To most of us, putting on a barbecue on during the chilly British winter is an odd concept—but it certainly isn’t something we should rule out. There’s no comparing an indoor grill to an outdoor barbecue—not only will you keep food splatters and smoke outside, you’ll also achieve the end result we all salivate over in the summer—a rich and flavoursome feast. As Benjamin Bartlett, barbecue expert and president of the British BBQ Association, says in his book The BBQ Manual, ‘nothing can beat the taste of food cooked on a proper outdoor charcoal barbecue’.
Benefits galore
Sloshing through snow to tend the grill may not sound like the coziest option, but there are a myriad benefits to cooking on your barbecue during winter. The first and most important is, of course, the barbecue’s ability to enhance the flavour of your food. ‘Barbecuing is a great style of cooking and works very well to keep food moist, as opposed to an electric oven which dries food out,’ says Charles Ramseyer, director at BBQ Talk. ‘It is especially good for roasting meat, whether ham, a leg of lamb or turkey.’ On top of banishing unwanted cooking smells to outside, an outdoor barbecue can easily grill food of all sorts—whether these dishes naturally lend themselves to being barbecued, or even those that aren’t typically associated with the barbecue (prepare pancakes over a flame and serve alongside sausages and bacon for a family brunch that will get the kids outside).
An outdoor barbecue is also a handy tool for your festive dinner parties because it frees up space in your oven to cook all your festive trimmings and creates a warm atmosphere for guests. ‘Quite a few events over the autumn and winter months can benefit from a barbecue, from Halloween and Thanksgiving to Christmas and New Year,’ says Ramseyer. ‘The barbecue can be a focal point that creates quite a social space if your guests smoke or you’re gathering around the grill with a beer in hand.’
Be prepared
‘Picking a grill that’s right for winter is a little different to doing so at any other time of the year,’ says Julia Schurer, office manager at Napoleon Grills UK. ‘A barbecue will take longer to heat up in the winter, and it will lose heat faster since the outside air temperature is so low.’ Schurer recommends a lidded barbecue, which is perfect for colder days, as it functions like an oven and does not need constant supervision. Find a barbecue with an inbuilt temperature gauge and be sure its lid is equipped with a double layer of metal, so that you will lose less heat in the chilly winter weather. When choosing the best fuel, you might find that an electric barbecue won’t match the efficiency of gas or charcoal. A charcoal barbecue is tricky to light, especially in the winter. Choose gas for easier and faster preparation, or invest in a charcoal starter to cut the time needed to light your barbecue by 20 minutes. Whatever fuel you choose, remember that local stores are less likely to stock barbecue equipment in autumn and winter, so turn to online retailers for a broader selection.
Keeping cosy
If you’re planning to keep your crowd outdoors, space heaters are also worthwhile investments. Look into one that doubles up as a grill for practicality, or consider an electric heater that runs on an eco-electricity tariff if you’re an environmentally-conscious buyer. ‘Knowing which outdoor space heater is most suitable for you really comes down to taste, budget and fuel preference,’ adds Craig Smith, buyer at outdoor living specialist Alfresia. ‘A bioethanol fireplace can be used as a smart dining table feature in an enclosed space; an electric heater isn’t as powerful as a gas heater but is ideal if you’re sitting directly near it; a gas heater or fire pit is great for standing around at a party as these blast out quite a bit of heat.’
Don’t shy away from outdoor winter barbecues, which can be an unlikely and entertaining tool for celebration this season. As Schurer says, it comes down to your mindset. ‘If you spent as much money on your barbecue as you did on your cooker, you would be able to enjoy great-tasting food all the time. A barbecue is definitely a worthwhile investment, and by choosing the right one you can benefit from outdoor living year-round.’
Heater-Grill Hybrids
Host the perfect outdoor barbecue with these top buys:
1. Chimenea: The Gardeco Corona Chimenea with Grill (£185, Stoves Are Us), is a large and attractive option equipped with a lid and a swivel grill for barbecues.
2. Indian Fire Bowl: measuring 80cm in width, the Indian Fire Bowl (£196, Firepits UK) is a great pick for big groups. To feed a smaller crowd, go for the Mini Kadai Firebowl Barbecue (£98, Kadai Fire Bowls), complete with skewers, a grill tray and a dome lid included in the Mini Kadai Cookware Set (£52, Kadai Fire Bowls).
3. Fire pit: the functional Copper Effect Bowl Fire with Square Table (£89.99, Alfresia) is an essential and elegant piece that comes with a handy tilt basket and is guaranteed to keep you warm as you barbecue.
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