The Ethical Great British BBQ

Time to face up to the meat-centric monomania and wasteful ways of the summer BBQ

Feature by Jess Hardiman | 17 Jul 2017

Ah, the good ol’ English barbie. Come rain or shine, we're ready with a jug of Pimm's and a packet of two-for-one burgers ready to incinerate. But what does the whole set-up mean for our eco footprint, we, er, don’t hear you cry?

Not only a sure-fire way of feeding into our fixation with bulk-bought cheap meat, your average BBQ is also a place where convenience presides over conscience – where empty beer bottles are bunged into a bin liner at the end of the night along with the chicken bones and plastic hummus pots that are destined for the landfill site. 

But it's not hard to make better BBQ decisions, even when you're half-cut, slightly sunburnt and high on burgers...

DON'T eat so much meat
Turns out you don't need a burger, a hot dog, two chicken drumsticks, a half rack of ribs and a lamb kofta kebab to get you through an evening of drinking shit lager in the sun. Spend a little more on well-sourced, free-range meats and just cook them really fucking well – spatchcock a whole chicken or some shit; do it justice. The meat industry’s negative impact on the environment is no secret, and while we’re not suggesting you give it up altogether, just be realistic about how much you really need.

DON'T eat so much dairy
In much the same way many of us have tried to cut down on meat for ethical and environmental reasons without going full veggie, why not take a leaf out of the vegan diet and cut down on your dairy? It’s not like mayonnaise and Greek yoghurt are renowned for their ability to sit in the sun, after all...

DO pad things out with homemade sides
Pad out the spread with salads and sides – but don't reach for the pre-made supermarket tackle, most of which not only tastes like total ass, but also comes boxed up in layer upon layer of unnecessary plastic packaging (which you probably won't wash out and recycle afterwards).

Ditch the crap coleslaw and go for the DIY approach: dress cooked green beans in mustard, oil and white wine vinegar; toss courgette ribbons in lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil; slice up some beef tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and scatter capers over the top; BBQ tenderstem broccoli and top with pumpkin seeds or toasted hazelnuts; stir some parsley, lemon and Dijon mustard through some cooked pearl barley; roast a whole cauliflower with harissa and cumin and top with toasted flaked almonds and pine nuts. All faster than you can say '3 for 2 mix and match on our entire summer range (Cheapest product free. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion or offer).'

DO shop locally and seasonally
In short, shop well – especially if you're going to be cutting down on meat and dairy. What you do buy, make sure it's the good shit. Favour locally sourced stuff to cut down on air miles, which also means going for seasonal produce like courgettes, beetroot, broad beans, tomatoes, watercress, green beans, lettuce, new potatoes, peas, radishes and more.

DON'T use disposable cutlery
Plastic forks are for fucking two year olds. Wooden cutlery very literally just doesn't cut it. Stop being so lazy and just wash up the cutlery you have in your kitchen drawers, or ask to borrow your neighbour's if you're the kind of weirdo that only owns three forks.

DON'T use disposable plates
You’d think it’s all well and good using recyclable paper plates, but once they’ve been soiled with grease and bespattered with tomato ketchup, they’re actually no longer recyclable. Either stock up on some melamine crockery to reuse each time BBQ season rolls around, or, better still, just clamber in to the recesses of your cupboards and pull out what you've got – the chipped, the slightly-too-small, the downright ugly. Literally no one gives a fuck if they don’t match.

DO use fabric napkins
Controversial, eh, ditching them paper napkins that everyone takes but rarely actually uses before chucking? Get all Pinterest about it and use some material – doesn't have to be anything special – and tie it up with string or twine. Shove a sprig of rosemary in there too if you're feeling especially fancy. Then, here's the magic bit: bung them in the washing machine and use again! Radical.

DO set up a recycling bin
People are inherently lazy, so you need to make it as easy as physically possible for them to recycle. Rather than relying on a black bin liner slumped in the corner of the garden, set up a dedicated recycling bin (hell, label it if you have to), with a smaller bin for general waste to try and urge people not to throw stuff away.

What to drink

No BBQ is complete without some good stuff to wash it down with, but you'd be a fool to betlittle that gorgeous, ethically-conscious spread of yours with a box of stubbies and some warm sauvignon blanc. 

Fortified wine
Y'whaaa? That's right, it's all about fortified wine in all its forms, whether it's sherry, marsala, white port (yep, indeed) or vermouth, adding a touch of European flair to your drinks table. Dry sherry and olives before the BBQ starts? You continental maven, you! Vermouth and tonic as the sun sets? Classy AF. 

Iced Tea
Homemade iced tea is simpler to make than you might think, and makes a good alternative for those not on the hard stuff. Make the tea by pouring boiling water over five or six tea bags, add two tablespoons of sugar (or more, or less, depending on your sweet tooth) and leave to cool. Pour into a large jug with cubed ice and stir well. You're then free to pimp it up however you please, with lemon, mint, strawberries, orange, fresh ginger or whatever feels right. Summer in a sip, bro. 

Verdita
WTF's a verdita? Well, it's something that'll genuinely revolutionise the way you drink tequila. A refreshing, summery blend of pineapple juice, chilli, coriander and mint, this Mexican chaser will be the best party piece you'll ever serve up. But let's not fuck about: be sure to get the good tequila in, made with no less than 100% agave. 

Local drinks
In the same way you're urged to shop locally when it comes to meat, fruit and veg, why not apply the same ethos to your drinks? The North's now full of its own rivals to international products, with Manchester Three Rivers, Forest Gin or Liverpool Gin holding up the botanical front, Leventhorpe and Ryedale vineyards proving Yorkshire's also good with a grape or two, and local breweries like Northern Monk, Cloudwater, Magic Rock and Alphabet providing tastier tinnies (with much more lovingly-designed labelling, too) than your average six-pack of Buds.

http://theskinny.co.uk/food