How to make your barbecue a sure-fire crowd pleaser

And what's even better, barbecue's alfresco dining vibe can light up those once-forgotten outdoor spaces whose profit potential went unseen until the pandemic came along.

But diners want a flavour-filled barbecue experience, not just a meal, so barbecue needs to be taken to the next level. Suppliers report that smoking and experimenting with marinades and spice blends will give your barbecue offer the street cred it needs.

The American Deep South barbecue scene is exerting a huge influence on cooking over fire in the UK, says Rob Owen, executive development chef at Creed Foodservice. He explains: "It's all about imparting as much flavour as possible with the smoke generated from a barbecue. Caterers can play with this concept by selecting the fuel they cook over. Choosing a high-quality charcoal as a base is essential. It can then be tweaked using different woods, such as maple, cherry and apple, each giving a slightly different scented smoke, which imparts a flavour to what is being cooked."

Kenan Koymen, head of sales at Bertha Oven, says: "Chefs can take advantage by ‘premiumising' their dishes using menu descriptors that highlight when an item has been cooked in a charcoal oven using different varieties of wood chips to intensify the flavour."

Add zing

Barbecue seasonings and sauces have also evolved post-pandemic, and suppliers agree that consumers are looking for something spicy. Make sure to maximise your meaty flavours by using rubs and seasonings, says McCormick senior research chef Ian Craddock. McCormick's Grill Mates, Old Bay and Schwartz ranges all carry flavours that can be used directly on the meat, wet or dry, before or after cooking.

Chefs are taking inspiration from international cuisines, with South American, Japanese and Korean barbecue influences working their way around the UK.

Experimenting with new barbecue formats and flavourings is also on-trend, such as asado-style South American open grill cooking, Japanese yakiniku grilling, and gogi-gui Korean table-top cooking (where groups prepare ingredients over a griddle or hot plate set in the middle of the table). With the barbecue format allowing chefs to experiment with blending cuisines from different countries, Brazilian, Greek and Lebanese flavourings are also becoming popular too.

Main events

In this world of fun and flavours, what is being barbecued is key. The thinking has moved on here too, and now embraces the plant-based and meat reduction trends as well as adding twists on the classics. Retail sales figures from the UK's Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) show a continued trend to cheaper, simpler barbecues, with fewer proteins featuring in the in-home sector.

AHDB's numbers show that in 2022, for retail, pork remained the largest protein present at barbecues, with burgers making up 34.9% of occasions. Sausages were up slightly, at 34.3% and meat-free took 2.7% of sales by spend in home.

Tom Styman-Heighton, development chef at Funnybones Foodservice, recommends dressing up barbecue options for out of home dining. "Operators shold look to food trends and exciting new twists to keep customers on their toes," he says. "Burgers, hot dogs and wings are all well established, but they require original thinking to stand out from the crowd."

He points out there are 50 US states to take hot dog flavour inspiration from. Chicago-style, for example, features extra-large hot dogs with tomatoes, pepper, a dill pickle, raw onions, green relish, yellow mustard and celery salt (but no ketchup).

Burgers are another barbecue classic that can be given a kick with the right toppings and sides. Operators can quickly pimp up fries with a dash of flavouring, or offer kimchi slaw instead of coleslaw. Sausages are also a much-loved choice and Charles Coleman, sales director at the Sausage Man, says German sausages are in demand. Many consumers are looking for authenticity, something different and an alternative to the British sausage, which offers premium quality and a great taste, he adds.

Favourites at the Sausage Man include käse­krainer frankfurters, which blend beech-smoked pork and creamy Emmental cheese, or for a connoisseur's experience, the company's gourmet range of sausages includes wagyu beef and bacon bratwurst.

Many hospitality operators are upgrading the meat items on their menus, switching from wet-aged steaks to 21-day dry-aged, for example, says Owen. "Be sure to consider the provenance of your meat. Keeping the cooking of good-quality steaks simple will allow the quality to shine through."

For chefs looking for something different, beef brisket and tomahawk steaks – favoured cuts in the US – are becoming more and more desirable in the UK, according to Nick Passmore, owner of the Cotswold Meat Company.

Chicken remains a popular choice for barbecuing, especially fillets and thighs, which lend themselves to being marinaded. The theatre of barbecue cooking adds to the appeal. So does the use of novel culinary approaches, such as "beer-can" chicken, where a whole bird is cooked over an opened can of beer, to give more succulent meat.

Expect to see the mixed grill grow in popularity, with different joints and cuts cooked in a variety of ways, and different textures and flavours coming together.

It's also important to consider free-from, plant-based, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options that suit consumer lifestyle choices. Sainsbury's food trends report for summer 2022 found that 38% of those surveyed believe veggie-centric barbecue, featuring the likes of grilled vegetables, will be the new norm. The upside for operators is that vegetables may be more profitable options than meat.

The fuel

A charcoal barbecue oven may be a cost-effective and convenient alternative to a conventional combi oven, as the price of gas and electricity continues to rise, says Koymen. They also tend to offer a speedy turnaround.

As for gas, Justin Cadbury, chairman and chief executive of Synergy Grill Technology, says the company's technology cuts gas consumption by 59%, which also means fewer empty gas bottle changes. Professional equipment gives better results than those that diners can achieve at home. He adds that Synergy's atomising technology loses less moisture during the cooking process and allows for natural oils to be returned to the food.

Having invested in outdoor cooking options, such as charcoal ovens, pizza ovens and barbecues, many operators have now broadened the range of dishes that they prepare on them, says Koymen. "Where our Bertha ovens were originally purchased for cooking steaks, chicken and fish, many are now being used to cook and smoke whole cuts of meat, ‘dirty-roast' vegetables, cook whole lobsters, and even desserts such as tarte tatin."

The flavours, the lifestyle, the entertainment – barbecue has a lot to offer diners. And chefs get the chance to be creative, flex their menus and mix it all up, all while keeping costs down.

Green and global

Andrew Clarke, behind Brunswick House and St Leonards, has teamed up with former St Leonards head chef Daniel Watkins and Steve Ryan of brewery 40FT to open Acme Fire Cult at 40FT Brewery in Dalston, London, in April 2022.

Bestsellers

"Leeks, Marmite-buttered bread, and butternut squash hummus."

Barbecue culture

[Watkins and Ryan]: "The Acme Fire Cult approach to barbecue is that vegetables take centre stage alongside rare and native-breed meat from regenerative farms and dayboat fish from sustainable suppliers. Beer by-products such as yeast and spent grain are used to make ferments and hot sauces. Inspiration is pulled from around the globe, evident in grilling and fermentation and heavy use of chilli and spices."

Inflation-busting tip

"We have to check our invoices weekly for price rises. We can't pass them all on or our menu will be too expensive, so we just take things off or take the hit on our gross profit."

Plans for 2023

"We will continue to lead with seasonal vegetables cooked over fire and lowering our waste."

‘More than just a menu'

Paul Whitfield is head chef at Stoke, a robata grill restaurant that opened at the end of last year in Liverpool's Radisson Red hotel.

*Inflation-busting tip**

"Our seasonal menu allows us some flexibility over the rising cost of ingredients."

BBQ vibe

"Fridays and Saturdays include live music and DJs performing, and both nights have been fully booked in recent weeks. I think this emphasises the importance of atmosphere. You can't rely solely on a menu."

Suppliers

Bertha Oven www.berthaoven.co.uk

Cotswold Meat Company www.cotswoldmeatcompany.co.uk

Creed Foodservice www.creedfoodservice.co.uk

Funnybones Foodservice www.funnybones.co.uk

McCormick www.mccormickflavoursolutions.co.uk

The Sausage Man UK https://sausageman.co.uk

Synergy Grill Technology www.synergygrill.com