Fast food

FTB’S FAST FOOD

When the rain eventually goes away, it’s time for barbecues to come out to play. A modern day barbecue isn’t as simple as just a few sausages and burgers, however. An abundance of meats, flavours and sauces have made it more of a challenge to find the right food to wow your guests. FTB has done the hard work for you and tried and tested the best barbecue food the UK’s top supermarkets have to offer

TEST WINNER

WAITROSE 4 caramelised onion & ale beef burgers, £4; 4 spiced beef & lamb kofta kebabs, £4; sweet chilli chicken breast kebabs, £4; chicken shawarma king kebab, £8 ; 4 pork, chorizo & Manchego whorls, £4

The quality of Waitrose barbecue food shone through, with all items having a wonderful taste and texture. The caramelised onion & ale burgers were very fl avoursome and they all kept their size on the barbecue well without shrinking. If you like a bit of spice in your life, then the spiced beef & lamb kofta are a great choice and go brilliantly with a green salad and some feta. The sweet chilli chicken kebabs had a nice kick to them although were perhaps a little on the small side. The chicken shawarma kebab was defi nitely the pick of the bunch, with a perfect spice balance and huge portion in the pack. The whorls blow the average sausage away as they pack a real fl avour punch and are sure to be enjoyed by your guests. Overall, an excellent selection from Waitrose. ★★★★★

If you’ve ever had a sausage slip through the rack or a marinade make a mess, you’ll see the appeal of this Lakeland Magic reusable non-stick barbecue and oven cooking tray. Essentially a heavy-duty, reusable oven tray that’s perfect for barbecuing, it keeps food contained, ensuring smaller items like prawns and drumsticks don’t fall through the grill. As it is non-stick, the cooked food releases with ease, and just as you thought it couldn’t get any better, it’s dishwasher-safe too and comes with the Lakeland three-year guarantee. Priced at just £9.99, it’s a cheap must-have for your barbecue this summer. lakeland.co.uk SAINSBURY’S Taste the Difference New York deli hotdog x4, £3; Summer Edition 4 raw chilli & garlic prawn skewers, £4; Summer Editi on Harissa salmon sizzlers, £4. 15; 2 Taste the Difference British beef steak burgers with chorizo, £2.50; Summer Edition 4 Pigs in beach towels, £4.50

Sainsbury’s offers a great variety of options in its barbecue range. The New York deli hotdogs are massive and have a wonderful smoky fl avour. The chilli and garlic prawn skewers are nice but the sauce didn’t add quite as much fl avour as expected. The salmon sizzlers are tasty, with the harissa seasoning really standing out along with a nice crispy skin when cooked correctly. The beef and chorizo burgers are an excellent alternative to your average burger, with the chorizo keeping them nice and moist. The idea behind the pigs in beach towels is a good one, but the bacon is diffi cult to cook on the barbecue without burning it and the sausages were a little bland. Overall though, a decent selection of barbecue food from Sainsbury’s. ★★★★★

TESCO Fire Pit 4 Indian spiced chicken thigh kebabs , £3; Fire Pit BBQ caulifl ower wing bites, £2.25; Fire Pit grilling cheese & vegetable kebabs, £2.75; Fire Pit mango, coconut & lime chicken mini fi llets, £3; Wicked Kitchen 4 garlic & herb kebabs, £3.50

Tesco’s barbecue range is good value for money. The Indian spiced kebabs are full of fl avour, with the chutney sachets really adding something extra. The caulifl ower wing bites will somewhat divide opinion as they have a slightly acquired taste, although the smokiness will be enjoyed by some. They are also a little hard to cook effectively on a barbecue. The cheese and vegetable kebabs are both sweet and salty with the courgette, peppers and cheese making a lovely combination. The coconut and lime fi llets have a nice fl avour but are a little on the dry side when cooked through. The garlic and herb kebabs are a good vegan alternative and are very creamy, packed full of garlic and melt in the mouth nicely. Overall, a good selection from Tesco. ★★★★★

GET YOUR GRILL ON

CO-OP GRO Cajun-style butternut ribs, £2.50; Irresistible Limited Edition Hereford beef rib & brisket burgers, £ 3.25; 6 minted lamb kebabs, £4; Nacho cheese hot dogs, £3; Irresistible prawn & salmon burgers with coconut & chilli, £4

Co-op’s range of barbecue food is pleasant enough, but perhaps lacks the overall quality of some of the other food selections that we tested. The Cajun fl avoured butternut "ribs" are an interesting plant-based version of a classic barbecue item – although some may fi nd it hard to get to grips with the similarity, they certainly do taste good. The beef rib burgers were the best of the bunch, with the cheese and caramelised onion melt forming an excellent addition to an already tasty burger. The minted lamb kebabs were a little on the dry side and could have been a little mintier as well. The nacho cheese hot dog is a novel idea but these were quite fi ddly to put together and ended up tasting a little on the heavy side. ★★★★★