What to Buy for a Barbecue Brunch

A barbecue brunch needs more than meat and bread. You will be serving breakfast items, salads, grilled food, hot drinks and cold drinks, often at the same time. Use your guest count to scale the quantities, then check that chilled food can stay cold and that the barbecue has enough gas. This list also covers the easily missed practical items: serving dishes, coffee cups, coolers, foil and a separate work surface.

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What to bring

Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.

Furniture

Party tentqty 2
Tablesqty 6
Chairsqty 40
Buffet tablesqty 2
Work table

Tableware

Dinner platesqty 45
Breakfast platesqty 45
Glassesqty 60
Coffee cupsqty 40
Knivesqty 45
Forksqty 45
Spoonsqty 45
Serving spoonsqty 8
Small bowlsqty 12
Serving plattersqty 10
Pliersqty 4
Cutting boardsqty 4

Kitchen

Barbecueqty 2
Gas cylindersqty 4
Coolersqty 4
Hot traysqty 4
Coffee makerqty 2
Kettlesqty 2
Cutting knivesqty 4
Aluminum foilqty 2

Decorations

Tableclothsqty 6
Buntingqty 6
Table décorqty 6

Lighting

String lightsqty 4
Extension cordsqty 4

Cleaning

Waste binsqty 4
Bucketsqty 2
Broom setsqty 2
Mop setsqty 2

Catering

Groceries
- Mini bake-off rolls - 50 pieces
- Croissants - 30 pieces
- Baguettes - 6 pieces
- Whole grain bread - 4 loaves
- Butter - 500 grams
- Young cheese - 1,5 kilogram
- Ham - 1 kilogram
- Smoked chicken breast - 750 grams
- Hummus - 750 gram
- Cream cheese - 600 grams
- Strawberry jam - 2 jars
- Peanut butter - 2 jars
- Eggs - 60 pieces
- Bacon strips - 1,5 kilogram
- Grill sausage - 1 kilogram
- Chicken skewers - 40 pieces
- Hamburgers - 40 pieces
- Beef sausages - 30 pieces
- Vegetarian burgers - 15 pieces
- Vegetarian skewers - 15 pieces
- Chicken wings - 2 kilograms
- Hamburger buns - 45 pieces
- Corn cobs - 30 pieces
- Bell peppers - 15 pieces
- Zucchini - 8 pieces
- Mushrooms - 1,5 kilogram
- Cucumbers - 6 pieces
- Tomatoes - 3 kilograms
- Red onions - 1 kilogram
- Arugula - 500 grams
- Mixed lettuce - 1 kilogram
- Potatoes - 5 kilograms
- Feta - 500 grams
- Olives - 2 jars
- Grapes - 2 kilogram
- Strawberries - 2 kilograms
- Melons - 3 pieces
- Bananas - 2 kilograms
- Yogurt - 4 liters
- Muesli - 1.5 kilogram
- Mayonnaise - 2 jars
- Ketchup - 2 bottles
- Garlic sauce - 2 bottles
- Barbecue sauce - 2 bottles
- Mustard - 2 jars
- Olive oil - 2 bottles
- Balsamic vinegar - 1 bottle
- Salt - 1 pack
- Black pepper - 1 jar
- Paprika powder - 1 jar
- Garlic powder - 1 jar
- Italian herbs - 1 jar
- Coffee - 2 packs
- Tea - 2 boxes
- Milk - 6 liters
- Sugar - 1 kilogram
- Cola - 6 bottles
- Cola Zero - 6 bottles
- Sinas - 4 bottles
- Ice tea - 4 bottles
- Sparkling mineral water - 6 bottles
- Still mineral water - 8 bottles
- Beer - 5 crates
- Alcohol-free wine - 4 bottles
- White wine - 8 bottles
- Rosé - 6 bottles
- Ice cubes - 10 bags
- Plain chips - 6 bags
- Paprika chips - 6 bags
- Nut mix - 1 kilogram
- Marshmallows - 4 bags
- Napkins - 200 pieces
- Aluminium trays - 50 pieces
- Charcoal - 4 bags
- Firelighters - 2 boxes
- Trash bags - 2 rolls
- Paper towels - 6 rolls
- Toilet paper - 24 rolls
- Dish soap - 2 bottles
- Sponges - 1 pack
- All-purpose cleaner - 2 bottles
- Hand soap - 3 bottles

Tips

Plan about 2 to 3 drinks per person for the first hour, then 1 to 2 drinks per person for each following hour. Include coffee and tea separately, since brunch guests often switch between hot and cold drinks.
Buy around 150 to 200 g of meat or vegetarian barbecue food per adult, plus 1 to 2 bread portions and at least 2 salad sides per person. Add extra vegetarian portions after collecting dietary requirements.
Allow 2 plates, 1 glass, 1 coffee cup, 1 knife, 1 fork and 1 spoon per guest, then add 10% spare tableware. Brunch uses both dinner plates and smaller breakfast plates, so one set per person is rarely enough.
Keep meat, vegetarian products and dairy chilled until cooking or serving. Prepare at least 1 cooler for drinks and 1 separate cooler for raw or chilled food, rather than opening the food cooler throughout the morning.
Set aside foil, serving platters, small bowls, tongs, chopping boards and serving spoons before shopping day. These are commonly forgotten because they are not ingredients, but you need them as soon as the buffet and barbecue are set up.

Frequently asked questions

How much food do I need for a barbecue brunch per person?: Allow 150 to 200 g of meat or vegetarian barbecue food per adult, plus 1 to 2 bread portions and 2 salad sides. Add extra portions for children with larger appetites or guests who will not eat the grilled food.
How many drinks should I buy for a barbecue brunch?: Plan 2 to 3 drinks per person for the first hour and 1 to 2 drinks per person for every additional hour. Buy coffee and tea in addition to cold drinks, not as part of that estimate.
How much tableware do I need for a barbecue brunch?: Provide 2 plates, 1 glass, 1 coffee cup, 1 knife, 1 fork and 1 spoon per guest, plus about 10% spare items. Include serving platters, small bowls, tongs and serving spoons for the buffet.
When should I buy and prepare the barbecue brunch food?: Buy chilled meat, vegetarian products and dairy as close to the event as practical, preferably within 1 day. Wash vegetables, prepare salads and marinate meat ahead of time, but keep everything refrigerated until setup and cooking.

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