Most years, over 115 million barbecues take place across the UK. That means on average nearly every adult sits down to a grilled meal at least twice over the year, and that’s just an estimate! Barbecuing is an essential British tradition. When you picture the summer – long evenings in the garden, children playing on the lawn – it always comes with that distinctive smell of charcoal and delicious food sizzling (or burning!) over the fire.
If you have a big family, the summer barbecue is a fantastic way to treat everyone without breaking the bank or spending hours in the kitchen. You can even invite friends and other families over and make a garden party out of it, all with minimal tidying up to do in the house afterwards!
However, barbecuing might be easy enough, but the perfect barbecue? That’s a bit harder to come by… unless of course you follow the top you-probably-haven’t-thought-of-this tips below to make your barbecue come off without a hitch.
Separate that grill!
In the world we live in today, it’s hard to have any event with more than 5 people (and with a large family, less than 5 never happens), without coming across specific dietary requirements and allergies. From veganism to gluten-free or coeliac, these have to be respected and catered for, especially as they can have life-threatening consequences! The best solution is simply to have two barbecues going – which will help with numbers too – but if that’s not possible, make sure to divide your grill into clear sections for meat, vegetables, and anything with wheat in it!
BYOB (and Food)
Having said that, sometimes catering for a wide variety of preferences is simply too complicated. In this case, don’t be afraid to ask your guests to bring anything they might want in particular, just in case! The culture of barbecues is very Bring Your Own and Mix and Match, so don’t be worried about politeness. Ultimately, everyone would rather have something to eat! Especially if you have a vegetarian teenager that needs catering for.
Don’t forget the midges
Eating outside in the evening? Having a glorious time? Think again! Midges are everywhere, and prime barbecue time is also prime insect time. Protect yourselves with insect repellent and use stingose gel for pain relief – there’s nothing worse than all your kids scratching themselves bloody for the next few days. You could always make your own bug repellent to ensure nobody gets bitten!
Use a fan
Struggling to get that perfectly even blaze going across your grill? We’ve all been there, with sausages cooked halfway through, or raw on the left hand side of your grill whilst burnt to a crisp on the other! An unusual (but very effective) solution is to use a hand fan to get those flames exactly where you want them. So you can barbecue evenly, and look like a posh Victorian lady while you’re doing it!
Invest in a gazebo
Alright, let’s be honest here. You can plan all you like, choose the sunniest day of the year… but the good old British weather can never be relied upon. If you’re having that garden party, then it’s definitely worth erring on the side of caution and getting a gazebo for your guests to shelter in whilst keeping that beautiful garden vibe alive. Small ones actually aren’t too expensive to buy, or there are loads of places online you can hire marquees, for as long as you like!
Ultimately, all you need for a barbecue is food, a grill, and good company, but with these hints hopefully your next bonanza can rise to new levels. Good luck!
