It seems opinions are split when it comes to BBQs here in the UK. I have no idea why, but I was under the impression from Facebook and tweets in recent years that we Brits love to BBQ. However it also turns out it’s more hassle than it’s worth, or we don’t trust ourselves or others to cook food over an open flame.
Having asked several friends what they love about BBQs, I was surprised to find out that this way of cooking is really not for them, and perhaps better left to the Australians.
I love a good BBQ, and I have so many fond memories as a child of my dad outside getting the coal hot, so that a selection of meats can be charcoaled to perfection. I think the smoke and open flames make food taste better.
To me, lighting my BBQ is a signal summer has arrived and associate lots of great tastes with them.
Even though opinions amongst my friends seem to be split I have always admired the enthusiasm British people can have if they have planned a bank holiday or summer day’s BBQ. How many of you have stood under an umbrella and not admitted defeat as you turn your rather scary looking sausages in the pouring rain? I have witnessed several BBQs under the sun umbrella.
Once you have managed to get your BBQ lit and the coals are glowing nicely, one challenge that you might have is what to cook.
Most people opt for burgers, sausages and chicken coated in some sort of BBQ or Chinese flavouring. Great options if you can eat wheat and you are not a vegetarian… What about the people who can’t eat this food?
Here are a couple of ideas for you, and some of my tips for a great BBQ.
Vegetarians
If you have vegetarians coming over, find out what types of food they like. Not all of them will enjoy vegetable skewers and quorn items. Maybe they might like some halloumi cheese cooked on the BBQ, or what about wrapping up a wedge of Camembert with some fresh thyme and bake that on the BBQ?
When cooking for vegetarians, try not to cook their food on the same part of the grill as the meat. This is cross contamination and while perhaps not harmful to a vegetarian it can be disrespectful to their beliefs.
Allergies
When it comes to people with food allergies, this can be a little bit trickier. Always ask them what they can eat and keep the food simple. BBQs are great because you can keep the menu easy and the food has loads of flavour.
My top tip would be to buy good quality meat and not opt for the ready made BBQ packs. Chicken wings are inexpensive and great to barbecue – marinate them in fresh thyme, olive oil garlic and lemon to make them more interesting.
If you want to cook sausages look for ones that are gluten free. These are 100% meat and they taste much better than the cheaper variety that are filled with bread to bulk them out.
Making your own beef burgers is always good and I bet they will taste much better than the frozen variety. I have come up with a hassle free turkey and quinoa burger that is perfect for anyone on a gluten free diet and works on the BBQ.
Cross contamination can be an issue, and this time it is more serious. Make sure your grill is clean before you start and cook their food first, then keep warm in an oven until other items are cooked.
Summer days are numbered here in the UK and when the sun shines I think you should all get outside and enjoy a BBQ with your family and friends, as they make great social occasions.
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Sam Pidoux is a multi-award winning journalist and part-time lecturer at the University of Lincoln. Her passion for baking was nurtured by her grandma and since being diagnosed with a wheat intolerance in 2007, Sam loves experimenting in the kitchen and creating delicious gluten-free savoury dishes and cakes.
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The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
A local family business is preparing to open another Greek takeaway after leasing a new premises in Birchwood.
The Papadopoulos family moved to Lincoln around 10 years ago before purchasing The Plough pub in Nettleham in 2015, from where they serve food including Greek cuisine.
They also own the Greek2Me takeaway next door and the family will open a second in a unit formerly occupied by an Indian takeaway at the Birchwood Shopping Centre by the end of April. It will serve Lincoln, Skellingthorpe and other surrounding villages.
Greek2Me has taken over a premises formerly occupied by an Indian takeaway at the Birchwood Shopping Centre.
The Greek2Me business was born after the family from Rhodes moved to Lincoln.
Christos and Joanne Papadopoulos had worked as servers at Carluccio’s in Lincoln and wanted to bring their own authentic Greek food to the city.
Spryos Papadopoulos, who manages the Nettleham takeaway, started working in the food industry around two years ago and has been helping his parents alongside his brother George.
They also previously owned a premises at Burton Waters, although this is still in the family and owned by another relative and now called Greek House.
Inside Greek2Me’s new premises in Birchwood.
Spryos told The Lincolnite: “We’ve had a lot of people asking us if can deliver around the North Hykeham and Birchwood area and the new takeaway will hopefully open us up to the rest of Lincoln.
“In the future we are also hoping to open other takeaways elsewhere in the county or even away from Lincolnshire.
“It feels amazing that we will be opening a new takeaway and we’ve had really good feedback from people on Facebook.
“We will be bringing good quality food to make people happy and give them a new experience.”
The new takeaway will initially create 2-3 new jobs, with a scope for more in the future.
Euromillions winner Matt Topham caused a fatal crash when he took his eyes off the road to retrieve his two-year old’s teddy bear while he was driving, a jury was told on Monday at Lincoln Crown Court.
Topham, 31, who won £45 million in 2012, was approaching a left hand bend on a country road near Louth, Lincs, on Christmas Day 2019, when he turned round to look for the teddy in the footwell of his BMW X6 and veered into the opposite carriageway.
The jury at Lincoln Crown Court was told that the child was upset and crying because of his teddy, but rather than stopping his vehicle to find the bear Topham continued to drive.
As he went into the bend his car struck an oncoming Ford Fiesta head-on, the court heard.
Mary Jane Regler, 75, who was a front seat passenger in the Fiesta, was killed as a result. Her husband Rodney, who was driving, was seriously injured.
The couple were returning home after visiting their son for a family Christmas Day dinner.
Topham and his wife were in separate vehicles, and heading for home after visiting his wife’s parents at their home at Rushmoor Country Park, near Louth, when the collision occurred, the jury heard.
Michael Cranmer-Brown, prosecuting, told the jury: “It is accepted that the collision was entirely the fault of this defendant.
“On his own admission in interview, for a few seconds leading up to the collision he did not have his eyes on the road and he was not actually looking where he was going.
“As a consequence of not looking where he was going, as he was approaching this right hand bend his BMW crossed into the opposite carriageway and collided with the Fiesta causing the death of Mrs Regler.
“The driving of Mr Regler was not in any way responsible for the collision.
“The defendant’s account is that his attention was diverted by his looking behind him into the rear passenger footwell so as to retrieve his two-year-old son’s teddy bear.
“He took a conscious decision to look behind him. He took his eyes off the road.”
The prosecutor said that the child was crying due to his teddy being missing.
“The defendant tried to find the teddy bear by putting his arm behind him and stretched back into the passenger footwell.
“He turned his attention from the road to look behind himself into the footwell to try to find the teddy, plainly not looking at the road and where he was going.
“Once he found it he passed it to his son. He said he couldn’t be sure how long he was looking behind him.
“The defendant said that when he turned his attention back to the road to his horror, he found he was driving into the path of a vehicle coming in the opposite direction. It was Mr Regler’s Ford Fiesta.”
Mr Cranmer-Brown said Topham tried to swerve out of the way but it was too late to avoid a collision.
“Mr Regler coming in the opposite direction had no chance to react. He was driving at a steady speed between 30 and 40 mph. He was suddenly confronted by headlights on his side of the road right in front of him.
“He recalls saying out loud ‘For Christ’s sake he’s on my side of the road.’
“Mr Regler could do nothing to avoid a collision.
“The impact occurred wholly on the eastbound carriageway which was the correct carriageway for Mr Regler.”
Mr Regler, 77, survived but suffered serious injuries including fractures to his right heel and ankle, a fractured sternum, fractured ribs and three cracked vertabrae.
Mr Cranmer-Brown said that after the collision both drivers were tested and the results showed alcohol played no part in the collision.
Rodney Regler, in a statement read to the jury, said: “Even though it was a 60 limit I was only doing 35 to 40 mph. There was no traffic and we were idly chatting about what we were going to do when we got home.
“It happened so quickly. I wasn’t aware of any headlights until they appeared right in front of me.
“I turned sharply to the left towards the verge.
“It all happened so quickly. There were no other vehicles around.
“It’s simple. The other car was on my side of the road and I had no chance to react to avoid a collision.”
The jury was read details of police interviews in which Topham admitted he was at fault saying “I turned round to get the teddy and that was my mistake.”
Matthew Topham, 31, of Swinderby, Lincolnshire, denies causing the death of Mary Regler by dangerous driving on Christmas Day 2019.
The jury has been told that he admits the lesser charge of causing her death by careless driving.
Topham also denies causing serious injury to Rodney Regler by dangerous driving.
The charges follow the head on collision on Louth Road, North Cockerington, near Louth. The trial continues.
Boyes is hopeful of remaining in Lincoln as it continues the search for a new location after the closure of its store in the city.
The family-owned discount store located in the City Square Centre started to wind down in January this year and became more and more empty as the weeks went by before it closed for good in February.
However, W Boyes and Company is still hopeful it can remain in the city and is looking for a new store location.
When the firm was contacted by The Lincolnite for further information it said it had no comment to make at this time.
There are plans to demolish the City Square Centre, which now appears to be completely shut. | Photo: The Lincolnite
Lincolnshire Co-op already previously closed its own store in the centre, as well as the pharmacy, and moved them to a nearby location in the Cornhill Quarter area of the city.
The Post Office also closed at the centre on February 23 before relocating and opening in Unit 7 at the Stonebow Centre later the same week.
A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Co-op previously said: “The City Square Centre has been earmarked for development for several years as part of the Co-op’s long term approach to provide a further range of amenities for the local community.
“We plan to apply for planning permission to replace the centre with a new building in keeping with the rest of the Cornhill Quarter.
“We have been working with tenants to support them in finding alternative premises during this time. We look forward to sharing further development news in the near future.
“We have also been exploring options for the post office for some time and are working with Post Office Ltd to identify a new location for this service.”
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