Hampshire · England
Barbecue Catering in Downton, Hampshire
A catered barbecue for your event in Downton: cooked outdoors under cover and served by our team, so you can relax with your guests.
- Street parties
- Club open days
- Relaxed weddings and evening receptions
Book a BBQ in Downton
Why a catered barbecue beats doing it yourself
Compared with a hog roast, a barbecue gives more choice, which helps when some guests don’t eat pork. A hog roast feeds everyone at once and makes a centrepiece, so for bigger events, why not both?. Compare like for like: the menu, sides, service time, staffing, crockery and travel. A cheaper headline price can leave things out.
Why us?
- Planned to your running order
- Add a hog roast alongside
- Our staff serve and clear
- Salads, potatoes and coleslaw to go with it
Take a look at our prices page and BBQ menu ideas.
BBQ catering for your event in Downton
Barbecue food is sociable food: the smell, the queue and the plates piled high. In Downton, we will set up where it suits your event. We serve halloumi skewers, beef brisket and BBQ ribs, and we’re regularly asked to cater back-garden get-togethers and street parties.
Country barbecues near Downton are hard to beat on a summer evening. Have a covered area for guests in wet weather, and think about lighting if it runs late. Tell us about dietary needs and allergies when you enquire, and we will tell you exactly what’s in each dish.
Prices and what affects them
The biggest factors are:
- Crockery choices
- How easy it is to reach the spot
- How many people are eating
- Busy dates such as summer Saturdays
Midweek and quieter months are often easier to book, and the menu you choose makes a difference too. Tell us your budget and we will suggest what works.
What to tell us
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. Here’s what to include:
- Rough numbers
- The date and time of the event
- Anything the venue has asked for
- Any dietary needs or allergies
A quote from us sets out the menu, timings, staffing and what’s included, so you can compare caterers fairly. Send us your details through our quote form.
For planners, venues and organisers
Some venues charge a fee if you bring in your own caterer, so check before booking. We will liaise with them on access and set-up.
Planning on behalf of a committee? One clear contact makes everything easier, particularly when timings shift.
Nearby places to Downton
Also in Downton
Downton barbecues: local tips
Downton is about 3 miles west of Lymington, in Hampshire. Thinking about a catered barbecue in Downton? We cover the whole area. Downton is one of 683 towns and villages in Hampshire where we cater. We cater events right across the region, from Downton to Southampton (16 miles away).
Coming by train? New Milton station, about 2 miles north-west, is the nearest station. Churches such as Church of All Saints rarely have room for a barbecue, but a hall or home nearby generally does. Downton is within about 6 miles of the New Forest National Park, a lovely setting for an outdoor barbecue. Venues there may restrict open cooking, so ask about their rules first. The sea is within about 4 miles of Downton, so breezy days are common: a sheltered spot keeps the grill steady and the smoke away from the queue.
We bring barbecues to events all over SO41. Streets in the area include Hordle Lane and Shorefield Road, and an event on any of them works with a garden, drive or yard for the barbecue. For events just outside Downton, we cover Leagreen (1 mile east), Hordle (1 mile north), Ashley (2 miles north-west), Barton on Sea (2 miles west) and New Milton (2 miles north-west). Further out, we also cater in Totton (13 miles north), Lymington (3 miles east), Hythe (13 miles north-east), Ringwood (10 miles north-west), Dibden Purlieu (12 miles north-east) and Marchwood (13 miles north-east).
A little further out are Lymington New Forest Hospital (3.7 miles north-east) and Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum (2.9 miles north-west). The countryside around Downton includes Milford on Sea LNR.
- Local schools include The Arnewood School (2.1 miles west)
A closer look at the menu
Halloumi and vegetable skewers (V)
Not everyone eats meat, and halloumi skewers give them a proper hot option.
Sausages
Barbecued sausages are always popular, in a roll or on a plate.
What happens on the day
One of us cooks, the others serve, so the queue keeps moving. When everyone has eaten, we clear the serving area. In Downton, late May sunsets come at about 8:55pm and midsummer ones at about 9:25pm, so an early-evening barbecue is normally in daylight.
- First, you send us your date, venue, numbers and serving time.
- You get a check on the date and the spot, and a quote.
- On the day, we set up on the agreed spot and get the grill hot.
- Our chef cooks and our staff serve at the agreed time.
- Afterwards we clear up and leave the spot tidy.
How to prepare
- Let us know about children’s numbers
- Name a contact for the day
- Ensure the cooking area is away from walls, tents and trees
Get a quote
For a quote, send us a few details: your date, your venue or postcode, how many people and any menu choices. Fill in our quote form.
Planning help
What the cooking area needs
Planning the cooking spot is the key. A quick checklist:
- A spot where smoke will not blow into the house or marquee
- Space for the barbecue and a serving table
- A wet-weather plan for your guests
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before booking.
On the menu in Downton
- Halloumi skewers (V)
- BBQ ribs
- Pulled pork
- Coleslaw
- Salads
- Sausages
- New potatoes
- Jacket potatoes
- Beef burgers
- Chicken skewers
- Beef brisket
- Vegan burger or sausage (Ve)
Perfect for your event in Downton
Food handled by a professional team
In Downton, we cook barbecues for all sorts of events. Popular bookings include:
- Family celebrations
- 18th, 21st, 40th and 50th birthdays
- Informal weddings
- Charity fundraisers
For a fundraiser at a school like Hordle CofE (VA) Primary School, the barbecue can cook on a spot agreed with the school.
What to look for in a quote
- VAT, if it applies
- Allergen information for every dish
- Whether travel is included
- What the price includes, item by item
Common questions in Downton
Do you cater at venues in the New Forest National Park?
Yes. Some venues there have rules about cooking and vehicles, so check with yours. We’ll follow the site rules.
What’s the nearest station to Downton?
New Milton station, about 2 miles north-west of the centre.
Will you clear up afterwards?
Plates come as standard and our staff clear the serving area.
Do you have vegetarian and vegan options?
We do. Vegetarians get halloumi and vegetable skewers, and vegans get a vegan burger or sausage, cooked separately from the meat.
Is BBQ catering only for summer?
We cook under cover, so the season doesn’t stop us. Out of season, think about lighting and shelter for guests.
Do you label the food for allergies?
You’ll get allergen information for everything we serve, and we can label the vegetarian and vegan options.
How much choice do we need?
Most events choose three or four meats, plus the meat-free options. Fewer items keeps service quick.
What if it rains?
The cooking area is covered, so it’s guests who need a wet-weather plan.
Allergies and dietary needs
With a bit of planning, dietary needs are easier to handle. A few tips:
- Let us know roughly how many children are coming
- Ask about allergens in glazes and sauces
- Ask for gluten-free rolls if anyone needs them
- Ask which items contain gluten
Running late? Let us know, and we’ll work around it where possible.
Ask about china for a sit-down meal, quoted separately.
- Cooked on site by our chef, outdoors under cover
- Burgers, sausages and chicken, plus ribs, pulled pork and brisket
- Meat-free choices cooked separately
- Served by our staff at the time you choose, then cleared away