It's time to retire your "Kiss The Cook" apron.

A bank holiday always makes the weekend that little more meaty. Often, in more ways than one. Yes, these extra 24 hours of freedom tend to elicit certain cravings – for blackened sausages, devilled chicken and far, far too many burgers – that can be satisfied by nothing less than a barbecue. Maybe it’s a little early in the year to be thinking about such things. Or maybe it’s time to make a stand, get the charcoal smoking, and single-handedly get the summer rolling, right now. Either way, you can guarantee you’ll need a few of the below items at some point in the next few months – the inevitability of the summer barbecue is a cosmic constant there is no point resisting. (NB: given the nature of such occasions, if you’re in between sizes, you might want to consider taking the next one up.)

The point of a barbecue is to cook meat, not yourself. So few people seem to realise this. To assist your focus on the former, and avoid the latter, this sisal hat from Japanese designer Junya Watanabe comes highly recommended. You might also want to invest in some SPF 30 moisturiser from Malin & Goetz, too. The “well done” look is not attractive.

The barbecue is to denim what black tie is to the tuxedo. Which is to say that this jacket from Rag & Bone is almost compulsory for this occasion. Throw it on once you’ve finished your second plate and watch the sun set. After dark, this camping light from Snow Peak will help you see your friends a few lagers later, when they start divulging all their secrets over the pasta salad.

An often overlooked, but essential barbecue component. How are you supposed to enjoy your Pimm’s without a complementary musical cocktail thrumming through the air? Though it’s almost traditional at a barbecue to have the playlist broadcast by some tinny laptop speakers, this portable Bluetooth speaker from B&O Play will, you’ll find, give you a much better listening experience. Plus you can skip tracks, via your smartphone, from anywhere in the garden, allowing you to orchestrate crucial shifts in mood from afar, like some sort of omnipotent supervillain. Get everyone drunk, whack on “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” and take pictures.