7 Tips to Help You Have the Perfect BBQ This Summer

With the summer sun well and truly here, why not crack out your barbecue, invite some family and friends over and get cooking? Everyone loves going to barbecues because it means you can sit in the sun, have a drink, relax and eat some great food. Do you want to be the best barbecue cook there is in your family or group of friends, though? Well that's easy. All you have to do is follow these seven great tips...

Oil the Grill

Missing this step is a common mistake by thousands of people before firing up the barbecue. By oiling the grill you keep it moist and allow your meat to sizzle without the risk of them sticking.

Isn't it annoying when you go to flip a burger and half of it stays on the grill? Then get oiling!

B&M Top Tip: Use a small, clean brush for this stage. It makes it much easier to carefully spread out the oil.

Pre-Heat

Make sure that once you've oiled your grill you pre-heat it. Don't switch it on or set your coals on fire and immediately throw your food on to cook. Allow the barbecue around 15 or 20 minutes to warm up, creating an oven-like atmosphere for your meat to cook perfectly.

B&M Top Tip: Keep the lid on the barbecue closed throughout the entire pre-heat stage. It creates a real warmth that will soundly cook your meat.

Marinate Chicken Wings

Don't simply throw some chicken on the barbecue and expect to wow people. Add some flavour to it before cooking and watch it melt in their mouths.

• Place chicken into glass bowl and spoon in Hellmann's Ketchup, and honey
• Stir chicken in the sauce until coated in the marinade
• Cover with cling film and place in refrigerator for at least 30mins
• Barbecue over medium heat until chicken is well cooked

Make Your Own Burgers

Buying frozen burgers can often be the lazy way out. Get down to your local supermarket and buy some meat to make your very own burgers.

• Mix ground beef, salt and pepper in large bowl to make 8 equal-size balls
• Press cube of cheese into centre of each ball and cover with meat
• Form into hamburger patties
• Grill burgers until desired level of cooking
• Top with salad of choosing and some sauce

Salad Dressing

Make sure you have some salad for people to pick and choose from and be sure to dress it before you serve it. Bland salad is tasty to some people but it is safer to just stick something on it, you know, just in case.

B&M Top Tip: Don't overdo it on the dressing. While mixing your salad, don't taste it with a spoon. Pick a piece of food up and see how the dressing has reacted to it and judge by your taste.

Potato Salad

A tasty potato salad can be an excellent addition to a barbecue and a lovely side to the meat dishes.

• Cover potatoes with water in 4-quart saucepot
• Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender; about 10 minutes
• Drain and cool
• Combine Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper in large bowl
• Add potatoes and toss gently
• Serve chilled or at room temperature

Sharable

Now the final step to a perfect barbecue is to have full bottles of sauce in the middle of the table for everyone to pick from. Here in the B&M office, our favourite is ketchup, but a dash of mayo - especially on chicken - can go a long way to satisfying many people.

B&M Top Tip: Have a bowl of crisps and some dip on the table for your guests to dabble with as well. It can be a lovely side treat in the middle of all the meat.