Summer holiday cookouts can be an exciting way to connect with friends and family.
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It's the first long weekend of the summer, and there's no better way to celebrate than by firing up a grill.Ahead of Memorial Day weekend, we asked three private chefs how to manage stress when hosting cookouts or barbecues during summer holidays."Nothing really brings people closer together than some great food and a nice backyard vibe," Justin Robinson, an Atlanta-based private chef and content creator with 50,000 followers on Instagram, told Business Insider in 2025.While attending a summer cookout can be a fun way to spend a weekend, hosting one can present challenges.From preparing sides to cleaning the dishes after everyone has eaten, being a host can be stressful. Staying present and enjoying outdoor events as a host might take some planning, but it is not impossible, Robinson said.Here are 10 tips to relieve the stress of cooking and hosting a large group, straight from the professional private chefs who are often hired to organize these events for clients.Design a dynamic menu featuring some items that don't need to be served hot
Serving different temperatures can ease stress on keeping all the food hot at the same time.
