Total barbecue

I’m reliably informed that middling to hot weather will return to the UK in the coming weeks and months. And that means one thing is guaranteed.

When the sun shines, it doesn’t take too long before the familiar smell of barbecue starts wafting through the air. There’s something about relaxing outside with a cool drink in your hand, friends and family around and the smell of your food cooking that makes you feel so good!

That food, however, has changed over the years and a nationwide poll of millennials and Gen Z’s suggests almost seven in ten (68 per cent) believe the Great British BBQ has moved on from the days of charred sausages, cheap white rolls and tubs of coleslaw from the supermarket.

While the findings tell a story of Gen Z they also highlight how food production has evolved to meet changing palates.

Marinating, for instance, a must do in my book, is favoured by four in ten (40 per cent) who now marinate meat for days before their guests arrive, while 38 per cent have an upscale BBQ or fire pit to cook on. People have been soaking their meats in seasoned liquid for centuries. But, with all of us traveling more, embracing different cultures, and mixing and matching foods, it’s no wonder this finding is the case. Marinating whether it’s meat, seafood or vegetables is an effective way to enhance flavour, add extra moisture, and tenderise before cooking. It’s tremendously simple now with various companies providing BBQers with the bottle, pouch or dry spice to flavour food to their delight.

And meat must not be the only BBQ option, as 85 per cent of those polled insisted that vegetarian and vegan food must be on the menu. This isn’t a surprise.

A web search throws up innumerable recipe ideas for anyone’s delectation. This is again thanks to the food industry broadening categories, trialling, testing and reworking the ingredient mix. Underlying all good NPD, of course, is robust research and understanding.

I shouldn’t be surprised that the study, by herbs and spices experts Bart, found that frozen sausages and burgers (26 per cent) and processed cheese slices (26 per cent) are absolute “no-nos” along with shop bought coleslaw (21 per cent) and hot dogs made with frankfurter sausages (21 percent). Yet, I do find this revealing before I think about the variety of sausages on offer. There are literally thousands of varieties of sausage.  What makes different kinds of sausages unique are what spices they are mixed with and how they are prepared. Different peoples and cultures all have their own cuisine, a unique set of ingredients and flavour combinations.

Even tomato ketchup has been replaced by many BBQ connoisseurs, with 60 per cent demanding a range of sauces such as mustard, chimichurri and sriracha and 28 per cent saying they now make their own salsa

We owe our diverse food scene to the wonderful food, traditions and recipes that people from all over the world bring to the UK. Many cuisines from all over the world are now part of the UK food scene.

Street food, takeaways and the emergence of new and unusual foreign restaurants offering exotic cuisines bring exciting offerings to our shores.

Independent retailers and smaller brands have become adept at translating trends into products for discerning customers, and the mainstreaming of diverse cultures means we now have a world of opportunities to showcase different tastes and flavours.

• Rodney Jack, editor, Food & Drink Technology.
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