Cooking has held little – actually, no – appeal during the steamy days and tropical nights of the past five heatwaves. Fortunately, salvation has been close at hand thanks to disposable barbecues.
Fired up in the garden, they’ve been my go-to ally for an easy supper, ready to char whatever happens to be lurking in the fridge. Indeed, given al fresco dining has a singular charm, the quality of the food never really matters. (Call it smoke and mirrors if you like, ho, ho.) Rather, the taste of the outdoors, washed down with a cool beer, more than makes up for even the most haphazard chill and grill dish.
What’s more, these single-use foil trays with their pre-treated charcoal are so easy to use. No scrubbing or soaking. Just cool them down and chuck them out (carefully).
Yet unless we splash out on a permanent home barbecue, the days of cooking this way in our house could soon be numbered. Not only has the Prime Minister suggested that retailers stop selling disposable barbecues due to wildfire risk. In the ‘longer term’, it seems the government may consider outlawing single-use grills altogether.
A disposable barbecue ban is also a headline-grabbing distraction from the bigger issue
