5 ideas for cooking up a feast worth celebrating

Paradise is closer than you think

Holiday is more than just a word. It’s a feeling, a state of mind, a deep sigh of relief. It’s relaxing with a cocktail in the sun, enjoying alfresco feasts with the family, and talking around the table under the stars.

This year your holiday might be closer to home, with more of us enjoying staycations than ever before. With a little creativity and some inspiration from us, you can dine like you’re on your very own private island every day.

1. BBQ without limits

Light up your taste buds with overseas flavours. Forget bangers and burgers, think Mediterranean vegetables, tofu skewers, and delicious watermelon. A few more innovative BBQ recipes can take your meals from dull to delicious.

Step away from your traditional Sunday dinner and experiment with a BBQ roasted feast. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could even whip up a barbecued dessert. From grilled pineapple to marinated baked bananas, there’s a whole world of dishes for you to try this summer.

2. The most exclusive restaurant in town

Bring the indoors outside and make your garden the best room of your house. Craft yourself the perfect place for an open-air fiesta. From cosy sofas to bijoux bistro tables, whatever your aesthetic, a dining space is the perfect focal point for any garden gathering.

We’re not just talking tables and chairs, style your whole area with lighting, rugs, cushions, paving and decking. Our range of outdoor tiles is an easy way to add a Mediterranean edge that’ll make your garden feel like your own exclusive restaurant.

3. If you like Piña Coladas

While we wait for our favourite local to re-open, make entertaining outdoors a breeze with your own backyard bar. With our social bubbles expanding, you can catch up on those missed celebrations by hosting get togethers at your secret garden speakeasy.

Store, pour and serve your drinks from one of our wooden bars. Decorate with string lights or lanterns for atmosphere, and finish with stools or even a hammock for a real beach atmosphere.

4. Gourmet gardens

It doesn’t get any fresher than eating straight from the garden. Guarantee your dinner is organic without breaking the budget by growing and harvesting your own fruit and veg. Green fingers have been sprouting up all across the country since we’ve been spending more time at home, so we know there are plenty of flourishing veggie patches waiting for you to dig in to.

June and July bring a plentiful crop to harvest, like strawberries, broad beans, kale, spinach, and rhubarb. If you’re just getting started, there’s still time to sow beetroot, courgettes, and some varieties of herbs if you’re quick.

5. Bewitching botanicals

Flowers aren’t just for looking at; brighten up your cocktails and make your salads sparkle with exotic edible flowers. Adding tropical colours to every dish will have you feeling like a Michelin star chef, not to mention upping your Instagram game.

Lavender, Honeysuckle, Nasturtiums, Daylilies, and Calendula are the perfect accompaniment to salad and can all by grown in pots. Asters, Lilacs, Borage, Carnations, and Evening Primrose will turn your cocktails into showstoppers. You can even bake with rose petals, fry up courgette flowers, or freeze Hibiscus into ice-lollies.