With the long, warm summer’s evenings ahead of us our loyal customers are increasingly coming in looking for great value produce to put on the BBQ. We’re also being asked for tips on how best to plan and cook outdoors so we are compiling our top tips on getting the best results: And here is the first instalment:

Tip 1 – What’s the right temperature?

Having the perfect temperature on which to cook is all important and one of the best ways to check this is to hold your hand about 15cm above the grill: If you can only keep it there for around 30 seconds, the temperature is too hot. Up to two minutes means it’s an ideal searing heat. 2-3 minutes is a medium temperature which is perfect for normal grilling. And if you can hold your hand there for approaching five minutes then this is ideal for keeping food warm. Any longer and the grill is not ready or is past its prime.

Too high a heat causes food to burn on the outside whilst being under cooked in the middle. The trick is to ‘sear on high’ and then take it ‘low and slow’. It helps if the grill-bars are well oiled, but don’t turn food to often as this reduces heat.

And why not cook for appearance. To achieve professional, cross-hatch grill-lines, sear meat, fish, poultry or fruit/vegetables on a hi-heat, lengthwise to the grill-bars. Then remove, quickly wipe grill bars with oil and repeat at right-angles. Once both sides are seared, return to normal cooking, turning infrequently for perfect results.