Could the almost irresistible smell of onions and the sizzle of sausages cooking on the barbie raise extra funds at your next charity event? Every event creator wants to make the most money for their charity at every opportunity, and sausage sizzles are a tried and true, fairly simple way to get some quick wins on the catering front as a side hustle. They are popular, can be held at any time of the year, and can be highly profitable.

This article offers event creators all the information you need to organise a successful sausage sizzle. We have checklists for equipment and supplies, and we’ve also spoken to some charity insiders who have lots of experience with how to organise a sausage sizzle fundraiser, so read on for insights — including the secret to the irresistible smell of their sausage sizzle onions.

Where’s the barbie?

Some locations, such as public parks, may have barbeques available for you to use. In a public space, it may be safer to bring your own to guarantee it is clean, ready to use and not being used by others when you are planning to have your sausage sizzle. You might need to have access to or bring multiple barbeques, depending on the number of expected guests.

Select a cooking and serving spot on flat, non-flammable ground. Make sure you have recently filled and backup gas bottles in case your primary cylinders run out.

Arrange your public liability insurance

When you are selling food, it is particularly important to have public liability insurance. This is necessary in case a member of the public suggests that you have caused them harm or damages through negligence. Depending on the charity you are working with, they may have this in place already.

All public liability insurance has a clause requiring the insured to take every precaution to ensure the safety of patrons. Minimise risks by:

Tip: Placing your onions on the bread, under the sausage, helps prevent them from falling on the ground and creating a potential slip hazard.

Ordering your supplies

Most charity sausage sizzles stick to the basic budget banger on white supermarket bread. But you do have other options. If you want to go the extra distance and offer vegetarian or higher-priced gourmet choices, make sure you have big signs that let the foot traffic know about it. And wholemeal bread will appeal to your more health-conscious clientele.

Depending on the size of the sausages, you will get 10–14 sausages per kg. For every 100 sausages (approximately 8.3kg at 12 per kg), you will also need:

We checked in with some Australian Men’s Shed members about how to organise a Bunnings sausage sizzle. They’ve been running profitable charity sausage sizzles outside the major superstore on busy weekends for a few years now. The Men’s Shed caters for 600–700 sausages per day, all cooked on one 3m long barbeque.

With the Shed members’ help, we put together this sausage sizzle checklist for non-food items:

A master sausage sizzle cook we spoke with told us that takeaway containers are a good idea. “People often come and buy four or five. Putting them all in a plastic bag can end up a bit of a mess, so we use deep, takeaway containers to keep multiple orders upright and not leaking everywhere.”

Our master sausage sizzler also said that EFTPOS facilities are essential for them. “Not many people are paying in cash these days,” he said. Another insider hint: “We don’t bother with the margarine anymore. We stopped years ago, and no one has ever complained.”

Drinks

You might want to keep it simple and not worry about selling drinks, but they are a simple way to make additional money. If selling drinks, you will also need coolers to keep these in, and pre-cooling some will start the day right.

Sponsored or purchased?

Teaming up with a local supermarket, butcher, or bakery to secure your supplies could make a big financial difference to your bottom-line profit. Approach a few local businesses and offer to put up signage to advertise where the goods came from in exchange for free or discounted supplies.

Be sure to thank your partners in writing because they will often stick these types of certificates or letters to their shop wall to show their community spirit. To help you find the right catering partnership, we’ve put together a sponsorship cheat sheet full of hints and ideas.

Set your prices

There are a few things to consider when deciding on your pricing options. Rounding up pricing to the nearest dollar will mean less change is required for your float. Offering discounted pricing for multiple purchases, such as “one for $3, two for $5”, and bundling with a drink for a round figure, will keep things simple at your point of sale. Have your prices clearly visible to both your volunteers and the public.

Bring on the volunteers

The big question is how many people you’ll need to organise a sausage sizzle fundraiser. The average volunteer might only be prepared to help for two-three hours. Considering that the early morning and later afternoon will be slower than the middle of the day, you could overlap your morning and afternoon shifts or have an extra lunchtime shift.

When planning a sausage sizzle fundraiser, ask your volunteers what roles they are happy to perform. You will need cooks, food preppers, and people to serve and take payments. The benefit of allocating roles to each volunteer before they arrive is that they will know what to expect. For the Men’s Shed members we spoke to, it’s hard work for four people per shift; five means they have more time to engage with people and answer questions.

All volunteers must be aware of food safety and hygiene practices, such as the need for hair to be tied back and closed-toe shoes to be worn etc. Communicating these requirements in writing before the event will ensure that everyone is prepared for a smooth sizzle on the day. And it helps to be clear and specific about the quantities per serving – you don’t want to run out of onions.

Additional offerings

Boost your fundraising with the sale of tempting extras like cakes, desserts, or ice blocks, or run a raffle at your sausage sizzlers tent. While people are waiting to be served, you have an opening to engage them about your charity and what it does. This is a great opportunity to showcase your success stories!

It is also an opportunity to have donation tins and brochures or cards with QR codes that take patrons to the charity’s website and online donation portal. A free sausage sizzle could be used to attract people to your main event, and that’s what the Bayside Business Enterprise Centre in Sydney, New South Wales, has successfully done for its monthly networking opportunities.

Ensure a sell-out

At the end of the day, if your sausage sizzle has supplies left over, you can sell any full loaves of bread and unopened packs of sausages to attendees who are still at your main event. Offer these at competitive prices and your volunteers might even buy them up.

Whatever leftover product you can’t sell, give to your volunteers as appreciation or find a local food bank that has the capacity to use the perishables in time to avoid any food waste.

Complete a thorough clean

When the last sausage has been cooked and sold, sausage sizzle organisers will need to completely clean all equipment and clear the area of any grease and food that might have splattered onto surfaces. You could put together a tailored checklist for bumping in and bumping out, including making sure that all rubbish is disposed of responsibly.

Plan your sausage sizzle today

Oh, and how does the Men’s Shed make their onions smell so good? The sausage sizzle master cook we spoke to shared their secret (well, not anymore). They always add “a fair dollop” of barbeque sauce when the onions are half-cooked. The sugar in the sauce turns them lovely and brown, and significantly increases the tempting aromatics.

Let a sausage sizzle bring in the crowds for your next charity event, and use Eventbrite tools to achieve overall success.