Tick the right boxes with your restaurant barbecue

Inject a bit of theatre into your barbecue, with a sleek front of house oven serving up smashed burgers, corn dogs and burgeritos with all the trimmings

The great outdoors was back on the menu last year as the coronavirus pandemic gave everyone an appetite for alfresco and many operators decided to reboot their outdoor space and look again at their menus.

A barbecue area, either front of house or outdoors, proved a great way to comply with restrictions, add a bit of novelty and theatre and pull in profits in uncertain times. But now that life is returning to normal, how can operators ensure customers won't get bored of the barbecue? And what are the latest must-have menu ideas to make sure your barbecue is firing on all cylinders?

First up: make sure the menu basics tick the right boxes. Burgers are an undisputed favourite when it comes to barbecue, and one of the most regularly ordered meals when eating out, Lantmännen Unibake's Americana data suggests. But the days of boring burgers are over and chefs have to up their game, according to Lantmännen Unibake's Americana ambassador, DJ BBQ, also known as Christian Stevenson, which can be seen through the proliferation of chains such as Honest Burgers and Bleecker Burger, he says.

"I'm seeing more demand for homemade-style burgers. Rather than buying the patties pre-made, chefs are buying the best quality meat and then smashing it on the plancha. It's just as quick, if not quicker, and you know you're serving customers top-quality ingredients. But keep it simple."

Double trouble

Tom Styman-Heighton, development chef at Funnybones Foodservice, comments that while burgers, hot dogs, ribs and wings are crowd-pleasers, they can require original thinking to make them really appealing to customers. ‘Lucy'-style burgers – two thin patties moulded together, sealing in a filling – are a hot trend, he says. Fillings include cheeses, bacon, mushrooms and even mac 'n' cheese.

Funnybones is also seeing an increase in interest in its corn dogs, which are hot dogs dipped in a cornmeal batter, fried and served on a stick. Burgers are also being dipped in cornmeal batter and fried. In fact, anything from pickles to wings is getting the cornmeal batter treatment, Styman-Heighton reports.

Mission Foods' range of tortillas, flatbreads, pittas and naans also provide a flexible foundation to a barbecue dish, suggests Kim Hartley, executive business development chef: "From these base elements you can tap into consumer trends and offer some incredibly diverse and exciting meals that can be perfectly cooked on a barbecue, whether it be a hunter's barbecue pulled pork wrap or a burgerito [minced beef, fries and all the burger accompaniments piled into a tortilla]."

All right jack

While the barbecue is traditionally a meat-eater's milieu, operators also need to make sure their plant-based options are on-point. It's the second secret of barbecue success.

As vegetarian and vegan diets become more mainstream, operators need to make sure menus are primed with good quality options, says Styman-Heighton at Funnybones. Jackfruit has become one of the most popular meat alternatives in vegetarian and vegan dishes, he says.

Operators looking for the latest ingredient for their barbecue offering could benefit from Gold & Green Foods' plant-based Protein Ingredients range, according to Simon Solway, country manager, out of home/retail for UK and Ireland. The range is made up of oat bran, pea and faba bean protein and the products neutral in flavour. The range offers sweet and savoury applications for caterers, including burgers and veggie patties which are perfect for the grill.

Spice is right

Rule three of a great barbecue is to ensure that flavour is prioritised, particularly while creating meat-free options. Chris Cannon, commercial controller at McCormick, suggests its range of seasonings, from sriracha and blackened Cajun to Italian allow chefs to elevate their offering, vegan or otherwise.

"They work as a marinade or as a flavour boost throughout cooking, or to stir into sauces to add a point of difference and charge a premium price point," he says.

When it comes to creating dishes to fire up on the barbecue, caterers must offer more than what can be cooked at home, adds Alison Smith, product developer for Mars Food Europe. A simple way to achieve this is with toppings, sauces and marinades. For example, Ben's Original Professional Katsu Curry sauce works as a marinade for chargrilled chicken burgers, providing an exotic Japanese spin.

Caribbean food has also grown hugely in popularity over recent years, with jerk seasoning the standout success and a certain seller, Styman-Heighton adds.

Much inspiration for toppings can also be taken from the US, he suggests. The different American states have favourite hot dog toppings. For example, in Alaska, reindeer hot dog is served with onions and spicy sauce, while in Alabama the bun is smeared with peanut butter and the dog topped with chopped peanuts. Another secret of the great barbecue is to get your breads right. Lantmännen Unibake's DJ BBQ says 70% of its consumers consider a gourmet bun to be a key characteristic of the burger (Opeepl 12/02/2021 for Lantmännen Unibake UK). A superior bun can make a burger taste great and look good on Instagram. Research has also shown that consumers are willing to pay more for a gourmet bun, he says. Scott Oakes, commercial manager for St Pierre, agrees that premiumisation is a thriving trend in barbecue breads, which are shifting towards higher-quality bases such as brioche. The rich and buttery flavour of brioche complements flavours from Korean barbecue chicken burgers to loaded hot dogs. St Pierre's ambient range also frees up freezer space, he adds.

A bit on the side

Another secret of a great barbecue is to make sure you're serving great sides, and Annette Coggins, head of foodservice at Tilda UK, says that rice can complement the flavours from the grill. "Our professional speciality range means there is a rice for every dish, making it the perfect ingredient for barbecues."

Smaller bites are showing a rise of 18% in popularity, says Kim Hartley at Mission Foods. Options such as nachos can provide a perfect side dish to elevate your barbecue menu while tapping into global trends. Nick Vadasz, founder of Vadasz Ferments & Pickles, comments that whether it's a bratwurst or a tofu teriyaki brochette, adding a portion of Vadasz raw kimchi or raw sauerkraut gives a gut-friendly health message.

Vadasz says: "I recommend stirring either through potato salads, rice, pasta and slaws and blending into mayonnaise, dips and hummus. The brine is also ideal for marinades and dressings, so there's no need to waste a drop."

Another top tip for a great barbecue is keep things interesting, which is key to customer satisfaction and repeat orders, says Styman-Heighton at Funnybones: "These products are so familiar that it is easy to keep serving the same trusted garnish and sides. However, updating the serve with sauces, relishes, mustards and side dishes will help to keep the menu current."

And for one final must-have for a great barbecue is a great oven. Choosing the right oven can allow venues to differentiate themselves from contending outlets, says Justin Cadbury, chairman and chief executive of Synergy Grill Technology.

Synergy's outdoor cook station uses a natural ceramic heat bed. The fat is atomised, avoiding the "black smoke" flavour often associated with barbecues. Thermal shock resistant bars enable chefs to cook a higher volume of food, as the temperature of the grill will remain consistent, even with a sudden influx of orders.

Steve Morris, sales director at Jestic Foodservice Solutions, suggests that for theatre, the Parrilla Fire Series from Mibrasa combines charcoal and firewood cooking to create a live fire grilling appliance. With a general move towards multi-functional cooking equipment, charcoal ovens such as the Bertha range, have become very popular, says Kenan Koymen, head of sales at Bertha Ovens. These are perfect for barbecuing, with faster cooking times than a traditional open grill they offer speedy turnaround.

Chefs can then premiumise their dishes using menu descriptors to highlight that the item has been cooked in a charcoal oven, and the variety of wood chips used, such as apple or beech.

As we come out of the pandemic, with kitchens having invested in cooking with fire, and diners looking for excitement, barbecue is well on track to become an all year-round cuisine.