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Summer Bank Holiday BBQ: Full Menu & Prep Timeline

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summer bank holiday bbq

The last Monday in August is the UK Summer Bank Holiday BBQ—a perfect excuse to feed a crowd without faff. Here’s a flexible menu for 8–10 people, a step‑by‑step timeline, and a shopping list you can screenshot. Use our Cook Planner to build your exact schedule, then probe for doneness.

Tools you’ll need:

BBQ Smoker Time Calculator & Cook Planner → https://www.kitchensizzlers.com/bbq-smoker-time-calculator/ ·

Brine + Yield Calculators → https://www.kitchensizzlers.com/brine-calculator/ 

Safe temps (°C) + resting → https://www.kitchensizzlers.com/uncategorized/probe-safe-temps/

The Menu (mix & match)

Choose one hero main + one quick main + 3 sides. Everything is doable on an electric smoker (e.g., Masterbuilt 710) or a gas BBQ with a smoker box.

Hero mains (pick one)

  • Pulled pork shoulder (3.5–4.5 kg, boned & rolled). Cook low‑and‑slow to ~95°C & probe‑tender, rest 1–2 h. Cook ahead and reheat in juices for stress‑free hosting.

  • Salt & pepper beef short ribs (2 plates / 3–4 bones each). Smoke to 95–98°C until jiggly and probe‑tender; rest 1–2 h.

Quick main (pick one)

  • Hot‑smoked salmon side(s) (1.0–1.2 kg each). Smoke 90–110°C to 50–52°C for medium; rest 5 mins.

  • Sticky chicken legs (GF). Smoke 135–150°C to 74°C then finish hot to crisp.

Sides (choose any three)

  • Tray leeks & carrots (roast under the chicken or separately).

  • New potato salad with lemon‑dill yoghurt (GF).

  • Apple slaw (cabbage, apple, spring onion) with light mustard dressing.

  • Smoky corn with chilli‑lime butter.

  • Green salad with pickled red onion.

Sauces & buns

  • Simple BBQ glaze (ketchup, cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire). Finish ribs/shoulder in last 15 mins.

  • Herb yoghurt for salmon/chicken (yoghurt, dill, lemon zest, salt).

  • Buns/wraps: offer GF wraps/rolls alongside standard brioche.

Your Prep Timeline (example)

Use this as a template, then fine‑tune in the Cook Planner with your weights/rig.

Two days before (Saturday)

  • Shop meat, buns and sides. If doing salmon, start a 2–3 h dry brine on Sunday.

  • Make rubs/glazes; check wood chips (apple/cherry for pork/chicken, oak for beef, alder for salmon).

The day before (Sunday)

  • Pulled pork route: season shoulder and start the cook late evening (110–120°C). Aim to finish by midday Monday, rest and hold warm.

  • Short ribs route: season and refrigerate. Plan to start 8–9 am Monday.

  • Mix slaw dressing (keep cabbage undressed until serving).

  • Par‑boil new potatoes; chill.

Bank Holiday Monday (serving ~5:30 pm)

09:00 – Preheat smoker/BBQ.
09:15 – If doing short ribs, put them on (110–120°C).
10:00 – Make herb yoghurt + BBQ glaze.
11:00 – If doing chicken legs, season and chill.
14:30 – Check short‑rib bark; wrap in butcher paper if colour is set (~75°C).
16:00 – If you cooked pulled pork ahead, pan with juices and bring gently to serving temp (~75°C) on the BBQ/oven.
16:15 – Put chicken on (135–150°C).
16:30 – Roast leeks & carrots.
17:10 – Unwrap ribs to re‑set bark; glaze if you like.
17:20 – Crisp chicken skin (200°C or over gas).
17:30 – Rest meats (ribs 20–30 mins; chicken 10–15). Toss slaw, dress potatoes.
18:00 – Eat.

Hosting lunch instead? Start meats 4–5 hours earlier, or cook shoulders on Sunday and just reheat on Monday.

Shopping List (for 8–10)

Mains

  • Pork shoulder 3.5–4.5 kg or 2 plates beef short ribs (3–4 bones each)

  • Salmon sides 2 × 1.0–1.2 kg or chicken legs 12–16

Sides

  • Leeks × 3, carrots × 6, new potatoes 2 kg, white cabbage 1, apples × 3, spring onions 1 bunch, mixed salad 2 bags, sweetcorn 8 cobs

Sauces & pantry

  • Yoghurt 500 g, lemons × 3, fresh dill, ketchup, cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, Dijon mustard (GF), olive oil, honey/maple

Breads

  • 12 brioche buns + 10 GF wraps/rolls

Fuel & disposables

  • Wood chips: apple/cherry, oak, alder

  • Butcher paper or heavy foil, kitchen roll, foil trays, gloves

Technique tips (fast wins)

  • Thin blue smoke > white billow. Preheat fully, keep top vent open, and add small handfuls of dry chips.

  • Probe for doneness, not time. Pork shoulder/short ribs are done at tenderness. Chicken is safe at 74°C. Salmon is luscious at 50–52°C.

  • Rest properly: big joints 60–120 mins; chicken 10–15 mins; salmon 5 mins.

  • Cook‑ahead magic: Pulled pork reheats brilliantly; keep extra juices and re‑set bark uncovered for 10 mins before serving.

Helpful links on Kitchen Sizzlers

FAQ’s

Can I cook everything on the day?

Yes—pick quicker mains (short ribs + chicken). For a no‑stress vibe, cook the shoulder on Sunday and reheat.

How much meat per person?

Plan 250–300 g cooked for pulled meats, 1 chicken leg per adult, ~250 g raw salmon per adult. Use the Yield Calculator to plan precisely.

Can I do ribs without wrapping?

You can—expect better bark and a longer cook. Re‑set colour uncovered at the end if you wrapped.

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