Summer Garden Party Ideas
The best summer afternoons all share a little secret: the food was sorted long before anyone arrived. Come and learn how to throw the kind of garden party where you're out in the sun with your guests. We’ll make sure you get a taste of the fun and don’t get stranded in the kitchen.
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Full course details
When the sun finally lands, it's so enticing to invite a few people round impromptu, and then the hour before they arrive, you're stressing in the kitchen while the garden sits empty and the doorbell's ringing.
It doesn't have be like that and actually the hosts who look relaxed are the ones who've worked out which dishes to make the day before, and have figured how to leave themselves very little to do when people actually walk in.
There is something so enticing about the generosity of our summer months. We'll work through a menu that reflects the best things in bloom all around us right now. This is a summer feast layered with wonderful seasonal ingredients — light, colourful, and the kind of food that looks generous without much fuss. You'll go home with a menu you can genuinely pull off, and the confidence to host again without breaking a sweat.
Three things that keep a host out of the kitchen
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Make the dishes that get better as they sit. A slaw, a tart, a marinated salad — they're all happier an hour after you finish than the second you do.
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Get the slow jobs done the day before. Pastry, relishes, anything that needs the oven. Do it while the kitchen's quiet and your head's clear, not while the bell's going.
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Serve cold first, hot last. The cold dishes can be plated and waiting. Keep one hot thing for the end, and that's the only pan you touch once your guests are in.
Learn to build a menu around those three and the day looks after itself. That's the real skill, and it's what we'll walk you through, dish by dish.
Summer produce at its best
Our menu follows whatever's good that week. In an Irish high summer that means asparagus while it lasts, the first of the rhubarb, soft herbs, leaves and a glut of berries — produce that's only at its peak for a few short weeks. We build the day around what the season's actually giving us, the way you would if you'd had a wander round a good market on the Saturday morning. When it's this fresh you barely have to do a thing to it, and honestly, that's the whole secret of summer cooking.
Want a head start? Have a read of our guide to summer garden party hosting
The Details
Who this class is for
This is a class about hosting, not just a folder of recipes. If you can find your way around a kitchen and you fancy putting on a summer afternoon that looks effortless — the sort where you're sat down with everyone else, glass in hand — it's pitched right at you.
And if you're newer to it all, you're every bit as welcome. We teach the day in layers, so a confident cook picks up the finer points while someone finding their feet gets all the help they need. Flying solo? We'll pair you up. Nobody's left to fend for themselves.
More of a fire-and-tongs person? Take a look at our Summer BBQ Feast
Where and When
The class runs 9:30 to 3:00 at Dublin Cookery School on Brookfield Terrace, Blackrock, in south County Dublin. The next date is Saturday 18 July. It's €190 a head, and that covers everything you cook, the full set of recipes to take home, and lunch made from what the group puts together. You'll not go hungry — nobody ever does.
Frequently asked questions
- What food do you serve at a summer garden party?
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Light, colourful, the sort of thing that's a pleasure to eat outdoors: sharing plates, a couple of tarts, a good slaw, sausage rolls, something sweet to finish. On the day you'll cook a full spread along those lines, all built on what's in season. The idea is food that looks generous and relaxed, not fiddly.
- What garden party food can you make ahead?
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Most of it, if you choose well. Slaws, tarts, relishes, scones and anything baked can all be done the day before or first thing that morning. The trick is to keep just one dish that needs cooking at the last minute, so you're not stuck inside when your guests land. We'll show you how to plan a whole menu around exactly that.
- Do I need any cooking experience?
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Not at all. The class is built so anyone can join, whatever your level. If you're brand new you'll get plenty of support with the techniques; if you're a seasoned cook you'll get the finer points to push you on. Our tutors are well used to a room of mixed ability and teach to all of it.
- What's included in the price?
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Everything you cook on the day, the full set of recipes to take home, and lunch made from what the group prepares. Just bring yourself, a pen, and a container for anything you'd like to carry home.
- Where is the class held?
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At our school on Brookfield Terrace in Blackrock, south County Dublin. There's metered parking on the streets around us, and we're an easy hop from town on the DART or by bus.
- Can I buy this as a gift?
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You can, and plenty do — a summer garden party day makes a lovely present. Buy a gift voucher and let them pick their own date.
- Should I eat something before I come?
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On all our courses you will be eating the dishes you prepare in the hands-on session and everyone generally leaves us well-fed. Bear in mind that it takes time to whip up what we've planned and we recommend you eat something before you arrive at the school. All food cooked in the school is intended to be eaten on the premises.
- What level of cooking experience do I need?
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The beauty of how we design all of our courses is that anyone of any level can join us. While someone new to the kitchen will find support as they manoeuvre through new techniques, the more seasoned cooks in our group will thrive on all the pointers we offer for further improvement. Our course material is layered and we know how to quickly adapt to a moving room. Constant, open-ended learning is one of the things we love the most about being in the kitchen and our tutors' enthusiastic teaching style and patience is a testament to that.
- What if I have a food allergy or dietary restrictions?
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If you suffer from a severe nut, egg, dairy, seafood, wheat allergy or coeliac disease, please contact us before booking and we'll be able to confirm whether or not a specific course menu is adaptable. Certain course themes may not be adaptable in order to stay true to the course brief. Where we can accommodate a dietary requirement the curriculum for other students will remain the same as the original.
You must bring an Epi-pen. If your food allergy is airborne, due to the wide range of course themes and events that we host, our environment is not safe for you. Please note that while every care will be taken to provide a safe and enjoyable cooking experience for all students, there is always the risk of cross-contamination.
- What if I can't make it to a course or dining event that I've booked?
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If you cannot make a course that you have booked, you are more than welcome to send someone in your place (18 years or older). Just give us a call with the name change and we'll take good care of them. If this can't be arranged and you need to cancel your place, please take a look at our our full Terms & Conditions, go to https://dublincookeryschool.ie/terms to see what rules apply to you.
- Is there an age requirement?
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All of our regular courses are designed for adults. The minimum age for someone coming on their own is 18 years. If someone younger is joining us, they must be accompanied and booked on with an adult. Please note that our course fees apply to each attendee, regardless of age.
Our Growing Gourmet and 1 Week Essential Skills for TY courses are for teenagers only.
- What is parking like in the area?
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Metered parking can be found right outside the school and on surrounding streets Monday-Saturday from 8.00-19.00. Please do not park on the grass verges opposite the school, on resident disabled parking spots, or on the double yellow lines in the area. For more info, go to https://www.dublincookeryschool.ie/your-visit.
Your course itinerary
| 9:15 – 9:30 | Everyone is encouraged to arrive 15 minutes prior to the course start-time. After we sign you in, we'll help you settle in with a coffee or tea before we get started. This is a great time to get to know your fellow students. |
| 9:30 – 15:00 | We’ll welcome you into our modern, mirror-lined Demo Kitchen. The tutors leading the session will introduce our special plans for the day and then jump right into the delicious tasks at hand. Our 1 Day Courses usually comprise of 3-4 Demo sessions which alternate with 3-4 Hands-On sessions. In our practical sessions, everyone works in pairs with specific elements organized for each person. Don’t worry if you’re flying solo today, we’ll find you a partner in crime. And yes, you will be eating everything we make! |
| 15:00 | At this point, we're generally wrapping up the cooking! This is a great time to raise any lingering questions you may have with our team. |