Summer is here and it’s a change to get the BBQ out and get grilling. But don’t just settle for charred chops and burnt burgers, we’ve got tips and hints to make your barbie brilliant.

Fancy up your BBQ

Set a theme. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Some of our favourite fancy dress summer themes are Hawaiian Dream, Hot and Bothered and Summer Holidays - here’s our breakdown of each one

Hawaiian Dream - you can go for a full on Luau costume with grass skirt and all the accessories or keep it simple with a flowery garland. Guys love this one because it simply requires a Hawaiian shirt, shorts and flip-flops. Catering is a doddle too, simply lay on some pineapple chunks, coconut themed drinks and a lot of pork to grill and you’ve got a great theme for virtually no effort.

Hot and Bothered - this is a real adult barbie winner. People just need to come as their favourite celebrity in a hot and bothered state! There will be quite a few schoolgirl Britney’s and several Oliver Reeds (British men love to ‘dress up’ as Oliver Reed, I wonder why?) but more up-to-date celeb exposure can be fun too. We saw a wonderful Justin Bieber costume being created for one of these themed barbecues!

Summer Holidays - a family favourite. From snorkels and flippers through to knotted hankies and rolled up trousers, there are a hundred ways to interpret this theme and there will definitely be one that suits everybody you’re inviting. We have a couple of standbys for this one, in case the day is cold. We opt to fill our inflatable paddling pool with water on a hot day, pool balls on a chillier one, and we either have vanilla ice-cream with a flake for scorching days or hot mashed potato with a hot dog ‘flake’ and a drizzle of tomato sauce for summer holiday barbecue events where the weather doesn’t cooperate with the theme!