outdoor fairy lights – your new canopy will come in handy here…  

Go a bit extra 

These are the things you really need. But it doesn’t end there, with some great additional items you can get to beef up your BBQ area. Very much optional, but definitely impressive. 

Outdoor fireplace – With one of these, you won’t have to wait for thirty-degree weather to spend time outside. And like we said, the British summer can be deceptive – no matter how hot the daytime, the nights can feel just a bit chilly. You can even get outdoor fire pits which double up as the barbecue by adding a grill on top. 

Pizza oven – It’s not a traditional part of the BBQ, but an outdoor pizza oven means you can vary the food a bit, and making your own is a fun activity for all ages. Pizza party time! 

Bar – If you have the space, then this is a great way to show off your mixology skills. A dedicated bar area may be optional, but the drinks themselves? Not so much. Cocktails and mocktails with Eager juice make the perfect addition to any BBQ. Check out our top recipes here.  

Get smart with your storage 

With all your extra BBQ bits in place, you’ll need somewhere to store everything when you’re prepping the ultimate BBQ. At Eager, we spend a lot of time thinking about storage. The juice industry wants to pretend your juice is ‘fresh’ and needs keeping in the fridge. But this isn’t true, and we always like to be honest about what we do. 

So we created our store-anywhere juice. It doesn’t have to live in the fridge, so you can save that for things that do and plan your ideal BBQ without having to worry about space. Easy. 

Bring on the BBQ 

So there you have it – all you need to upgrade your BBQ area this summer. After all, we believe that juice is a treat, and a BBQ is the perfect way to turn a summer afternoon into a special occasion. 

And when it comes to playing host, not only can our juice be kept anywhere, it comes delivered straight to your door – our packs of six are perfect for stocking up when you’ve got a BBQ planned. 

Happy hosting!