Summer is the perfect time to bring people together. Whether it’s a barbecue, a casual platter and wine, or drinks on the terrace, there’s something lovely about enjoying good food outdoors with family and friends.
However, hosting can quickly become stressful.
The secret is to simplify. With a little planning, a few clever shortcuts and these practical hosting tips, you can enjoy the gathering just as much as your guests do.
Enjoy going through these hosting tips!
1. Choose a simple theme
A theme doesn’t have to mean elaborate decorations or a complicated menu. It simply gives you some direction and makes the gathering feel more put together.
You could plan a Maltese evening, an Italian aperitivo-style gathering or a relaxed barbecue. Then choose a few foods, drinks and small touches that fit.
The Welbee’s platter selection makes choosing a theme even easier. Options include the Taste of Malta, English, French, Italian and Spanish platters. You can also create your own platter by choosing from a selection of cheeses, cold cuts, marinated olives and accompaniments.
Once you’ve chosen your platter, use it as the starting point for the rest of the menu rather than trying to match dozens of different dishes.
2. Keep the menu simple
A simple barbecue menu could include:
You don’t need to prepare a huge selection of food to make a summer gathering feel special. In fact, offering fewer dishes makes it easier to serve everything at the right time and temperature.
- A platter for guests to enjoy when they arrive
- Two meats for the barbecue
- A salad or vegetable side
- Fresh bread, dips and sauces
- One easy dessert or fresh summer fruit
Instead of increasing the number of dishes when more guests are coming, simply increase the quantities. This will save you time, reduce food waste and make shopping much easier.
3. Remember that a platter can be enough
Hosting doesn’t always need to involve cooking a full meal. If you’re inviting a few friends over for drinks, one or two generous platters may be all you need.
Choose an option from the Welbee’s platter catalogue, add some fresh bread or crackers, drinks and an easy dessert, and you have everything you need for a relaxed evening.
The platters are freshly prepared to order and include a selection of cheeses, cold cuts, fruit, nuts, olives and accompaniments, depending on the option selected. Most serve four people, while the Taste of Malta platter serves five, so you can order according to the size of your gathering.
Place the platter on the table shortly before guests arrive, together with napkins and small plates. It instantly makes the table look inviting without leaving you with hours of preparation or a kitchen full of washing up.
Platters need to be pre-ordered by calling your preferred Welbee’s supermarket:
- Mellieħa: +356 2093 4102
- Naxxar: +356 2093 4103
- Paceville: +356 2093 4104
- Sliema: +356 2093 4106
- Spinola: +356 2138 1055
- Santa Venera: +356 2148 0807
- Campus Hub: +356 2093 4109
- Shoreline: +356 2093 4111
- Qawra: +356 2158 1772
4. Let the butcher counter do some of the work
When you’re hosting a barbecue, there’s no need to prepare and marinate every item yourself. The Welbee’s Butcher Counter offers plenty of convenient options, including marinated chicken wings, drumsticks and chicken breast, along with pork collar, pork kebabs, burgers and sausages.
This means less preparation, fewer ingredients to buy and no bowls of marinade to clean afterwards. The mother of all hosting tips – this one makes your life soo much easier!
5. Make one shopping list…and one shopping trip (if even)
One of the best hosting tips you’ll read here: the easiest ways to make hosting less stressful is to buy everything from one place.
Along with platters and items from the butcher counter, Welbee’s has alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, ice, fresh bread, snacks, salads, desserts, fruit, napkins, disposable serveware and other hosting essentials.
Work through your gathering from beginning to end when writing your list: drinks when guests arrive, appetisers, the main food, side dishes, dessert and finally anything you’ll need for serving and cleaning up.
You can also shop online at Welbee’s and have your shopping organised without even having to leave the house.
6. Do as much as possible before the gathering
Make a list of everything that can be done the day before. This could include preparing dressings, washing salad leaves, chopping sturdy vegetables, chilling drinks and setting out serving dishes.
You can also prepare the table in advance. Put out plates, cutlery, glasses, and napkins. If you’re eating outside, group everything together indoors so it can be carried outside quickly the following day.
On the day itself, you should only need to finish the salads, arrange the food and cook the meat.
7. Keep chilled food at the right temperature
Food can warm up very quickly during a Maltese summer, particularly when you’re shopping for a large gathering or transporting food to a barbecue area, beach or someone else’s home.
Take an insulated bag with you when shopping and add ice packs when carrying meat, dairy products, platters and other chilled foods. The Welbee’s Thermo Bag is a convenient option to pick up at the checkout and use for smaller shops.
For larger gatherings, the Welbee’s Large Cooler Bag gives you more space. Keep it folded in the car so it is ready for larger grocery shops, adding ice packs whenever you need to transport chilled food.
Once home, place raw meat, platters and other perishable foods in the fridge right away.
8. Create separate food and drink stations
A self-serve drinks area prevents guests from repeatedly coming into the kitchen to ask for water, ice or another glass. Set out glasses, water, soft drinks, alcoholic drinks and an ice bucket. Keep the food in a separate area so guests aren’t all gathering in one place. This also leaves you with more room around the barbecue and table.
9. Serve food in stages
Everything doesn’t need to appear on the table at once. Start with the platter and drinks, then serve the barbecue food and salads when they are ready. Bring out dessert later in the evening. Serving food gradually keeps the gathering relaxed, helps chilled dishes stay fresh and prevents the table from becoming overcrowded.
10. Accept help
The most underrated of hosting tips…if someone asks what they can bring, give them a simple job. Ask for ice, drinks, bread or dessert. These are easy for guests to pick up and take a few to-dos off your list.
During the gathering, don’t be afraid to ask someone to carry food outside, refill the ice bucket or take empty plates inside. Most guests are happy to help…they simply need to know what would be useful.
11. Prepare for an easier clean-up
Before guests arrive, empty the dishwasher and make sure your rubbish and recycling bins have space. Keep an empty tray nearby for collecting used glasses, plates and cutlery.
The best hosting tips are the ones that allow you to spend less time preparing, serving and cleaning, and more time enjoying the people you invited.
Keep the menu simple, choose convenient options from the Welbee’s platter selection and butcher counter, and buy everything else you need in one shop. Your summer gathering doesn’t need to be elaborate. It just needs good food, a relaxed atmosphere and a host who has time to sit down and enjoy it. I hope these hosting tips help!
Want more simple food and hosting tips and ideas?
I share easy recipes, practical food prep tips and realistic ways to make feeding family and friends less stressful over on Instagram and Facebook. You can also find more make-ahead ideas, time-saving tips, family meal inspiration and free resources on my blog.
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Nakita is an author, recipe creator and busy mum who is passionate about helping families make dinner feel easier and less stressful. Through realistic meal prep ideas, freezer meal shortcuts, and practical cooking habits, she helps busy mums eat better so they can look good, feel good, and rely less on stressful last-minute dinners.
Through her blog, social media platforms, weekly newsletter, and online memberships, she shares practical ideas that help make family cooking feel more manageable during real life.
