You know that summer has officially arrived when that delightful smell of a charcoal grill hits you for the first time. When birds are singing, gardens are thriving, and the sun is shining. Mmmh. We've been longing for those long summer nights for quite a while, and now the time has finally come for sharing our best tips, tricks and recipes for throwing the perfect barbecue.

This summer, we're introducing two new must-try summer sides: A light and fresh potato salad with thinly-sliced radishes, spring onions and salty cheese cubes and a Greek pasta salad that combines two of the most popular summer sides of all-time: The traditional Greek salad and the always-popular pasta salad. YUM!  

With the menu all settled, it’s time to add those last few tips that will make your night really stand out. Food isn't all (yep, we said it) and for that reason we’re offering a few tips that will make you shine next to the grill also.  

01. Think outside the wine bottle! If you’re really ambitious, switch things up with a cocktail pairing for tonight’s menu. Nothing like a drink or 5 to liven up things.  

02. Aaand, a simple food hack for the above tip? Freeze halved limes and use in place of ice cubes in your pitcher of whatever cocktail you're preparing. It both looks and tastes of summer.

03. If your guests are foodies like yourself, why don’t you challenge them with a little cook-off? Involve them in the grilling and see who’s first at marinating the meat, peeling a kilo of new potatoes, or… (This might also work as a way of figuring out who should do the cleaning of the grill afterwards…)

04. Not sure how to set the table for tonight? Put all your mismatched plates to work! It looks awesome, loosens up the atmosphere and doesn’t take long to arrange.