Tips for dining ‘al fresco’ Open the kitchen door and head outside with these tips for enjoying meals in the garden this summer. In Britain, we tend to take advantage of every precious dry warm day or evening by spending as much time outside as we can. It is especially nice to eat al fresco and evoke memories of holidays abroad on sunny balconies or beachside cafes. Perhaps you have a garden table and chairs from previous years ready to be used, and a trusty barbecue just waiting to be lit. If you’ve been following the trends, an outdoor kitchen is all the rage, complete with a sink and worktop for preparing and serving food. And this year’s barbecue is actually a smoker which is designed to cook meat and fish at low temperatures, producing lots of smoke to enhance the taste of your food. Choose between American-style smokers, electric, and even portable models. There’s something to suit all needs, from large capacity for entertaining, to smaller, budget models. Or perhaps this is the year that Dad builds his longed-for garden bar.
Set the scene with stylish and practical outdoor rugs and floor cushions designed to cope with any sudden shower. You might want to go for a colour theme or have a bit of fun and decorate your garden with bunting or even funky flamingos that you can pick up from garden centres and larger supermarkets. ILLUMINATION Lighting will add to the atmosphere as the sun goes down. Why not opt for strings of small lights that you can drape around structures in your garden, like a pergola, or loop between stakes placed around your seating area? Solar powered lights in all sorts of styles and colours can be picked up fairly cheaply and are very effective. A SHADY SPOT
TAKE A SEAT If you’re thinking of having a party, inviting family, friends and neighbours over, it’s well worth taking stock of the seating arrangements just to make sure there’s somewhere for everyone to perch while they eat. But there’s no need to rush out and buy chairs, as it’s fun, and perfectly acceptable, to improvise and be creative! Picnic rugs thrown over boxes are great for garden parties, and wooden pallets can easily be upcycled to create garden seating – simply add cushions for comfort.
On our hottest days, the sun can be pretty intense and too much for some, particularly at lunchtime. Be mindful of how the sun moves across your garden, and place your seating area accordingly so it is in the area shady for longest. Offer shade with a large parasol whose angle you can alter, or a trendy triangular sail-style shade that you can position across your seating area. TOP TIPS ■■ Plant up containers with scented plants, like lavender, close to where you sit so that you can enjoy the fragrance. ■■ Grow herbs like mint and coriander in decorative pots and pinch leaves to add to drinks and salads.
If every adult in the UK spent just £5 per week in their local shops and businesses, instead of online, at supermarkets or with the huge multinationals.
It would be worth 10
£16.8 billion to the local economy
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