If you’re a keen host, you’ll know there’s always an excuse for a get-together, be it some welcome good news, a long-awaited Friday night or the anniversary of a long-forgotten occasion. That’s the case all year round – a dreary Tuesday in winter? Nothing like a cosy supper with friends to liven it up. But it’s hard to deny the potential that summer brings when it comes to hosting – the weather has warmed up, the days are long and light and everyone is in the mood to catch up over food and drink.

Though hosting has a reputation for being daunting – after all, from place settings to ambiance and menus to guest lists, there is a lot to think about – we don’t think it needs to be stressful. With a little extra planning, you can be the host with the most in no time at all. To prove the point, we’ve been working with Carr’s, responsible for the fantastic crackers, to create this guide to summer hosting. We’ve focused on three key moments – a barbecue, picnic and sundowner dinner – and shared our pearls of wisdom for pulling together brilliant gatherings without breaking a sweat.

A staple of the summer calendar, barbecues are more relaxed affairs with bigger groups, held, of course, in the daytime. When it comes to hosting, that makes certain elements much easier – instead of a formal table plan, focus on having a few comfortable seating areas where people can settle down with their plates. Scattering cushions and blankets around means not only that everyone stays snug, but that they keep warm when evening rolls around. A few garden games will keep guests, and particularly little ones, busy, a playlist of crowd-pleasing classics will have everyone’s toes tapping and stringing up some fairy lights means the garden won’t be plunged into darkness as the hours fly by.

Forget place settings and focus your table-scaping on one area where your food and drink will be served – a large trestle table covered with a gingham tablecloth and dotted with colourful napkins (paper can be more practical for barbecues) and fresh flowers will be a beautiful focal point. Let guests serve themselves and lay out the food on pretty, vintage-patterned platters and sharing plates. When it comes to everyone’s crockery and cutlery, consider the practicalities – options like non-breakable enamel or bamboo keep your displays looking great, but will avoid breakages. And for drinks, carry on the DIY approach – self-serve jugs and pitchers of punch, fresh lemonade and iced tea are not only charming aesthetically, but mean you’ll spend less time taking drinks orders. 

Turning to the main event: the menu. Make sure you have a designated grill-master, and recipes you’ve tried before to avoid any disasters on the day. Burgers and sausages always go down well, especially for picky guests, but choosing elevated options will give your barbecue a sophisticated touch – there’s plenty of inspiration in our barbecue recipe collection, but this barbecued jerk lobster and these pork shoulder steaks with rosemary flatbreads would do the job. Make sure you have a stand-out veggie dish, a roster of brilliant salads and sides (we love this cajun buttered corn on the cob) and some fantastic toppings for your Carr’s crackers as the finishing touch (ideal if people fancy a nibble while waiting for the grilling to finish) – our harissa lamb kofte bites with tzatziki and coriander on Carr’s caramelised onion crackers are perfect. 

And, finally, don’t forget to plan for the Great British weather – a gazebo or covered area will cut down your stress levels if rain clouds are looming.

It’s time to upgrade the picnics of our childhood into altogether more fancy outings. Firstly, you’ll need to track down the perfect spot – children in tow? Space for them to run wild or a nearby playground will do the trick. After more of an intimate feel? Head for a beauty spot for a gorgeous backdrop. Then it’s all about your staging – picnic blankets, cushions and picnic baskets are essential for hitting the perfect aesthetic – bunches of fresh flowers (bring them in vases or stand them up in the empty picnic baskets) and fabric napkins add a touch of luxury (you can also wrap breakables in the napkins), while vintage-style crockery will create a Pinterest-worthy picnic. You’ll need to consider the practicalities of eating al fresco – sturdy, ceramic plates and stem-free glasses are safer options, a low, foldable wooden table will tie into the look but give a steady surface for drinks, while cake stands are a more special way of serving your food.

There’s tons of choice for your picnic menu (have a browse of our recipe collection here) but bite-sized morsels you can prepare in advance are our winner. We’ll be serving our rib-eye canapés with brie and tomato-chipotle jam on Carr’s water biscuits to kick proceedings off, before unveiling our sandwiches, Scotch eggs, quiches (we’re partial to our ultimate tomato quiche), grain salads (avoid limp lettuce leaves at all costs) and cheese spreads. For dessert, tarts  and individual cakes travel well – or for a simple option, a bowl of summer strawberries with cream will always go down well. And when it comes to drinks, bottles of wine are an obvious choice, but pre-made, chilled soft drinks and cocktails brought in flasks are also winners.

Taking us from afternoon into sunset and beyond, sundowner suppers are more refined affairs with friends and loved ones. Reflecting the more intimate ambience is key when it comes to table-scaping – think fairy lights, lanterns and fire pits for cosy, gentle lighting, and trestle tables with linen napkins and table runners, fresh flowers in vases and china crockery. It’s all about those extra touches – if you’re a dab hand at calligraphy, a sundowner is a perfect excuse to make personalised name and menu cards for your place settings, which will make the night feel special (and give your guests a souvenir to take home). Cutlery should be matched to your menu, with both wine and water glasses on the table. Have plenty of cushions and blankets within arm’s distance for when the sun sets and a playlist filled with relaxing music to put everyone at ease. 

For drinks, wines which are matched to your menu is a good plan, along with home-made soft drinks like fresh lemonade and mocktails. Sundowner cocktails are a brilliant way to kick off the evening – depending on your taste, we have plenty of inspiration here. Pair your cocktail with a nibble – our baked figs with plum liquor, mascarpone and ginger-roasted seed crumble make a fantastic dip for Carr’s crackers that everyone can get stuck into, while our crushed English peas, pickled white crab meat and brown crab mayonnaise and lovage oil-topped Carr’s water biscuits are a dreamy canapé. From there, tailor menus to the feel of the night – grazing platters or sharing dishes would work for a convivial feast, but a dinner party-style menu is sure to impress. Make sure you choose options where you can prepare elements in advance, so you don’t spend the evening stuck in the kitchen – these scallops with radish, peanut and lime are a great start.

Hosting doesn't have to be intimidating – once you have your menu pinned down and some clever styling tricks in mind, it’s just a case of waiting for the fun to start.