BUILDING THE BUSINESS – BARBECUES
Thegreatoutdoors With umbrella systems, outdoor lighting and heating now readily available, al fresco dining is achievable 24/7, 365 days a year. Top tips and recipes for thrill-with-the-grill action – whatever the weather.
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n the summer months the UK’s obsession with al fresco dining comes to the fore, and all eyes turn inevitably to the ubiquitous barbecue. But the challenge for clubs is to ensure that members and guests join the festivities at the club, rather than lighting the barbie at home. And with over 10 million people hosting barbecues last year, the home represents serious competition. So how do you ensure that the club barbecue is the one they all talk about? Making some noise Letting members know that you’ll be twirling the tongs – whatever the weather – is a good starting point. Umbrella systems have reached such a level of sophistication now that not only can they protect against both rain and sun in equal measures, optimistic, a beating sun – but they can include heating, lighting, fibre optics, speakers and graphics to ensure that every activity, from barbecues to weddings, can be held outdoors in comfort. Look for umbrellas which are resistant to dirt, and if the club is in an area used to severe weather warnings, make sure you look for the most durable options! Patio heaters too have proved a boon for outdoor diners, and are now available as free standing, table
top, or even wall mounted. As a rule of thumb, a full size free standing patio
SELLING THE SIZZLE – PERFECT PRESENTATION For professional-looking cross-hatch’ grill-lines sear food on the highest heat section at right angles to the grill bars. Then remove the food and lightly wipe with oil before turning it over and repeating the process. Once both sides are seared at this angle, turn the food lengthwise to the grill bars and repeat the process, before returning to the normal cooking heat. BARBECUE BANGERS AND HOT HOT DOGS 10 things to do with sausages and hot dogs! • Wrap in bacon before cooking (hold bacon in place with a cocktail stick) • Serve with grilled/fried onions and salsa in a wrap • Chop into chunks and toss into rice salad • Create mini kebabs, alternating the meat with colourful peppers • Serve in pitta bread filled with creamy mashed potatoes • Slice down the middle of the sausage/hot dog and fill with cheese • Chop up hot dog and toss in rice salad with green and red peppers • Pierce skin of sausage/hot dog and pour over a marinade of mustard, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup • Chop small baguettes in half, hollow out centre and insert ketchup followed by sausage/hot dog • Chop sausage/hotdog and serve in a bap with gerkins and mustard
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heater (just under 8 foot) will cast enough heat to warm an area six metres in diameter. Put into practical terms, that’s around four to five tables. Where space is at a premium, table top heaters might be the answer. Terrace screens are another consideration – particularly for clubs whose sun trap is also a wind tunnel. Screens can be tailor-made and installed, with an option of colours and designs. The club logo can also be included. Outdoor dining – the barbecue Ensuring that food is cooked through without being burnt is a perennial challenge for barbecue officiandos – particularly when burgers (which are still the nation’s perennial Barbie favourite). Cook too quickly (burnt outside; raw inside) and you’re leaving out a welcome mat for bacteria and pathogens. Cook too long (burnt outside; burnt inside) and you kill off the pathogens as well as any taste the now charcoal brick may ever have had. The quality of the meat you use (and of course each burger’s thickness) will also affect cooking times, so practise ahead of the event if you possibly can. Marinading meats before cooking, as well as basting, will also help to retain the moisture without slowing the cooking process.
