Sonntagszeitung 4.5.2025 Interview

Are barbecue parties still as popular as ever?

Yes, very much so. We organise around 600 such events every year from our locations in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland.

What is the biggest challenge when it comes to barbecue parties?

Barbecuing skills. To ensure that the chicken legs are cooked through but the beef remains pink and juicy, you need the right equipment, know-how and a lot of concentration. People often underestimate how demanding barbecuing is, especially at private barbecues – many believe that you can just throw something on the grill and it will turn out fine. Often, too much is grilled at once. And many people who host barbecues don't pay enough attention to having enough grilling space. A standard barbecue is usually too small if you're inviting more than twenty people. It's usually worth renting a professional barbecue.

Should a barbecue party be thoroughly organised at all? Barbecuing sounds like something spontaneous...

It depends on what you want. A Canadian buffet, for example, is very easy to organise: everyone brings what they want, the barbecue is heated up, and the participants are responsible for their own food. This is a great way to have a fantastic party. On the other hand, we are involved in top-class weddings, where a lot of importance is attached to service and presentation. In any case, you have more time for your guests when you hire professionals.

How much does it cost?

For a party with fifty people, you should expect to pay between 100 and 120 Swiss francs per person for full service – we do everything and deliver everything. If we also bring all the furniture, this amount increases by about twenty Swiss francs. The scope of services can of course be expanded almost indefinitely; if, for example, you would like not only a buffet but also a first course that is served, this costs around 140 Swiss francs. Very often, however, we are only responsible for a specific aspect; for example, the person organising the party prepares the salads and dessert themselves, and we then only take care of the main course. Another good solution is to just hire the barbecue from us, including the food – this ensures quality, as all you have to do is place the ready-marinated skewers in the barbecue tower and after around seven minutes they are transferred to the warming area.

How can you save the barbecue party if it rains?

When it comes to a barbecue party, what's on the plate is crucial. Of course, when people hear the words ‘barbecue party’, they automatically think of a hot summer's day, but a barbecue party can also take place in winter – which makes it even more memorable. As we have developed a smoke-free barbecue, we can also work indoors. We have even barbecued in the Federal Parliament building. The key thing is simply to have indoor facilities when hosting a party. A forest hut, for example, is ideal.

How many barbecue parties can you host at the same time?

Distributing the work is the biggest challenge in our business. We generate 45 per cent of our turnover on Saturdays, so we have to be able to work in parallel. The maximum is a dozen events at the same time, unless we have to concentrate our efforts. The largest barbecue catering event we organised was attended by over 2,500 guests.

Marius Leutenegger, Sonntagszeitung