Dr Mobeus
Bank Holiday BBQ Without the Bill
The late May bank holiday is basically the unofficial start of British summer. Even if the weather has other ideas, you know someone is firing up a barbecue. And if that someone is you, you have probably noticed that hosting a BBQ can easily cost as much as a restaurant meal once you add up the meat, sides, drinks and all the extras that somehow appear in your trolley.
But here is the secret: a brilliant BBQ does not require premium steaks and artisan everything. Some of the best BBQ food is cheap, simple, and made from ingredients that cost pennies per portion. This guide shows you exactly how to feed 10 people for under £30 – proper food that tastes amazing, not sad sausages on burnt bread.
The £30 BBQ Menu for 10 People
Here is what you are making:
- Chicken drumsticks with homemade BBQ marinade – £3.50
- Burgers (homemade, not frozen) – £4.00
- Garlic bread – £1.00
- Corn on the cob with herb butter – £2.00
- Big potato salad – £2.50
- Coleslaw – £1.50
- Green salad with vinaigrette – £1.50
- Pasta salad – £2.00
- Bread rolls – £1.00
- Drinks (homemade lemonade + squash) – £3.00
- Ice lollies for pudding – £2.50
- Charcoal and basics – £5.50
Total: £29.50 for 10 people
Let us break down how each item hits that price point.
Meat – The Biggest Saving
Chicken Drumsticks (serves 10, £3.50)
Drumsticks are the unsung hero of budget BBQs. They are the cheapest cut of chicken, they stay juicy on the grill, and they take flavour like nothing else.
What to buy: A 1.5kg pack of chicken drumsticks from Aldi or Lidl – around £3.00-3.50 for about 15-18 pieces. That is plenty for 10 people with other options.
Marinade (makes enough for all the drumsticks):
- 4 tbsp tomato ketchup (20p)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (10p)
- 1 tbsp honey (10p)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (5p)
- 1 tsp garlic powder (5p)
- Squeeze of lemon juice (5p)
Mix it all together, coat the drumsticks, and leave for at least an hour (overnight is better). The ketchup and honey caramelise on the grill and give you that sticky, charred BBQ flavour without buying expensive marinades.
Homemade Burgers (serves 10, £4.00)
Forget frozen burgers. Making your own is cheaper and tastes infinitely better. You need 500g of cheap minced beef (around £2.50 from Aldi) and basic seasonings.
Basic burger recipe (makes 10 small patties):
- 500g minced beef (£2.50)
- 1 small onion, finely grated (15p)
- 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper (5p)
- 1 tsp garlic powder (5p)
- 1 egg to bind (20p)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce if you have it (10p)
Mix everything together, shape into patties, and press a thumb dent in the middle (stops them bulging). These take 4-5 minutes per side on the grill and taste better than any frozen burger.
Sizing tip: Make them slightly smaller than you think – people eat more sides at BBQs, and smaller burgers mean everyone gets to try everything.
Sides – Where the Value Is
Potato Salad (serves 10, £2.50)
Ingredients:
- 1.5kg potatoes (£1.00)
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise (40p)
- 2 spring onions, sliced (20p)
- 1 tbsp vinegar (5p)
- Salt and pepper (5p)
- Optional: hard-boiled eggs (60p for 4)
Boil potatoes until just tender, cool, chop into chunks. Mix mayo, vinegar, spring onions and seasoning. Fold through the potatoes. Done. This makes a massive bowl for under £3 and is always the first thing to disappear.
Coleslaw (serves 10, £1.50)
Make your own for a fraction of the cost of a tiny tub from the supermarket.
- Half a white cabbage (40p)
- 3 carrots (30p)
- Half an onion (10p)
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise (40p)
- Splash of vinegar (5p)
- Salt and pepper (5p)
Shred the cabbage and grate the carrots. Finely dice the onion. Mix with mayo, vinegar and seasoning. Makes twice as much as a £1.80 supermarket tub for half the price.
Corn on the Cob (serves 10, £2.00)
Corn on the cob is proper BBQ food and costs almost nothing. You can get 5 cobs for £1 at Aldi or Lidl. For 10 people, get 10 cobs (£2.00).
Herb butter (makes the corn special):
- 50g butter (30p)
- 1 clove garlic, crushed (5p)
- Handful of fresh parsley or chives, chopped (20p)
Soak the cobs in water for 20 minutes before grilling (stops the husks burning). Grill for 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Serve with herb butter melting into the kernels.
Garlic Bread (serves 10, £1.00)
Make your own. A baguette from Aldi is 65p. Mix 50g softened butter with 2 crushed garlic cloves and a sprinkle of parsley. Slice the baguette, stuff with garlic butter, wrap in foil, and put on the grill for 10 minutes. Better than any shop-bought garlic bread.
Drinks – Skip the Fizzy, Make Lemonade
Homemade lemonade (serves 10, £1.50):
- 4 lemons (80p)
- 200g sugar (30p)
- 1 litre boiling water
- Ice and mint leaves (20p)
Slice the lemons, put in a large jug with the sugar. Pour over boiling water and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add cold water to taste (about 2 litres total). Chill, add ice and mint. Way better than fizzy drinks and costs pennies per glass.
Top up with squash for the kids and you have drinks sorted for under £3 total.
The Money-Saving BBQ Rules
These rules apply to any BBQ, not just the £30 menu above:
1. Chicken Over Beef Every Time
Chicken drumsticks, thighs and quarters are consistently the best value meat for BBQs. They stay juicy, they take flavour brilliantly, and they cost a fraction of what beef steaks cost. A 1.5kg bag of drumsticks feeds 10 people for £3.50. One round of steaks for 10 people would cost £25-40.
2. Make Your Own Everything
Burgers, coleslaw, potato salad, garlic bread – making these from scratch costs about a third of buying them ready-made. And they taste better. The only thing not worth making yourself is bread rolls.
3. Bulk Up With Cheap Sides
Pasta salad costs about £1.50 to make a massive bowl. Potato salad is £2.50. Coleslaw is £1.50. These fill people up for pennies per portion, and everyone loves them. If you are worried about running out of food, add more sides, not more meat.
4. Buy From Aldi or Lidl
For BBQ basics – meat, veg, bread, mayo, drinks – Aldi and Lidl are significantly cheaper than Tesco, Sainsbury’s or Waitrose. The quality of their fresh meat and veg is perfectly good. You are not compromising on taste, just price.
5. Ask Guests to Bring One Thing
If you are hosting, there is no shame in asking people to bring something. “Bring your own drinks and a side dish” is completely normal for BBQs. It halves your costs and people enjoy contributing.
What If It Rains?
This is Britain. It might rain. Have a backup plan:
- Oven method: Everything on this menu works in the oven. Drumsticks at 200C for 35-40 minutes. Burgers on a tray for 15-20 minutes. Garlic bread for 10 minutes.
- Grill pan: If you have a ridged grill pan, you can BBQ indoors. Open the windows and use the extractor fan.
- Slow cooker: Chicken drumsticks work brilliantly in a slow cooker with the same marinade. 4 hours on low, then flash under the grill for colour.
Rain does not cancel the BBQ. It just changes the venue.
The Full Shopping List
Here is everything you need, in one trip, from Aldi or Lidl:
Meat:
- 1.5kg chicken drumsticks – £3.50
- 500g minced beef – £2.50
Fruit and Veg:
- 10 corn on the cob – £2.00
- 1.5kg potatoes – £1.00
- Half a white cabbage – £0.40
- 3 carrots – £0.30
- 1 baguette – £0.65
- 1 onion – £0.15
- 2 spring onions – £0.20
- 4 lemons – £0.80
- 1 bag salad – £0.80
Pantry (or what you probably have):
- Mayonnaise – £0.80 (or use what you have)
- Eggs – £0.20 (just 1)
- Butter – £0.30
Other:
- 10 bread rolls – £1.00
- Ice lollies – £2.50
- Charcoal – £4.00
- Foil – £1.00
Total: £21.80 in food, £5.00 in charcoal/foil = £26.80
That leaves £3.20 in the budget for a couple of extra bits or a pack of sausages if you want more meat options.
Final Tips
- Marinate the night before. The chicken especially benefits from overnight marinating. It takes 5 minutes to prep and makes a huge difference.
- Make sides in the morning. Potato salad and coleslaw taste better after a few hours in the fridge. Get them done early so you can focus on grilling.
- Do not overcook the chicken. Drumsticks are forgiving but check the thickest part – it should read 75C on a thermometer, or the juices should run clear.
- Keep it simple. The best BBQs are not the ones with 15 different meats and fancy sides. They are the ones where the food is good, the drinks are cold, and nobody is stressed about the bill.
A £30 BBQ for 10 people is not about being cheap. It is about being smart with your money and realising that the best BBQ food does not need to cost a fortune. Save the fancy stuff for when it matters – and spend the £70 you saved on something that does.
Looking for more ways to save on food and everyday essentials? Check out the latest deals on freebies.co.uk – we update them every day.
