2. Authentic Texan BBQ
The VIP of BBQ theme ideas, the authentic Texan truly deserves a spot on this list. By hosting a BBQ party, you are paying homage to the American deep south, with the four main styles of BBQ cookery named after the Southern states of Tennessee, North Carolina, Kansas and Texas. For an authentic BBQ theme, you should consider purchasing, hiring or making your own smoker and smoking your sauce smothered meats – but if that sounds a bit much, you can take symbols of Texan culture to apply to your British back garden soiree over the coals or gas unit.
Encourage your guests to dress in a cowboy and cowgirl theme, boots, hats, bandanas and denim. This is a fun garden BBQ idea, because of the outdoor decorations you can put up to bring the theme alive. Decorate the back garden with hay and straw and lay a few lassos around the lawn made from old rope. Cover your patio furniture with red and white checked table cloths before blasting out your favourite country and western albums.
Texan BBQ party food ideas follow a theme of heat and meat. Marinated ribs, pulled pork, huge steaks and stacked burgers are the perfect fit, served alongside macaroni and cheese. Texas hot dogs (or chilli dogs) served with chilli sauce and jalapenos make great BBQ party food that can be customised by your guests. While the heat may be a sure fire hit with the grown-ups, Texan kids BBQ food can be a little milder – keep some meat separate from the hot marinade, pop on some BBQ sauce, and serve up some flame grilled corn on the cob for them to get their teeth into. For dessert, choose American favourites like apple crumble or pie, or chocolate fudge cake (which can be passed off as a mud pie).
For added entertainment, whilst hiring a rodeo bull would be perfect, that can be a bit of an ask! There is, however, little to stop you hosting a line dancing competition for all, or if you are thinking of outdoor games for kids, how about a variation on a classic egg and spoon race? Requiring the same balance and athleticism needed for a rodeo, place water balloons onto wooden spoons and race the youngsters up and down the garden. Far more refreshing, and much less messy than if they drop an egg!