With a survey showing that good weather is the most important factor for a successful alfresco party, us Brits need to adopt some of our Mediterranean cousins’ habits and learn how to throw a fabulous outdoor party, without weeks of advance planning. Some 22% of Brits plan their alfresco events a whole month in advance while a small percentage (2%) set the date a whole year ahead of the event.

There are some signs that we are becoming more sophisticated in our outdoor dining habits. A growing number of us are choosing to enjoy a continental style outdoor breakfast (35%). And while many of us still choose to serve predictable bangers and burgers (31%) a growing set of adventurous foodies are sourcing local specialities (13%), preparing exciting new recipes (11%) or preparing novel foods that they have tried abroad (2%).

For liquid refreshment, men still favour beer, which is considered too “manly” by a third of women. The fairer sex prefers wine, with more than a quarter (26%) citing sparkling wine as the perfect accompaniment to alfresco eating. While almost two-thirds are planning to attend an outdoor event this summer (63%), less than half (40%) intend to host – suggesting that many are put off by the perceived effort required in pulling off the perfect outdoor party.