The unstoppable rise of the BBQ garden party – through COVID and cost of living.

– The Great British BBQ is undergoing a true renaissance – with scores of party planners forgoing restaurant reservations and expensive venues for the comfort of their own back garden.

Britain’s COVID summers gave rise to all manner of smart solialising compromises – and whilst many of these were quickly forgotten as life returned to normalcy, some proved to have surprising staying power. The rise of the BBQ garden party is one such trend. Garden-party gatherings with a hired BBQ chef started as a social-distancing necessity and yet, according to research from Poptop, they’ve now evolved into one of the UK’s biggest party trends. 

A new life for the great British BBQ

The great British BBQ has long been a staple of the summer, but new data shows the popularity of professional BBQ catering has suddenly skyrocketed in recent years. Poptop – one of the UK’s leading party planning platforms – has utilised its extensive bookings statistics to assess the current state and trends of the private party industry. One of the most surprising data points is the sizable and sustained increase in BBQ caterers. Once a fairly niche private catering option, BBQ chefs are now taking bookings three times more frequently than in 2019 – making it one of the most popular party categories of 2023. As social distancing retreats into memory, how come BBQ garden parties have such staying power?

The ‘cost of living’ effect

One reason might be the ongoing squeeze on family finances. In the wake of inflation rises, dining experts OpenTable have reported a 10% drop in restaurant reservations over the past year. And restaurants aren’t the only places looking a little emptier than usual. Private party venue hire prices continue to rise as utilities and running cost increases take hold. Party planners are now looking for ways to provide memorable experiences for their loved ones that aren’t going to break the bank. A professionally staffed BBQ hosted in your own outdoor space can represent big savings on venue, bar and catering hire, without losing any of the sense of ceremony and occasion from statement events like birthdays or anniversaries. 

There’s also the societal and cultural shifts that remain an indelible part of the shared experience over the last few years. Time spent with family at homes became somewhat sacred – a tradition that many wanted to continue long after lockdowns came to an end. What’s more, many people spent the summers of 2020 and 2021 making significant improvements to their gardens and outdoor spaces – it makes sense then that people would wish to spend more quality time enjoying these spaces with their friends and family. 

The market impact

Food professionals aren’t ignorant to these shifting patterns in party planning. The ongoing rise of the back garden BBQ party has resulted in an explosion of new party services entering the market. The changes can be seen in Poptop’s own service catalogue – as BBQ catered events rise in popularity, professional caterers are rushing to diversify their offerings in order to stand out from the crowd. The result is an incredible array of show stopping party services, including Brazilian churrasco BBQ, American-style rib shacks, Keralan cuisine cooked on open fires, Hawaiian luau-inspired catering, and much more besides. The choice is almost endless.

The boom isn’t restricted to catering options, either. Party tents, mobile bars, and children’s entertainment have all seen a significant increase in popularity as BBQ-party fever takes hold of the UK private party scene. It’s a trend that shows no sign of slowing any time soon.

“Although COVID restrictions disrupted parties significantly, they simultaneously kick-started lots of novel new party ideas. People realised they can have much better quality of food and entertainment from their backyard or garden as opposed to hiring a function room. That resulted in a significant increase of growth for many outdoor activities – party tents, outdoor mobile bars and yes, BBQs, an absolute essential for a summer party now.” – Eugene Shestopal, CEO, Poptop

“We’ve seen an unprecedented demand for BBQ last year and despite the cost of living crises we continue to see even bigger demand for this summer. This is giving me lots of inspiration – I’m working on new recipes, sauces and even entertainment ideas, so every party is unique and special.” – Simon James, founder of The Rib Rack BBQ Company