Predictions of drizzle be damned; the early May bank holiday weekend calls for one thing and one thing only in the UK, and that’s the first proper barbecue of the party season.
This year, the annual lighting of coals and burning of burgers has taken on added significance. With restrictions on meeting outdoors and in private gardens eased, loved ones are going to be gathering around the grill with extra enthusiasm.
Should you have a loved one in your life who is particularly enthusiastic about all things smoke, fire, fat and flavour, and you’re looking for a small gift to display your affection as grill season warms up, then you’ve come to the right place; here are 5 IDEAL gifts for the BBQ lover in your life.
A GRILL BASKET OR FISH CLAMP
As any well-seasoned griller will tell you, there’s an art to producing a barbie full of flavour and finesse, as opposed to one with cremated sausages and raw chicken sharing a plate. One of the best ways for those holding the tongs to grill with measured precision is with a grill basket; ideal for getting those grill marks and smoky finish on fish, meat and veggies without turning them into ash in the process.
Particularly useful are fish clamps, which allow you more control of turning the fish over on the barbeque, and prevents it from sticking. This also allows you to grill at a lower heat without fear of leaving half the fish on the grill when you turn it.
You can find sturdy, capable grill baskets and fish clamps on Amazon for between £10 and £20.
Read: How to grill a whole fish on the BBQ.
A BBQ BOUQUET
Flowers to adorn the dinner table set the scene for an elegant evening, sure, but where the grill is concerned, you might want something a little more rock’n’roll.
And this is not your typical flower bouquet; it’s actually made out of food! Advertised as one of the most ideal gifts for men, but equally perfect for women, transgender or non-binary, these beef jerky flowers not only look fantastic gracing the table, but they also taste amazing, too!
Designed to look like a proper bouquet of flowers, just imagine the hilarity when you pluck a petal and start eating it. The only issue is that this gift tastes so good, it might distract from all the grilled goodies your BBQ loving friend or family member has prepared.
Hey, why not wear your own version of Lady Gaga’s meat dress while you’re at it?
A GUIDE TO PAIRING WINE WITH GRILLED FOOD
A great barbeque is about so much more than the food. There’s the vibe to consider, too, and that’s influenced hugely by the drinks on offer. Though grilling and chilling are natural companions and making a fuss over the liquid refreshments seems to go against the ethos of a laid back barbeque session, we think that if you get your drinks pairing on point, you can elevate the occasion that much higher.
For your BBQ obsessed loved one, there are several wine and food pairing books which place a focus on barbeque currently available in all good book stores. Some of our favourites include:
- Fire & Wine: 75 Smoke-Infused Recipes from the Grill with Perfect Wine Pairings by Mary Cressler – a marvellous, grill-specific cookbook.
- Natural Wine for the People by Alice Feiring – we think the biodynamic stuff goes particularly well with that essence of the grill.
- The Food & Wine Guide to Perfect Pairings by the editors of Food & Wine – plenty of the recipes here focus on grilled food.
It’s not all about the wine, though. Alternatively, you could check out these 4 IDEAL beer pairing tips for your Summer BBQ.
HOT SAUCE HEAVEN
What is a great barbecue without a selection of hot sauces? Sure, the worst only call for a fire extinguisher, but the best? They transform grilled meats, with acidity cutting through the fat, chill heat bringing out the smoky notes, and the complexity of the finest hot sauces adding depth and intrigue to the spread.
For grilled meats, we particularly love:
- Encona Hot Pepper Sauce – An elite hot sauce brand if ever there was one.
- Chin Su– The thinking man’s Sriracha, Vietnamese chilli sauce Chin Su is bright, sharp, garlicky and with a credible kick. Smothered on banh my baguettes in Vietnam, you’ll also find chin su accompanying all manner of grilled seafood in the country’s beach resorts.
- Cholula Chipotle Hot Sauce – Ubiquitous, sure, but it does a job nonetheless. Smoky, spicy, fruity…we could enjoy Cholula chipotle hot sauce on pretty much anything, desserts included. This one is 100% vegetarian and vegan, but loses none of its swagger for being plant based.
A RESTAURANT VOUCHER TO A TOP LONDON GRILL RESTAURANT
Perhaps your grill loving companion prefers to eat barbecued food, rather than cooking it. As a generous gift, have you considered giving them a restaurant voucher to a top London grill restaurant?
In recent years, the grill scene in the capital has exploded, with foodies tired of plates which have been put together using tweezers. It seems that right now, diners are craving something more elemental. As a result, the popularity of food cooked over flames has risen exponentially.
Some of our favourite places to eat top ingredients kissed by fire, coal, wood and smoke are:
- Brat – Chef Tomos Parry’s ode to his native Wales and the fish-over-flames cooking of the Basque country has resulted in one of the standout London restaurant openings of the last few years. Bring a couple of friends, and order the whole turbot.
- Berber & Q – With two acclaimed restaurants, the Grill House and the Shawarma Bar, these guys specialise in the grilled foods of the Middle East and North Africa, with bold, zesty flavours taking centre stage. Incidentally, the Berber & Q Cookbook would make an excellent gift!
- Cue Point – Billed as British Afghan fusion, the restaurant now do nationwide delivery of their meal kits, should attending their Chiswick restaurant not be possible.
- SMOKESTAK – Check out our review of the restaurant here.