Barbeques…. The hub of summer entertaining
With summer just around the corner, barbequing is set to resume its position as the hub for outdoor entertaining, keeping your family and friends’ appetites satiated.
Are you one of an increasing number of kiwis who take great pride in your outdoor cooking skills? Or is it just a means to an end to feed the masses? Where ever you fit on the barbequing spectrum, there is an enormous range of options and something to fit the bill for everyone.
A vital consideration for any barbeque is location. Good barbequing can take time or even be a continuous affair over the course of the event, so ensuring the barbeque is situated near the entertaining will keep the chef(s) part of the action and maintain enthusiasm to keep feeding their guests with connectedness to the main entertaining area! Clear access from the barbeque to the indoor kitchen will also help if you need to keep your feast warm until it’s time to dine- and for the clean-up afterward.
There are so many choices for mobile barbeques to fit all budgets- from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand. A mobile barbeque has the advantage of flexibility, in that it can be shifted to different locations in your outdoor space depending on the event. Mobile barbeques also tend to be smaller and less powerful than when built-in, which means they are more economic, but limit cooking to smaller amounts at once.
An in situ bespoke barbeque will be more expensive to install but as it will be built into a wider structure, this will generally mean the maintenance requirements are less onerous as only the front panel and cooking plate/grill will be exposed. Because of the design and construction around a built-in barbeque, it is likely to last longer than its mobile counterparts due to enhanced protection. Aesthetically a built-in barbeque can be incorporated discreetly into the overall design of your outdoor space or outdoor kitchen. Another advantage of a built-in barbeque is the storage options, cupboards and shelving can be built around the barbeque so all of your cooking utensils are immediately on hand.
There are many other decisions to make when it comes to your barbeque- a grill or a plate? Or maybe both to allow you more freedom to explore different cooking styles. Teppanyaki grills are an increasingly popular feature in kiwi barbeques.
Heating is another decision- some purists swear by charcoal for an authentic barbeque flavour, although gas is a much more immediate and efficient heating source. Either is possible with a mobile or a built-in barbeque. The size of your grill/plate will be another factor to consider. Are you a big entertainer? If so, having a larger cooking space will allow you to cook more at once. If smaller gatherings appeal, a smaller grill/ plate will give you enough area to cook and free up space for other activities- maybe a built-in bar?
Although a barbeque is functional it also has the additional benefit of creating ambience and heat, which is a great way to draw in visitors to keep the chef company as the sun goes down…and let’s not forget lighting! Ensuring you can see what you are cooking after dark is important for safety but also for preventing your perfectly prepared fillet from inadvertently being incinerated.
To discuss which barbeque best fits your outdoors and your lifestyle, call Goom Landscapes today on 0800 466 657.