Summer 2025
Issue 20
Welcome to the Summer issue…
You better get started on turning delicious content, recipes and ideas into food and friendship round the fire, if you want to take full advantage of these pages this summer.
There is inspiration, education and entertainment at every turn, starting with a collection of fire chefs, unpacking their knowledge, with some simple tips to elevate your fire cooking, as well as an insight into what they get up to at home in their own backyards.
Tom Kerridge is a living legend in the kitchen; South African chef Jean Delport, who triumphed in two of the courses served at the Great British Menu’s banquet this year, is well on his way to superstar status. We got them in a room, albeit via Zoom, for the first time since the BBC TV show. Expect a BBQ v Braai challenge soon.
There is no light entertainment in the state of British farming at the moment, and this magazine is determined to do its bit to highlight the plight of farmers, and with it the whole food supply chain, from abattoir to butcher to farm shop. Read about what farmers and chefs think.
James Brace’s postman has been busy, delivering rubs, sauces and seasonings to his door to taste test and complement his BBQ cooking. The best delivery at BBQ HQ this quarter was arguably George Egg’s book,
The Snack Hacker, which we review, and some of his recipes very much belong over fire.
Big Nath is making a big name for himself down in Bristol and he teaches our new assistant editor, Isabelle Gray, the rudiments and more of BBQ cooking. Our Recipes continue to lead the way as the best collection out there, and a big thank you to all our brilliant cook contributors.
If you want a break from home cooking, head to the many food festivals, who recognise the firepit as party central these days, while Welshman Roger Jones picks some Australian wines to drink while watching the British & Irish Lions in this summer’s rugby.
Following on from our Sussex focus on fire food and drink, we travel across the county border into Hampshire for the very best BBQ produce, and Rupert Bates heads to Northamptonshire to talk to James Peck, taking time to eat at both the former army chef’s restaurants – all in a day’s work for our editor, always hungry for a story.
Team BBQ Magazine