Is it even summer if there isn’t the faint smell of smoke about some of your wardrobe?  Whether you’re resident at the bbq, diligently cooking up a feast, drink in hand or quietly guiding smaller people excitedly toasting late-night marshmallows over the fire pit (way past bedtime), there’s something rather ancient and grounding about gathering throughout the summer and just living a little more wild. So, with the summer months stretching out ahead of us, this is your guide to hosting this season.

Feast
Impress your guests with a meat feast that will have everyone wondering when you became the authority on fire cooking. Keep it local and head to your butcher who will have you covered with the best cuts, marinades and flavourings to elevate your table. We love Streetcroft Farm, Darts Farm, Newlyns Farm Shop, The Farmers Butcher and Fodder Farm Shop for their field to fork approach.

Serve alongside a delicious rice salad, green leaves, and artisan ice cream for dessert, for a simple feast that’s easy to throw together but packed with flavour.

Brown rice salad
6oz brown rice
Cook the rice and add the following whilst still warm
1/2 orange pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
4 spring onions
Sultanas
Dried apricots (diced)
Sunflower seeds,
Cashews, almonds & pistachios (grilled)

For the dressing:

Mix together and pour over the rice:
1 clove of garlic (crushed)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons olive oil

Hot take: Sow rocket seeds now and at weekly intervals until mid-July and you’ll have home grown salad leaves to drop into salad bowls (and conversation) for the rest of the summer.

Sip
Hedgerows are overgrown, blackberries are starting to flower, the roses are, frankly, out of control and everything’s just, well, a little more wild. Which is where your drinks come in.

Elderflower is currently in season. So, for children, tweens and teens, set up a table for them to make their own cordial and serve chilled with lemonade, soda or sparkling water and a slice of lemon.

For everyone else, our Hydes Original and Hydes Lyte are both wild fermented, meaning they’re naturally lower in sugar, contain gut-friendly bacteria and taste like a clean, crisp cider should taste. Best served chilled from the fridge or over ice, both pair seamlessly with lunches, suppers, late nights and free-range summer vibes.

Play
Not even the coolest of teenagers can resist a garden game. From giant jenga, quoits and the cornhole game, Jaques of London has all the answers, whether you’re 8 or 80. We particularly love their Pickleball set

Listen
Create a playlist to keep every generation happy with a bit of nostalgia, pop perennials and festival bangers.  Here’s what’s on ours:

Harry Styles – Watermelon Sugar
Taylor Swift – Cruel Summer
Steve Wonder – Sir Duke
Fleetwood Mac – Dreams
Donna Summer – Hot Stuff
A-ha – Take on me
Killers – Mr Birghtside
Amy Winehouse – Valerie
The Eagles – One of these nights
Rhianna Pon de Replay
Daft Punk – Get lucky
Pharrell Williams – Happy
Dua Lipa – Levitating
Olivia Dean – Man I Need
Lewis Capaldi – Someone you Loved
George Ezra – Green Green Grass