Recipe: Heinz Classic Burger

We love a good burger. Have a go at this corker from Heinz and let us know what you think!

What you need:

4 tbsp Heinz Barbecue Sauce

4 tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 cup of chilli powder 

75g fresh breadcrumbs 

1 egg lightly beaten

black pepper

500g lean beef mince

6 slicer cheddar

6 hamburger buns

sliced beef tomatoes

lettuce

What you do:

In a bowl combine the Heinz Barbecue Sauce, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce and chilli powder. Add breadcrumbs and egg and stir together. 

Add the beef, season lightly with pepper and combine gently.

Divide the mixture evenly and shape into 6 burgers. Chill the burgers for 15 minutes.

When ready to cook, barbecue the burgers on a medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

Top with a slice of cheese, cook for one minute, or until the cheese has melted. 

Serve on a toasted bun topped with sliced tomato and lettuce.

Smoooookin'!

We all know by now that the delicious flavour and beauty of BBQing lies in the smoke! Fancy tech smokers have begun to creep into the houses of many across the country, and they aren't cheap. Never fear! If you've got a barbi with a lid, we've got the tips you need to convert it into a fancy smoker.

1 - The variety of wood you use should change depending on what kind of food you're smoking. Pecan wood will add a beautiful flavour to brisket whilst hickory works perfectly with ribs. Just be careful to avoid unsuitable and potentially toxic kind of wood.

2 - Get soaked! It often a good idea to wet your wood as the steam from your chips will keep all of the succulent meat nice and juicy. If you'd rather, you can wet half of the chips and keep the rest dry for and even balance.

3 - Wrap the chips in tin foil like a burrito and poke lots of holes evenly throughout the packet and it's ready to go!

4 - Location, location, location. You don't want the food to be too close to the smoke as it can be a little too smoky. The best place to smoke anything is undoubtedly the top rack of the BBQ. So long as the meat isn't too close to direct heat and the the BBQ is properly ventilated, you'll be OK.

5 - Be patient! We know you'll be tempted, but don't keep peeking under the lid to see if the food is ready. You'll know when to intervene by regularly checking the temperature and watching for the smoke to dissipate. 

6 - After the first hour, lift up the lid and allow the smoke to clear before getting too close. Filling a clean spray bottle with apple juice can act as a great baster for meat. Keep basting every 20 minutes until the meat is falling off the bone.

Enjoy.

Recipe: Coriander and Ginger Lamb Chops

If you picked up the Mail on Sunday, you would have seen this delicious recipe! It's a variation on a dish we picked up from a small roadhouse on the way out of Bondi, and the slightly fusion edge enhances the overall flavour.

What you need:

6 Lamb Chops

50g Ginger

1 ripe papaya, peeled and roughly chopped

30g bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped

50ml extra virgin olive oil

2 or 3 hot chillies, finely chopped and deseeded

100ml Activia Low Fat natural yoghurt 

30g unsalted butter

What you do:

Mix ginger, papaya, oil and coriander in liquidiser, mix in the chillies and yoghurt

Remove fat/meat from top 2 inches of the chop and flatten out meat, removing any extra fat

Coat the chops with marinade and refrigerate in sealed bag for at least 4 hours

Sear on a high heat then grill for around 10 mins of medium heat and the a further 5 minutes on low

Keep turning to prevent burning

Season with salt & pepper and leave to rest for a few minutes before serving 

Top Tips - Spread the heat!

Control your temperature across the grill by having one half full of hot coals leading to the other with none. Though there's no direct heat in this end, it's great for warming food through and slow cooking.

We want to know your barbi tips... Leave them in the comments and we'll share the best!

Recipe: Gastro Grilled Chilli & Pineapple Spare Ribs

Serves 2

Forget the local Chinese; this Asian Delight is a real grill-star of the Orient and we got the idea for this dish at, believe it or not a pub on Lantau Island. Simple to both prepare and BBQ, these ribs taste great being, sweet, sour and spicy all at the same time!

What you need
Pork spare ribs x 6
Small canned pineapple, finely chopped, plus juice
Birds Eye chillies - finely chopped/deseeded
Red onion - finely chopped
4 crushed garlic cloves 
30g grated ginger
50ml x tomato puree 
lime juice 
runny honey
70g EV olive oil 
sea salt
black pepper


What you do

- Separate ribs and simmer in salted water fro 30 mins 

– drain & cool- Pan-fry garlic, ginger, onion & chillies with oil until soft then add in chopped pineapple.

- Add pineapple juice, tomato puree & honey. 

- Season to taste and boil till thick – leave to cool.

- Brush mixture over ribs and grill over medium heat for around 15 mins, or until sauce becomes crusty/brown

More than tasty tasters!

On the RoadShow we've got a lot more than just tasty summer goodies for you to eat and drink. One such AWESOME item you can get your hands on is a little Heinz recipe book, full of great ideas for summer BBQing! Here's a little snippet below for Marinated Chicken Drumsticks!

Oh, and it's free! Come and grab one.

(click to see full size)

Recipe: Awesome Asparagus

We think this is one of the simplest, yet most impressive alfresco snacks or starters that you can prepare. We prefer baby or young asparagus with lots of Parmigianino, but please remember to shave; do not grate!

What you need
16 Asparagus spears
Juice of 1 lime
30ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
15ml Balsamic vinegar
A small wedge of Parmigianino Reggiano
2 tsp’s Sea salt
1 tsp Cracked black pepper

What you do
Mix lime juice, oil and balsamic plus ½ salt & black pepper

Coat asparagus and grill slowly on medium, turn frequently and baste occasionally.

Remove asparagus once cooked through, lightly cover with shavings of Parmigianino and drizzle remaining lime, oil & balsamic, season with salt & black pepper to taste.

Recipe: Boursin Burger

We all know Boursin is an essential addition to anyone's cheese board, but it's so much more versatile than that. Here's a brilliant summer recipe that uses Boursin in a totally different but utterly delicious way... We present, the Boursin Burger! 

What you need: 

80g Boursin® Cheese Garlic & Herbs

1 rasher of smoked bacon, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

100g field mushrooms, finely chopped

1 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. English mustard

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

500g beef mince

Half a white onion, finely chopped

Vegetable oil for cooking

Salt & pepper to taste

What you do:

Place the beef mince in a blender, along with mustard, thyme, mushrooms, onion, garlic, bacon and butter. 

Take the Boursin Cheese Black Pepper and shape into four individual balls. Push the balls into the middle of each of your burger patties, ensuring you seal around the cheese to keep it in the middle. Set aside until cooking.

Place a griddle pan or a heavy based frying pan on a high heat, alternatively, get the barbi nice and warm.

Pulse until combined. Split the mixture into four equal portions and shape into burger patties.

 Add a little oil and then immediately add the burger patties, cooking evenly for approximately 3 minutes on each side. 

Once cooked, remove from the pan and allow to rest for two minutes before serving.

Place the burgers into a warm bun, garnished with sliced gherkins and tomatoes.

Enjoy with a dollop of Heinz Barbecue Sauce or 50% Less Sugars Ketchup!

BBQ tips you should know

As it's National BBQ Week, we thought we ought to share a few little tips & tricks that may help you reach gastro grillin' glory! If you think we've missed something out, comment or tweet using #NatBBQWeek.

1 - Hold your hand 6" from the grill to test the heat. If you feel you can hold it there for...

- under a minute, the grill is too hot
- 2-3 minutes the heat is high and ideal for searing
- 3-4 minutes is a medium temperature for normal grilling
- 4-5 minutes in fairly warm and good for heating food

2 - Marinated food tastes great and grills better, right? The longer the soak, the better the taste, right? Cut marinating times in half by placing marinated food in a sealed bag and placing in the fridge.

3 - Low & Slow! BBQing is not a race against time. Sear on high and then take it slow to retain all of those juices whilst cooking all the way through.

4 - Now you can buy a gas BBQ for under £40, there's a real argument for what's best, gas or charcoal. Follow this simple rule... Gas for ease, charcoal for taste.

5 - Shake up a barbi party with a theme. Food, clothing & drinks can all match a country's theme.

Caribbean = jerk chicken & dreds
Australian = Kanga steaks & cork hats
British = Soggy hotdog & a raincoat?

6 - Throwing wood chips and herb branches onto the coals can add great smoky flavour.

7 - Create barbi theatre by pressing meat on the grill with a spatula. The release of natural fat will create flames and make you look like a pro. (health warning: BBQs are fun. BBQs aren't toys. Be careful and treat them with respect)

8 - Introduce colour to BBQ food with flame roasted red, yellow & green peppers.

9 - Achieve criss crossed lines like a pro by searing on a high heat, quickly wiping the grill and placing back at 45 degrees.

10 - Safety first. Place the BBQ on level ground away from overhanging shrubbery. Only use bbq lighter fuel and NEVER use petrol. If a gas barbi doesn't light, turn off the gas and leave for a minute before returning and trying to relight.

Recipe: Marvellous Miso, Mustard & Sesame Aubergines

As if it needed to be proved, here is a superb and simple example of a vegetable that’s just great on the grill. Aubergine is, in our opinion, vastly underrated; the miso and sesame add a wonderfully oriental flavour, balanced by the Dijon and honey!

What you need

Ripe aubergines x 2

1 tbsp Miso paste

1 tbsp honey – runny

1 tsp creamy Dijon mustard

1 tsp grated ginger

1 x crushed garlic cloves

1tbsp mixed soy sauce & cider vinegar

20g toasted sesame seeds

What you do

o  Mix Miso paste, honey, mustard, ginger, garlic, soy, vinegar & ½ sesame seeds.

o  Cut aubergines length-wise then cross-cut flesh; brush scored side with ½ Miso mix.

o  Place on medium grill, cut face-down to sear then turn and baste with remaining Miso mix, turn frequently until charred all over, about 15 minutes.

o  Set aside to cool, for around 5-10 minutes.

National BBQ Week

You may have seen across social media (Facebook & Twitter for those not in the loop) that we're running National BBQ Week this week. BBQing sits at the very core of our alfresco ethos and there are few better ways to enjoy a communal mealtime than gastro grillin'.

National BBQ Week is one of the UK's biggest awareness weeks and has changed consumer BBQ attitudes and usage from just 9 million in 1997 to over 120 million last year! Now in its 19th year, National BBQ Week sees friends, families, pubs and hotels come together and embrace the BBQ culture, whatever the weather.

We want you to get involved! Whether it's just having a simple BBQ in the garden with the family, or sharing an alfresco afternoon with the whole of the village, we want to see your pics, tips and recipes.

Send them over on Twitter using #NatBBQWeek and we'll share the best ones.

10 reasons why eating alfresco is the best!

In the summertime, we think there's no better place to enjoy a meal than outside... here's why.

1 - You can put some hours in on that tan of yours, which will have everyone green with envy

2 - In the summer, it's usually warmer yet less sticky outside

3 - There's endless space

4 - You can make a mess and it doesn't matter (as much)

5 - You can let the children go off and play whilst you enjoy a drink

6 - The view is guaranteed to be better

7 - The sun is a major source of Vitamin D, which makes you feel like this...

8 - Cooking on a BBQ can make anyone feel like a badass

9 - You can be at one with nature

10 - ...and you can enjoy it with soooo many more people

Recipe - Sizzlin’ Sea Bass with Fennel & Sweet Basil

One of the issues with UK BBQing is that we feel limited to the same sausage/burger scenario tossed in between a nondescript bap. Now, don't get us wrong, we love a good hotdog as much as Kel loves Orange Soda, but there is so much more you can do on a glorious grill. Here's one of our recipes from last year's campaign, produced by our very own Grillmaster; Sizzlin' Sea Bass with Fennel & Sweet Basil.



Serves 4


Sea Bass is probably my favourite fish and when grill-sautéed with fennel & basil, it simply moves onto another plane. The foil helps keep the fish moist and in-shape, if you feel brave try searing the skin and serve skin side-up! 

What you need:


Sea Bass fillets (unskinned) x 4
Fennel bulb – grated
4 finely sliced garlic cloves
5g roughly chopped sweet basil
5g chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 Lemon – sliced
10g sea salt & 5g black peppercorn
5g fennel seeds
25ml olive oil Plus 
4 sheets cooking foil 

What you do:


- Cut diagonal lines across skin of sea bass


- Mix fennel, garlic, basil, parsley and place equal amounts on each foil


- Place fish skin side up on top then sprinkle with salt, pepper and fennel seeds, drizzle over oil, place lemon slices on top then wrap foil over to form parcel.

- Place foil parcels on medium heat and grill for 4-5 minutes each side or until fish is opaque.

- Open up parcel and squeeze fresh lemon to taste

- Tuck in!

Who are we?

Over the past 19 years, we've been working with some of the worlds most beloved brands to help you enjoy a brighter summer. We essentially want to change the British attitude and adopt a Mediterranean way of living; fun, relaxed and alfresco! Let's stop complaining how hot it is (even though you've been LONGING for this weather throughout winter)... Let's ditch the chic makeshift handkerchief hat... Let's remove those socks from under the sandals! (Too far?)

What we're trying to say is, we love the summer and think it's best spent in the garden, with friends and family, enjoying delicious food and refreshing drinks! From June 2nd, two teams of brilliant alfresco chefs and trained Brand Believers are taking to the road for eleven weeks to showcase just how glorious life alfresco can be, giving away thousands of free food and drink samples along the way!

We'll be announcing this years extra-special sponsors very soon, so keep your eyes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for clues and the big announcement! 

p.s. There will be prizes to be won!