From bar to barbie these tipples sizzle

EVEN though last summer was the coolest in nine years, Britons barbecued on an astonishing 114.9 million occasions, The Grocer magazine found. That's a 9% rise on 2023 and yet another sign the barbecue is no longer the preserve of warmer climes, as if we needed to be told!

- by Matt Nixson

Britain has certainly changed when it comes to al fresco dining. For many people, that first summer of the pandemic gave them the opportunity to reconsider their eating habits and many took advantage of glorious weather, and being at home, to move meals outdoors.

Today, nearly a quarter of people told one poll barbecues are their favourite type of family get-together involving cooking. Does this spell the end for the Sunday roast?

I suspect not, as we don't have that Mediterranean climate yet. But it certainly marks another step-change in the habits of the nation. And barbies add billions of pounds of revenue to the economy in food — and drink — sales.

When it comes to refreshment, when you're planning your barbecue, think big. Big reds, big whites, big rosés... and you won't go far wrong.