Make the most of your portable BBQ

Before you can get your grill on, you’ll need to set up your portable BBQ according to the manufacturer instructions. Making sure that your BBQ is set up safely is essential to any good BBQ, but especially for portable BBQs as you never know where you may want to set up! To begin, follow these steps:

• Find the right surface - Always choose a non-flammable, flat surface to place your BBQ on. Ideally this would be on a sandy or concrete area which provides stability and is highly resistant to heat, but just choose the best area available on your campsite, always ensuring that they allow BBQs first!
• Consider the ventilation - All portable BBQs, whether gas or charcoal, give off harmful gases which means that they are extremely dangerous if used in an enclosed area. So when using your grill, always make sure you are outdoors in a well ventilated area. Never BBQ inside a tent or near any open windows as the harmful gases can become trapped and create a dangerous environment.
• Be aware of nearby hazards - Ensure that you set up your portable BBQ well away from any nearby buildings and consider all the potential fire hazards that your BBQ’s flames could spread to, such as long grass, tents, trees or tablecloths. You should also avoid setting up near foliage or highly vegetated areas, as these areas also pose a potential fire hazard.

There’s no need to limit your menu to burgers and bangers when using a portable BBQ. Offering much of the same functionality of a standard-sized BBQ, but at a decreased size, there are plenty of tasty dishes that can be grilled on the go; allowing you to experiment with a whole variety of different recipes whilst enjoying the outdoor world.

Here are some of our favourite recipes for portable barbecuing:

• Alex James' Tuscan Chicken with Cherries - A moist and delicious chicken recipe, that's perfect for camping get-togethers thanks to our favourite celebrity camper, Alex James. 
• Honey Grilled Sweet Potatoes - These are both easy to make and a great summery alternative to chips!
• Crispy Grilled Fish - An easy and healthy BBQ fish recipe, with extra bite!

If you want to keep it simple, bear in mind that a little preparation can go a long way. Why not try marinating your meats the night before to infuse your dishes with your favourite flavours, or alternatively you could take some delicious BBQ sauce and rubs along with to quickly and conveniently flavour your food.

BBQ food safety is something that can be easily forgotten with the excitement of barbecuing on the go, but it’s extremely important that you remember the basics.

You’ll need to keep your food cool, especially when transporting meats for your BBQ. A cool box is the perfect solution to this problem, keeping your food at a low temperature for longer periods of time, covering you for the time spent travelling to your destination and setting up your portable BBQ.

If using a cool box, resist temptation to put all your food into the same location. Remember that your cooked and raw meats need to be kept well away from each-other, and any vegetables should also be kept separately from your meats.

When you’ve finished and your BBQ is cool, you should clean it as soon as possible and store it away in a covered location, so that you are ready and prepared for the next time you want to use it! Cleaning your BBQ is an essential process as it helps with your grill’s maintenance and also prevents any leftover food from decaying whilst in storage. It is also much quicker and easier to clean your BBQ straight away than days or weeks later.