As the sun makes an appearance, Brits eagerly fire up their barbecues to enjoy mouth-watering burgers, sausages, and smoky treats. However, the joy of outdoor cooking often comes with the laborious task of scraping and scrubbing stubborn grease and food from the grills. To help home cooks and aspiring grill masters keep on top of barbecue maintenance, some of the UK's finest chefs and barbecue specialists have shared their top tips with the Express. These culinary legends are gearing up for the return of Pub in the Park in Marlow this weekend, where they'll showcase their talents.
Genevieve Taylor
Genevieve, live fire and BBQ expert and the brains behind the Bristol Fire School, said: "When charcoal is fully burning, it's over 500 degrees, so there's no better sterilizer on the planet than heat. If you need to clean the inside of your BBQ, just get it really, really hot, brush it down with a good quality wire brush. Get a new brush every season — make sure it's a good one, don't want any shedding wire hairs! That's the only way I clean my BBQs."
Adam Purnell (aka Shropshire Lad)
Adam, who rose to fame through his outdoor cooking escapades, recommended: "Cleaning a barbecue just requires getting it really hot, and hitting it hard with a wire brush. The fire will kill all bacteria and burn off any residue, and the wire brush will remove any dirt left behind. No need for any chemicals ever!"
Big Nath's BBQ
Nathan Ritchie, the mastermind behind live-fire barbecue brand Big Nath's BBQ, suggested: "Clean the grill after each use, get rid of the debris on the grill and rub with an onion cut in half. An ash vacuum changed my life, makes cleaning super easy, clear out the ash after every use that helps maintain the airflow."
Matt Tebbutt
Saturday Kitchen star Matt said: "Get yourself a strong wire brush and scrub well before burning those grills to a blistering heat....give them another scrub over and you're good to go."
James Martin
Celebrity chef James shared: "Any good oven cleaner but using the right charcoal usually most of the residue will burn off."
Jack Blumenthal
Jack, the mastermind behind Ginger Wings and son of legendary chef Heston Blumenthal, offered an inventive approach: "Use a dry, crumpled onion to scrub the grill while it's still hot — works a treat. Alternatively, a really powerful jetwash for the patio."
LumberJaxe
Brendon and Jaydon, founders of seasoning and sauce brand LumberJaxe, commented: "Yes, cleaning your BBQ or grill is quite simple, fire and heat are your friends. There is no need for solutions or harsh chemicals as they may transfer to your food. Just crank the heat up and scrub the grill with a good wire brush and you're good to go!"
Melissa Thompson
Melissa, an award-winning food writer and cook, shared: "Heat and fire is your friend when it comes to cleaning your grill. Load it up with burning coal, close the lid and open the vents fully. Leave it for 10 minutes and then go at it with a wire brush. It'll burn off fat build-up, charcoal, etc. I avoid cleaning my grills with chemicals as it's messy, unnecessary and I like to retain a bit of smokiness to the interior — I think it adds to the flavour."
Karan Gokani
Karan, the mastermind behind Sri Lankan restaurant Hoppers, revealed: "I saw Niklas Ekstedt using a lemon and charcoal mix. Personally, at the start of BBQ season, I fire my BBQ up to the highest temp and then brush off the grates with a wire brush and finish with cut lemon dipped in baking soda."
Simon Rimmer
Simon, chef and presenter on Channel 4's Sunday Brunch, advised: "Get the BBQ smoking hot and buy a good wire cleaning brush."
Chris Bavin
TV presenter Chris advised: "My biggest cleaning tip is let the heat do most of the work. Clean your BBQ while it's still hot and the fat and grease hasn't solidified. Use a strong wire brush and carefully clean it while still hot!"
Pub in the Park returns to Higginson Park, Marlow from Thursday, May 14 to Sunday, May 17. Tickets are available to purchase now, starting from £47. For more information, visit the official website.
