Entertaining - A Christmas Special

Oh yes, summer is certainly here and Christmas is on its way. For most Kiwis, this means outdoor entertaining: BBQs, lazy weekend lunches and gatherings of family and friends enjoying the best weather of the year and the festive season.

However, sitting around on up-turned beer creates, drinking from mis-matched plastic tumblers and eating burnt BBQ offerings on paper plates doesn't really do a lot for the image, so here's our summery guide to everything you need to set up the best outdoor area in your street.
 

Outdoor table and chairs

There's little doubt that the most important items in any outdoor living and entertaining area are the table and chairs that will turn the space into something attractive and practical.

The first decision you need to make is how big it has to be; whether you plan to use it for you and your significant other; or whether you plan to regularly invite hoards of family and friends around to enjoy your hospitality.

The huge range of outdoor furniture at Mitre 10 will allow you to select a table to suit your needs as well as the option of individual chairs or benches, like the Fiord three-piece setting shown.

Made from kwila, this particular version has a table stretching 1800mm long with two spacious benches of 1600mm, making it comfortable to sit three adults on each side. If you plan to seat more around your table, consider the larger setting with a 2300mm long table and two benches at 2070mm long.

Also in kwila are other options with individual chairs or circular tables to suit smaller area. If dark timber isn't your style, there are other hardwood options, not to mention aluminium, resin and steel in a range of different styles.
 

Plates, cutlery, glassware and tableware

Having a classy outdoor table is one thing, but you can take your garden party to a whole different level with a tableware setting that will add both functionality and style.

Placemats are a great start and will help protect the surface of the table from spills, hot plates or cooking trays and saucepans.

This setting of six standard placemats and two larger ones for hot trays comes from the Jason Amaryllis range, which carries a strongly New Zealand design. These look spectacular on the hardwood table surface and additional designs are available to suit your tastes.

Plates and bowls can also have a huge impact on the styling of your table, as well as the practicality of serving your food. The porcelain Classic 16-piece Coupe dinner set from Jason is available from Mitre 10 and can be used in formal settings indoors as well as the relaxed environment of an outdoor dinner party. The Classic set also offers matching accessories, such as platters, jugs, cup and saucer sets, teapots and sugar bowls. Take your time to browse the selections available, as there are other styles available from the Jason range.

When it comes to cutlery, ditch the plastic and go for something more substantial. Invest in cutlery that really adds style to your table setting.

Disposable cutlery is considerably easier to clean up (rinse it and chuck it in the recycling) but a quality stainless steel set from Stanley Rogers will handle repeated dishwashing with ease, which still makes cleaning up fairly easy.

Stanley Rogers has two styles available, the Albany and the Baguette, which come in 56-piece stainless steel sets.
The Albany is made from 18/0 stainless steel and comes with a 25-year quality guarantee, while the Baguette set is made from 18/10 stainless steel and has a 50-year guarantee.
 
What would an outdoor New Zealand BBQ be without cool, refreshing drinks to accompany some well-prepared food?

New Zealand has some fantastic beers and award-winning wines that are great accompaniments to good food. Honour these beverages appropriately with stylish glassware as they always seem to taste much better when served this way.

According to the experts, the taste of wine can be maximised and improved in the appropriate glasses and, whether you are having red wine or white, still or sparkling, Grosvenor has a wine glass to suit your requirements.

Grosvenor's Indulge series has both red and white wine glasses as well as champagne flutes, while water and juice are perfectly suited to the short and long tumblers from their Refresh series. If something cold, brown and bubbly is more your style, footed pilsner Metro glasses are perfect for those refreshing summer ales.
 

Umbrellas

As much as we love long days in the sun, a spot of shade provides a welcome retreat in the height of summer and, more importantly, can reduce the harmful UV impact of the sun.

Adding a patio umbrella to your outdoor table setting will add comfort and shade, making it much more comfortable for those using it.

Patio umbrellas

Patio umbrellas are ideal if you want something that you can move around your outdoor space. Round umbrellas range in size from 2.7m to 3.3m and the larger they are, the more shade they create – funny that. Take into account how much outdoor space you have, as a large patio umbrella can quickly overwhelm a small patio. If you're looking for an umbrella to shade a long rectangular table to seat eight or more people, a rectangular umbrella option (2.7 x 4.8 metres) will provide stylish cover.

Serious shade seekers should consider a tilting patio umbrella, which can be adjusted to provide shade regardless of the sun's position. If you don’t want a table umbrella, consider a cantilevered umbrella pole, which is positioned to the side – great for shading a spa pool or children's sandpit.

Mitre10's Category Manager of Outdoor Furniture, Janet Grosse, says while patio umbrellas can be table or free standing, as a basic rule of thumb, the larger the umbrella, the larger and weightier the base needs to be.

“Base weights vary from 7-25kg and are produced in a variety materials ranging from resin, which you fill with water for stability, to concrete, granite, timber and a flat sheet of steel.” Choose the base depending on how often it will be moved (choose one with handles), whether it is under a table (a flat base is ideal) or if you have a wooden deck you wish to match the base to.

Cantilevered umbrellas will need a weight that counterbalances the weight of the offset umbrella and in this case, athree or four-point stand is a good choice.

Umbrella frame and fabric

When it comes to fabric colours and frame textures, you also have a few options.

The umbrella frame is usually constructed from aluminium or hardwood; the former suiting most outdoors styles, while a wood frame complements a tropical or traditional setting.

The most common umbrella colours are black, blue, green and sandstone, so you can take your pick on the shade but check that the fabric is ‘UV stabilised’.
 

BBQ plus accessories

A BBQ isn't just a welcome accessory; it's an out-and-out necessity for your outdoor entertaining area if you want to be fully set up this summer.

Today's modern gas BBQs or gas grills are perfect for the modern family as they are safe and easy to use, simple to clean up and able to cook considerable quantities of food fairly efficiently. In short, they are more of an outdoor oven than a typical BBQ.

The Nova 2010 from Gasmate is a great example of what's on offer.

This LPG-fuelled four-burner gas grill has a double-skinned brushed stainless steel roasting hood, which provides maximum heat retention for whatever you are cooking.

The all-metal cabinet trolley has a powder-coated fascia and side shelves, while the doors allow for discreet storage of the LPG cylinder and other accessories.

Enamel flame tamers under the grill improve heat distribution while reducing cold spots and flare-ups and there are individually controlled stainless steel tubular burners.

The cooking surface is made from a grate and a reversible cast iron hotplate. Whether you are cooking sausages or steak, pork or patties, you should be able to find the appropriate surface on which to achieve your perfect culinary result.

In addition, it also features a warming rack inside the hood and a flush-mounted high output side burner allows for cooking versatility, such as boiling potatoes or other cooking options.

If charcoal-based cooking is more your style, consider the Charmate Smoker & Grill; a great little kettle-type BBQ and smoker that provides a little something different with a distinct flavour.

Fuelled by charcoal in the bottom tray, the Charmate Smoker & Grill also has a water bowl and two grills, depending on whether you are grilling, searing or smoking your food.
 
There are a range of BBQ accessories available that can make your food taste better, your clean up easier or the cooking process more simple, including a really great range of items from Hinton Enterprises.

One of the simplest and most effective is the Barbeque Magic non-stick hotplate liner, which is simply laid on the hotplate before cooking. This means that you can wipe the hotplate liner clean with a paper towel or wash it in hot soapy water once you have finished cooking; they work with even the stickiest marinated foods.

Hotplate Magic liners are perfect to cook fish and seafood without worrying about leaving half of the meal on the old plate.

Sunday brunches are relaxed and stress free with the Hotplate Magic liner, as they are perfect to cook bacon, eggs and even pancakes all with ease. No need to use any fats or oils in the cooking process, making it a very healthy and hygienic way to entertain family and friends.
 
To aid with simple cooking of items like chicken, pork or ham, a simple adjustable roast cradle as supplied by Hinton Enterprises is an easy and hassle-free way to turn your hooded BBQ into an outdoor oven. The adjustable roast cradle is best used in the centre of the BBQ with the outside burners going. The cradle can cook anything from your Christmas ham or leg of pork to lamb or a whole juicy snapper just by adjusting the sides of the cradle to hold the food.

By raising the meat onto the cradle, the meat is cooked only by the air temperature in BBQ. This eliminates the overcooking of the bottom of the roast, where it is in direct contact with the pan. Also by having the meat elevated, excess fat drains into the roasting dish without the meat sitting and stewing in it.
 
If you don’t have a hooded BBQ, the new Spit Kebab box by Steel Fern outdoor cookware will let you use your flat top BBQ to roast a whole chicken or use the simple basket attachment to cook chicken wings or sausages rotisserie style.

The Spit Kebab box kit comes with a battery-operated motor, which means you can independently run the spit over a kettle BBQ or even over a wood fired brazier, making it the perfect camping and holiday accessory.

If you want to add some unique smoked flavours to your BBQ or grilled food, Hinton Enterprise's stainless steel smoker box is just the ticket.

To use, simply fire up the BBQ with the filled smoker box in position and, when the smoke starts to come out the hole in the top, add the food you wish to smoke and close the lid. The smoke will only continue for 10 -15 minutes by which time the effective smoking will have taken place.

The smoker box comes with two single-use sachets of wood smoke pellets in Hickory and Jack Daniels flavours, plus ten refill pack bags of Hickory, Savoury Herb, Pecan Nut, and Jack Daniels are available.
 

Cookware

If you are using the side burner of your BBQ or gas grill for boiling potatoes or cooking corn, it pays to have high-quality saucepans for the job.

With the right saucepans, you can take your food straight from the BBQ to the table and serve it directly without being ashamed of the state of your cookware.

Stanley Rogers saucepans are stylish, effective and perfect for this role, while stir fries and other foods can be cooked in one of Wiltshire’s fry pans or woks.

Hard-wearing, with a non-stick surface, a stay-cool handle and designed for even heat distribution, Wiltshire's products will allow you to expand your cooking repertoire, changing you from a backyard BBQ burner into a charming chef in no time at all.