10 ways to celebrate summer

Give your home a summer refresh

Want to give your kitchen an instant uplift? Take inspiration from our must-buy kitchen and entertaining accessories for this summer, including Mediterranean colourways, bespoke ceramics and vibrant table linen. You can also check out Gurdeep Loyal's on-trend homeware brands to try this summer, from Sicilian-inspired tableware to chic statement glassware (you can also find the best gin glasses to level up your gin and tonics here).

Focus on your wellbeing and eat like a Mediterranean

The Mediterranean diet is believed to be one of the healthiest ways to eat, and summer is one of the best times to adopt a few of these habits. Its focus on fresh, seasonal and local ingredients help it provide plenty of vitamins and minerals, while the healthy fats found in several of the other key ingredients are believed to help lower the risk of heart disease. Seasonal tomatoes feature heavily in classic Mediterranean dishes – try our baked feta with pomegranate and tomatoes for a simple summer lunch. Beans, sardines and olive oil are other ingredients to make the most of. We've also chosen the best summer cookbooks to buy for fresh recipe inspiration, including gorgeous Greek and Sicilian cookbooks.

Create your own summer cocktails

Make the most of the long sunny evenings by finding your ultimate sundowner cocktail. For the hottest days, try one of our frozen cocktail recipes – from a seasonal strawberry margarita slushie to an easy raspberry frosé. We've got plenty more summer cocktails to try: recreate Spanish holiday memories with a white wine sangria or add a scoop of your favourite sorbet to a glass of prosecco for a simple sgroppino. Stock up your bar with jewel-like bottles of aperitifs, ready to whip up refreshing summer spritzes.

Dine outdoors

Make the most of any summer weather that comes by dining al fresco. We've chosen some of our favourite outdoor restaurants and terraces in London. Settle in on the suntrap terrace at one of our newest additions to the list, Caia in Notting Hill, serving loaded steak sandwiches cooked over an open grill (plus, strong tequila cocktails). For classic London views, head to the terrace at Tavolino and feast on burrata and silky pastas whilst admiring Tower Bridge. For after work gatherings, head to Vinegar Yard's collection of street food trucks and bars so everyone can choose their own meal to enjoy on the fairy-light covered picnic tables.

Host the perfect summer dinner party

Have friends and family over for a long summer lunch in the sunshine, or a dinner party that makes the most of the long evenings where you can eat outdoors. Check out our easy summer entertaining ideas for all the recipe inspiration you need, whether throwing an Italian feast, a gourmet barbecue or a tapas party for everyone to share. Finish off your meal with an impressive dessert: a pavlova piled high with fresh berries is a great summer centrepiece, or try one of our no-bake desserts when it is too hot to turn on the oven. Our raspberry cheesecake pots are sure to be a crowdpleaser.

Take a day trip

Escape the city heat with a day trip to the beach. No car? No problem. We've picked the best day trips from London by train, with journeys starting at under 20 minutes. Discover the classic seaside towns of Margate, Brighton or Whitstable for ice cream, fish and chips or oysters. If it's just London you need a break from, spend a day visiting a smaller city – summer is a great time to visit university towns of Oxford and Cambridge when they're quieter during the student holidays. Or, did you know you don't have to head to Europe to visit a vineyard? In under an hour from London, you can be at Denbies Vineyard, exploring the working winery, enjoying a cellar tour and eating lunch overlooking the vines.

Make the most of seasonal produce

Summer is one of the best times to cook with seasonal produce at it's best. Go foraging for blackberries – to ensure you're picking the best, look for plump, dark blackberries, as these contain the sweetest juice. Turn your haul into a showstopping blackberry pie or simple blackberry cake, or serve them in a savoury dish in a blackberry-topped melting baked brie. Tomatoes are at their juiciest best after a day in the sun – if you've got a haul after growing your own, use some for creamy tomato pasta for a quick midweek meal, then preserve the rest in a tomato chutney to enjoy all year round.

Buy a barbecue

This is the summer to upgrade your barbecue game. Our reviews experts have been trying and testing barbecues to bring you the best ones to buy: check out our full round-up of the best gas barbecues to turn your garden into the ultimate hosting venue. Forget the burnt sausages and slightly-too-crunchy veg from traditional charcoal barbecues. Gas grills not only preheat quickly but allow you a greater level of control compared to their charcoal counterparts, with quick and easy clean-up. Once you've sorted the kit, it's time to get cooking. Try one of our favourite barbecue recipes, from jerk chicken to the ultimate BBQ burger. Check out our best vegetarian BBQ recipes too, with loaded skewers and colourful salads galore.

Make ice cream

Have a go at the ultimate summer kitchen project by making some homemade ice cream. You don't need to have an ice cream maker: our no-churn Biscoff ice cream recipe is super easy and has just four ingredients, or try our no-churn pomegranate ice cream recipe using sticky pomegranate molasses that you might already have in the cupboard. If you are in the market for an ice cream machine, our reviews experts have tried and tested the best: check out our full review of the best ice cream makers to buy, starting at just over £70. Then put your new kit to use with our roasted banana caramel swirl ice cream, or fruity peach melba ice cream.