Barbecue Britain – The Sweet Scent of Summer

Considering the weather, it’s a wonder the UK has a barbecue culture at all. But next time the sun pops out from behind the clouds, stick your head out of the door and take a sniff – you’ll be experiencing the unmistakeable smell of charcoal smoke and cooking food. So what is it about the barbecue that’s so irresistible?

We’ve got to start with the taste. Whether it’s sausages, steaks, corn on the cob or veggie burgers, the close heat of the barbecue has a searing effect on the surface, making it lovely and crisp on the outside but succulent to bite. Inside a bread roll with plenty of ketchup, salad, mustard and mayo, it’s the kind of feast that simply doesn’t cut it indoors. Barbecues are also an opportunity to try something new that would be simply impossible in the kitchen, like flame-grilling fish or kebabs. Apart from overcooking and undercooking, there isn’t really all that much to go wrong with barbecue cuisine. You just cook it and let people garnish it as they please. With much of the fat draining from the meat and burning off on the coals, there’s a good case to be made for barbecuing being a healthier option, too.

Another compelling reason to get the barbecue equipment out is that the last place you want to be on a sultry summer’s day is in the kitchen. Who wants to be stuck in front of the oven when everyone else is splashing about in the paddling pool or chilling with a cool drink on the sun lounger? You could be outside, stuck in front of a mad hot cooking implement, nervously brandishing pokers and being attacked by unguided missiles of fat (and still managing to enjoy it).

For many, the food is secondary to the event itself, the communal experience of eating freshly cooked food outdoors. Inviting friends and family members over might normally vary in uptake depending on how interesting and generous you are, but before you’ve even finished uttering the word “barbecue” they’ll have made up their minds. It shows you’re making an effort, although if they have sampled your previous efforts, that isn’t necessarily a good thing.

So that just brings us back to the weather. The year 2009 brought a new phrase into the English language – the “barbecue summer”. It turned out to mean a summer full of soggy showers, grey skies and sandbags around houses, which is not what most people assumed it would mean. But the forecasters did understand how important a part the weather plays in the success or failure of a barbecue. It can make planning ahead a hit and miss affair, and benefits those who have all the gear ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. There are halfway-house options, of course. Having an open-sided marquee and waterproof parasols (a.k.a. massive umbrellas) can stave off the worst effects of the odd light shower on an otherwise dry day.

So get your food in the freezer, prepare the barbecue equipment, keep your fuel dry and keep an eye on the short-term weather forecast. That way you can make every summer a barbecue summer.