Brits love a good barbecue with friends and family – sausages and burgers on the grill, potato and pasta sides and the all-important salad. However, cooking food to perfection al fresco isn't always as easy as it seems, and there are some common mistakes many of us make.
HELLO! caught up with TV chef Tom Kerridge, whose new show Tom Kerridge Barbecues is on the Food Network, Thursdays at 9pm. The Michelin-starred cook shared his top tips for getting your barbecue just right and avoiding a mealtime disaster (hands up who's been there).
MORE: How to host a veggie BBQ your carnivore friends are bound to love too
It's a busy summer for Tom, who's running Pub in the Park's Drive-In Garden Party at Henley, Knebworth House and Tunbridge Wells in September, featuring Kaiser Chiefs, Groove and Basement Jaxx and food from himself, Atul Kochhar and Paul Ainsworth. The event is now offering walk-in tickets for groups of up to ten people to book their own private garden party enclosure.
Tom Kerridge's top barbecue tips
Let the coals die down
Tom says: "One of the biggest tips and tricks of barbecuing – people try to do it too quickly. They get the coals going and they get on with it. You've got to wait for the coals to die down so that you've got that lovely white glow of heat."
Invest in a good barbecue
Tom advises: "If you really enjoy barbecued cooked food and are going to do much more of it, it's really worth investing in a good barbecue. One of those egg-style barbecues are very good."
Plan in advance
"Barbecuing isn't about doing it quickly," says Tom. "It's about structure, planning and enjoying being in the garden. Don't rush it."
MORE: Royals who barbecue! When Prince William, Meghan Markle and Prince Phillip take to the grill
Tom also told about the inspiration for his dishes at his world-famous pub The Hand and Flowers, in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.
He revealed: "When we set up the Hand and Flowers 15 years ago, there's a particular style of ingredient and a type of food that we work with. But I'm very fortunate that the head chefs in all of the businesses have all been with us for a minimum of seven years – some for longer – so they completely understand the DNA of where it's going and what they need to be doing.
"Nothing changes at The Hand and Flowers without me making sure that it's right. In the other cases, chefs have a bit more freedom to go with what they want to cook but it does fit very much within the culture of the Hand and Flowers."
For more information please visit: driveingardenparty.com
