In February this year, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee in recognition of the unprecedented 70 years (and counting!) she has spent as head of state of the UK, the Realms and the Commonwealth.
To commemorate this momentous occasion, celebrations have been taking place throughout the year, culminating in a four day bank holiday weekend from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June.
Plenty of events and activities have already been organised across the UK but there's no reason you shouldn't gather your friends, family and neighbours together for a jubilee celebration of your own. Whether you're planning on throwing a garden or a street party, here are our top tips for ensuring your celebration is a right royal success.
Organising a Jubilee street party
As with any event, a fair amount of planning is required to ensure everything goes smoothly but the good news is that special dispensation has been granted, allowing anyone interested in hosting a street party to do so at any time over the bank holiday weekend, so no risk assessment will be required and you won't need a licence for consumption of alcohol, food or to play music.
That being said, you should still contact your local council at least six weeks in advance to find out if you need to complete an application form before the big day and to let them know if you want to put any temporary road closures in place. If you're planning on selling alcohol, you'll also need to check if you need a Temporary Events Notice - a short-term permission for licensable activities covering events of 500 people or fewer.
What to serve
The easiest way to ensure there's plenty of food to go round - and stop you having to spend all day in the kitchen - is to ask your guests to bring a dish.
The most popular items for street parties consist of traditional finger foods like sausage rolls, cucumber sandwiches and egg and cress rolls but let's face it, if it's tasty, somebody will eat it, so really anything goes.
If you're planning something more formal, potato salads, giant pork pies and classic Victoria sponges are the way to go. However, if you are thinking of going more formal, you'll need to provide seating and tables, or ask your guests to bring their own.
When it comes to drinks, nothing says 'summertime celebration' like a jug of Pimms, packed full of fruit and fresh mint leaves. This recipe from BBC Good Food is a great place to start.
Wine and champagne are also fool-proof options, while soft drinks should be provided for non-drinkers and anyone under 18. And with the UK's famously unpredictable weather, you'll definitely want to have a range of hot drinks ready to serve.
Decorations
Nothing gets people in the mood for a party like colourful decorations and accessories, so get creative by hanging bunting between trees and around tables, and attaching red, white and blue bows, balloons and ribbons to chairs. Union Jack flags are essential too!
You can also bring tables to life by decorating them with vases, jars or milk bottles filled with flowers picked from your and your guests' gardens.
It's also important to get the party started by having a sound system ready to play music; if possible, set up a TV so your guests can watch the other celebrations taking place around the world too.
Organising a Jubilee garden party
Also known as 'the easier option', the requirements for organising a garden party are exactly the same as for a street party but on a smaller scale and without the need to run anything past the council first!
How Cafe2U can help
Whether you're hosting a Jubilee street party for dozens of people or a small garden party for your nearest and dearest, why not book one of our mobile cafés to come and handle the coffee-making duties for you?
Our baristas are trained to provide excellent customer service and to deliver the finest quality coffees. You can find your nearest Cafe2U van here.