Expert Insights - BBQ Menus

When firing up the barbecue this summer, try breaking away from the generic burger and sausage offering and serve up something a little more creative.

The finalists at this year’s British BBQ Battle held at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire created a range of inspiring dishes to help entice customers in to your pub's garden. 

Among dishes created by the eight finalists was a trio of slider burgers: veal, Thai pork and lamb and feta burgers in mini brioche buns; Gloucester Old Spot pork served four ways and rump of lamb with salted caper crust and sweet potato chips.

Winning menus​

The winner of the competition was Warwick University chef Graham Crump who cooked up king prawns with pickled lemon, a lamb kebab on a toasted flat bread with salad and pork popcorn and bananas with marshmallow and chocolate.

Last year's champion Fiona Dulake from the Boot Pub in St Albans, Hertfordshire, cooked up winning BBQ dishes including Queenies mustard gammon steak and Kentish marshmallows, which featured marshmallow skewers with waffles.

Other inspirations from the event included:

Fish ​

Offering small plates of barbecued fish is a great way to introduce customers to something new, so try gently barbecuing smoked salmon with parsley, beetroot and lemon mayonnaise served on a flatbread or toasted bun.

King prawns can work well on the BBQ and can be infused with a pickled lemon, coriander and garlic butter and a yoghurt and mint dressing to accompany.

For something a little more elaborate try a surf and turf featuring fresh, hand dived scallops and chicken in a cauliflower and herb risotto.

Meat​

Steak on the BBQ is an ideal main course, so offer customers a fillet with spring onion and lime chilli and a bean sprout salad to add colour to the dish. Serve either with rice or on barbecued flat bread.

Barbecues are a time for sharing and the best way to gather people around is to serve a sharing roast complete with barbecued vegetables and a selection of traditional sauces. A joint of beef works well as does a whole chicken or a slow cooked pork shoulder.

Leave the plates behind and let customers use their hands by serving lamb kebabs infused with mint in a toasted flatbread packed with crispy salad and a barbecue ranch dressing.

Dessert​

Dessert can be prepared on the barbecue just as easily as meat – so think creative when serving your final course.

Most fruits can be barbecued, so try baked apples accompanied with clotted cream or prepare a fruit salad infused with sweet ginger chilli, coriander salsa and mascarpone cream.

Slice open a pineapple and place half on the barbecue, scoop the fruit out and replace it with a passion fruit couscous infused with chilli and rum.