How to throw the best summer party?

Throwing a fantastic summer party requires planning. You need to create a delicious and diverse menu with savoury and sweet dishes, consider which refreshing drinks to serve, and create a vibrant atmosphere that embodies the spirit of summer. You must, of course, also remember to get the invitations out on time and make backup plans in case the weather changes. To make things easier on yourself, consider summer party food recipes that allow you to prepare some in advance as well as dishes that you can make simultaneously on the barbecue. Planning this way makes it much easier to throw a great party that you can enjoy too.

What to serve at a summer party?

The perfect food for a summer party must be diverse and offer delicious selections with different flavours, textures, and colours to satisfy the tastebuds as well as the eyes. Consider starting with savoury snacks and finger foods for your guests to nibble on as they enjoy a refreshing drink. You can then move on to starters like refreshing summer soups or jump directly to the main event consisting of crunchy salads, delicious pasta dishes, and grilled main courses straight from the barbecue. Finish your feast with sweet summer desserts to round off the meal in style. Serving your friends and family's favourite summer party food can be a wonderful way to ensure satisfied guests and show that you care about them.

What food is good for a summer party?

What summer party food ideas best suit the gathering you have in mind depends on a few things. If you are cooking for a large group of people, we recommend selecting summer party food that can be made ahead of time or barbecued so you can spend as much time with your guests as possible rather than being stuck in the kitchen. Your choice of summer party food also depends on the atmosphere you want to create. If you want an elegant summer party, select elevated dishes that may be enjoyed at a finely decorated table. On the other hand, if you are hosting a picnic-style party consider serving finger foods that are easy to eat without utensils. This way , eating on a cosy blanket is much more delightful. Regardless of the atmosphere, using fresh produce ensures summer party food brimming with vibrancy and flavour.

How to keep food cold outside in the summer?

In hot weather, keeping your summer party food cold outside is crucial to ensure food safety and great flavour. You can use insulated coolers filled with ice or frozen gel packs to maintain a cold environment for salads, dips, and other cold dishes. Serve the summer party food in smaller portions, keeping the rest chilled until needed. You can also consider using special serving dishes with built-in cooling, for example with compartments for ice underneath. Remember to shade the food area from direct sunlight , too .

How to keep BBQ food warm at a summer party?

You can keep your BBQ summer party food warm in a few different ways . For instance, use a barbecue with a warming rack to keep cooked food hot while continuing to barbecue other dishes. You can also place finished items in a slow cooker on a low setting or use an insulated food carrier. Alternatively, wrap the warm summer party food in aluminium foil and a kitchen towel before placing it in a cooler; the insulation will keep the heat in and the summer party food warm.

Summer party food

Everything you need to know to host the best summer party

Pasta dishes

Summer salads

Delicious desserts

Picnic foods

Grilled meat, fish and more

BBQ marinades and sauces

The allure of a summer party is undeniably compelling. Sun, lovely weather, and tasty summer party food – we dare you to mention a better combination! The only thing that can make this better is sharing the experience with loved ones. So why not seize the delightful opportunity the warm season offers and host a vibrant summer party?

As you prepare for the role of the host for such a gathering, we have all types of recipes. From snacks and side dishes to main dishes and desserts, as well as tips and advice on how you can take full advantage of all that the season has to offer and how to prepare for a large yet cosy, worry-free summer party.

Gather around some classic summer foods

While sharing meals with friends and family is always special, summer party food makes the experience that much better. Summer foods are often brightly coloured from the many seasonal fruits and vegetables available to use in them.

Summer party food is, of course, just as delicious to sink your teeth into as it is to look at. Below, we have described all the delicious types of summer party food in our vast universe to inspire your cooking.

Summer pasta

Easy pasta dishes full of flavour are perfect any time of year, but quick and simple dishes are especially nice in the summertime when you want to spend your time in the garden or simply out under the open sky rather than in the kitchen. With our best summer pasta recipes, you can quickly make flavourful dishes with tender pasta and lovely seasonal ingredients.

Discover our pasta recipes

Get inspired

1 h

Lobster pasta

(1)

15 min

Pasta with pesto

(0)

15 min

Salmon pasta

(0)

Summer salads

When temperatures are high, you will want to go for light and refreshing dishes like salads. So, we think choosing some tasty salads as part of your summer party food for garden parties, potlucks, and the like is simply perfect.

Our summertime salads are vibrant and showcase some of the season’s best ingredients. They are brimming with invigorating, crisp vegetables, sweet fruits, and berries to provide pops of colour and brightness. Many of the best summer salad recipes also feature crunchy nuts, tasty cheese, luxurious dressings, and other delightful twists for you to experience.

Check out our summer salads

Discover more

30 min

Bacon-wrapped asparagus

(1)

30 min

Pasta salad

(0)

30 min

Pesto pasta salad

(1)

15 min

Salad with melon and cucumber

(1)

15 min

Watermelon salad

(1)

30 min

Avocado salad

(0)

30 min

Summer salad

(0)

30 min

Strawberry salad

(0)

45 min

Potato salad

(0)

15 min

Carrot salad

(0)

20 min

Cabbage salad

(0)

Delicious summer desserts

There is nothing quite like a sweet dessert to tie a menu together and end a savoury meal in a good way. The best summer dessert recipes are refreshing, filled with fruit or berries, tangy or sweet flavours, and everything else light and refreshing, though deliciously sweet.

Such refreshing desserts often make for colourful additions to your table. Have a look at our many easy summer recipes for desserts.

Find more here

Find our recipes here

3 hours

Strawberry tart

(0)

30 min

Blueberry muffins

(1)

1 h

Strawberry tartlets

(2)

1 h

White chocolate mousse

(1)

15 min

Fried bananas

(1)

15 min

Grilled nectarines

(0)

1 h

Rhubarb cheesecake

(0)

45 min

Rhubarb crumble

(2)

1 h

Cherry trifle

(1)

Grilled cheese burger

Try our mouth-watering grilled cheese burger recipe. Packed with vibrant ingredients and perfect as a vegetarian option.

Fire up the BBQ to capture the essence of the sunny season in every bite.

Find recipe here

Picnic foods and snacks

Easy summer party food also involves picnic snacks, finger foods, and other kinds of food that are easy to enjoy outdoors – and often served cold. These types of food are easy to pack and transport, meaning you can pop them in a wicker basket or cooler and bring them to the park or beach for a wonderful day in nature.

Since the best picnic foods are often easy to make for large groups of people, they can be used as summer party food for a picnic-style celebration of summer at your favourite outdoor spot. Bring them to the park, the beach or maybe just outside in the garden on a chequered picnic blanket. Find more inspiration and great summer food ideas in our tips for picnic snacks and finger foods.

Learn tips here

Best picnic recipes

1 h

Chicken sandwich

(1)

1 h

Olive bread

(1)

1 h

Pulled pork sandwich

(0)

1 h

Finger sandwiches

(1)

Broccoli quiche

(1)

1 h

Spinach quiche

(1)

Quiche Lorraine

(1)

20 min

Cheese tartlets

(1)

10 min

Jalapeno dip

(1)

10 min

Tahini dressing

(0)

20 min

Tzatziki

(0)

5 min

Pimientos de Padro

(1)

Grilled meat, fish, and more

Finding the perfect main course, or courses, to go with the rest of your summer party food can be challenging – mostly because there are so many tasty options to choose from!

Do you, for instance, prefer rich meats like pork, red meats, or gamier ones like lamb? There is nothing like putting a good piece of meat simmering on the BBQ, maybe slathered in a smoky, savoury marinade. Or perhaps you enjoy the lighter option of fish or grilled vegetables in the summertime when temperatures are high. Choosing the main act for your summer party food line-up can be tricky, but we have got you covered.

Summer dinner ideas

View the recipes

45 min

Grilled salmon

(1)

1 h

BBQ pork roast

(0)

30 min

Grilled corn on the cob

(1)

1 h

Grilled pizza

(0)

1 h

Bread on a stick

(1)

5 min

Pimientos de Padro

(1)

BBQ sauces: dips, marinades, and dressings

BBQ sauces are the secret weapon in creating flavour-packed, harmonious summer party food menus. As they can be hot, sweet, tangy, fresh, herbal, and smoky, BBQ sauces allow for a lot of creativity and experimentation.

They are also quite versatile. You can use some BBQ sauces as marinades for grilled meats and vegetables with well-selected ingredients to tenderise the meat before it is barbecued. Others are delicious as dressing and can help tie a fresh summer salad's different flavours and textures together and create a delicious balance of summery flavours.

Finally, some BBQ sauces make for great dips. These can be used to enrich side dishes and main courses alike, imbuing them with even bolder flavours. Some can even be used for more than just one thing, perfect for a summer party menu with various dishes. Interested in elevating the menu in more than one way?

BBQ food: fire up the barbecue or light a campfire for barbecuing

It is no secret that the best thing about summer is that you can cook outside – both on the barbecue and over a roaring campfire. This means you can enjoy the lovely weather and fresh air as you cook, getting the most out of every summer day. It also makes it possible to make summer party food with a lovely BBQ flavour. Explore some of our best summer BBQ recipes, including grilled meats, side dishes, and flavourful sauces for marinating, dipping, and dressing salads.

There is so much delicious summer party food to choose from, and if you are planning to host an outdoor party, you might need tips on how best to make a lovely, flavourful, and summery menu. Check out some of our top ideas and inspiration for creating the best BBQ menu from the appetiser to the dessert with everything delicious from our summer recipes. This way, you get a well-balanced menu with savoury and sweet elements, different textures to keep things interesting with every bite, and, of course, a lot of fantastic flavours to invoke the feeling of the season.

If you prefer a crackling fire to a controlled barbecue, you should have a look at our collection of the best foods for a campfire night. It is filled with recipes for summer party food that can be cooked around or over the fire as you enjoy the special atmosphere created by the glowing coals or licking flames.

Questions about creating the perfect summer party

The warm weather makes it perfect to gather more friends and family outside than you would ever be able to fit around your dining room table. To learn more about throwing a wonderful summertime gathering with great summer party food, continue reading below!

Arla Foods UK

Arla Foods Ltd 4 Savannah Way Leeds Valley Park, Leeds, LS10 1AB Company registration number: 02143253

Call us: 0113 382 7000

Write to us

Other Arla sites Arla in other countries

Key information

Follow Us