Where can you hire a BBQ or garden-party venue in East London for a big group? The Outfields at Valentines Park, Ilford, is an open-air, dry-hire field for up to 500 guests, with BBQ available. Most “garden” venues in London are a courtyard for thirty people. This is a wide green field where a proper summer party, BBQ smoke, long tables, music and all, has room to spread out.
Summer in the city usually means a packed pub garden or a rooftop with a queue at the bar. If you are planning something bigger, a family gathering, a community event, a milestone celebration, a relaxed BBQ for a hundred-plus, the options thin out fast. Here is how an open field works for a large garden party, and what you can do with it.
At a glance
- Open-air BBQ and garden-party hire for up to 500 guests at Valentines Park, Ilford (IG1 4UA).
- BBQ available on site, plus dry hire so you bring your own caterer, drinks and décor.
- A genuine large green space, not a small courtyard, with free on-site parking.
- An 8-minute walk from Ilford station on the Elizabeth line, with an on-site coordinator on the day.
The big-group problem with London “gardens”
Search for a garden-party venue in London and most results are small. A pub beer garden, a restaurant terrace, a courtyard that seats forty if everyone breathes in. Lovely for a casual catch-up, hopeless for a proper crowd. And the moment your numbers climb past a hundred, the city pushes you indoors into a function room, which rather defeats the point of a summer party.
A real garden party needs grass, sky and space to spread out, not a courtyard with a one-way system.
The Outfields is the opposite problem solved: a wide, flat green field with room for a large group to actually relax. Kids can run. The food station and bar have space. The music carries without bouncing off four walls.
What you can do with the field
A BBQ or garden party, your way
- A BBQ as the centrepiece. A BBQ is available on site, so smoking grills and a relaxed feed-everyone menu are part of the plan rather than a problem to solve.
- Your own caterer and drinks. Because it is dry hire, bring the caterer you want, including a halal caterer, and stock the bar your way.
- Lounge, dining and play zones. Long tables, low seating, lawn games, a dance floor; lay the space out however your day flows.
- Warm lighting for the evening. Festoon lights and lanterns through our suppliers keep the party going as the sun goes down.
Who it suits
The field works for more than weddings. Big birthdays and anniversaries, family reunions, community and faith gatherings, summer fundraisers, christenings and naming parties, and corporate summer socials all sit happily on an open green space. If you want a relaxed celebration you can shape your own way rather than a formal hall, this is built for it.
The practical details
- Where: Valentines Park, Ilford Cricket Club, Cranbrook Road, IG1 4UA. Elizabeth line, roughly 12 minutes from Liverpool Street. Free on-site parking, plus street parking on Cranbrook Road.
- When: evening and weekend hire, ideal for summer afternoons running into the evening, with an on-site coordinator on the day.
- Suppliers: catering, BBQ, drinks, lighting, marquee and furniture through our approved network, or bring your own.
The British summer question
Plan for the weather and relax into the day. A British summer is mostly kind, and a covered option keeps a garden party going whatever the sky does: a marquee through our suppliers, the indoor space for 70, or a simple backup your coordinator maps with you. Decide it early and a passing shower never derails the BBQ.
Planning something more formal, or a wedding rather than a party? Our guide to the open-air alternative to a hotel ballroom covers weddings on the same field.
Plan your summer party
Tell us your date, a rough head count and what you have in mind, and we will reply within 24 hours with availability. Bring the people; we will bring the field.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I have a big BBQ or garden party in East London?
The Outfields at Valentines Park, Ilford, is an open-air, dry-hire field for up to 500 guests with BBQ available, which is unusual in East London where most garden venues are small courtyards or terraces.
Is there a BBQ at the venue?
Yes, BBQ is available on site. Because the venue is dry hire, you can also bring your own caterer and drinks to build the food and bar you want.
How many people can the garden party venue hold?
Up to 500 guests outdoors, plus an indoor space for 70, so it suits large groups that small London gardens cannot.
Is there parking for a large group?
Yes, there is free on-site parking, with additional street parking on Cranbrook Road. The venue is also an 8-minute walk from Ilford station on the Elizabeth line.
Can I bring my own caterer and drinks?
Yes. As a dry-hire venue, you bring your own caterer, including a halal caterer, and your own drinks, or use suppliers from our approved network.
The Outfields, an open-air event venue at Valentines Park, Ilford. Weddings, BBQs, garden parties, Eid and cultural celebrations under the open sky.