BBQ Tips is founded by New Zealander and former Chef Brendon Cook – an avid BBQ lover who aims to deliver recipes, hacks and inspiration all year round to other BBQ enthusiasts. Below we discuss with Brendon his idea behind BBQ TIPS and where his interest in barbequed food originated from.

What draws you towards BBQ’s?

It could be said that cooking over a live fire is in our DNA. The Caveman did it, now we want to too. Every time I smell the aroma coming off the BBQ, I just feel relaxed, my mouth starts to water, my behaviour changes, I start to smile more and I just can’t stop myself.

I am now BBQing with my 6 year old daughter and it’s great fun watching her learn new skills.

What inspired you to start a BBQ blog in the first place?

Since my move to England, I must admit I don’t have 100+ BBQS each year, but we do have about 60 – 80. During my first year here, I was challenged to do 100 BBQS over summer. This is a bet I was keen to win, which of course I did.

Part of the challenge required me to take a photo of every BBQ and post it as proof. I think this surprised my new friends.  After this, I thought why not take it further and deliver a blog dedicated to my love for BBQ’s. 

How do you aim to inspire others through BBQ TIPS?

Watching your food cook on a fire in the open air is a pure, primal pleasure. The ritual of creating flames, watching them die down while you feel the heat on your face and positioning your dinner just so can provide unadulterated joy.

My point is – it’s far more thrilling to cook over live fire than it is to peer into an oven or watch a pot boil. Barbecuing makes cooking feel like more of a event – so my aim for BBQ TIPS is to not only encourage people to come together, but also to teach people how easy it is to cook on a BBQ. It does not have to be difficult or a chore. If during the weekday I want dinner ready in 30 minutes, I use a gas BBQ. On weekends where I have more time, I’ll use a smoker or slow cooker.

I also want to challenge the notion that BBQ’S are just for burgers. You can cook almost anything on a grill – i.e fish, vegetables and deserts. Throughout BBQ TIPS you can discover how creative you can become with a barbeque and that the recipes that you can conjure up are endless. 

Lastly, what’s your favourite thing to have on a BBQ?

I do love a steak, but vegetables are amazing to cook as they pick up the BBQ smoke very easily. However, if I had to pick – my all-time favourite is lamb.

We have all heard so much about it, we have all eaten it, smelled it, seen it, most of us love it and feel our mouths watering just from the very thought of it… It smells delicious, it could be smoked, it could be juicy also when it is well done….and even vegetarians and vegans are not completely left out… Have you already guessed what I am talking about?

BBQ, oh yes!