Is it just me or has the etiquette surrounding acceptable Barbecue conditions undergone a radical shift in recent years? I’m sure it used to be that it had to be the hottest day of the year and there had to be a Royal Wedding or an appearance in a sporting semi-final before we were subjected to the gastronomic roulette of a family Barbecue.
More recently, particularly in the last couple of years, it seems to me that so long as the temperature is over 16 degrees and it’s not raining - it’s BBQ time. (And by raining I do mean persistently chucking it down – a bit of drizzle it seems, is no excuse for restraint). Did you know we even have a barbecue month? Me neither, but it’s May – probably due to the two long bank holiday weekends – if not for the weather.
Statistics point to 2011 as being the year Barbecues really became popular in the UK, with both Waitrose and John Lewis each reporting a 50% increase on barbecue related sales over the year before. In subsequent years, the 2012 Olympics and additional public holidays marking Royal events have helped ensure popularity has continued to grow – could this year’s World Cup help make 2014 the biggest year yet for the British Barbecue?
BBQ, Barbeque or Barbecue?
No one is really sure where the term 'barbecue' originated. Some believe than when the Spanish landed in the Caribbean they used the word barbacoa to refer to the natives' method of slow-cooking meat over a wooden platform, others that it comes from the Caribbean word barabicu which literally means “sacred fire pit”.
The Oxford English Dictionary sites the origin as “mid-17th century: from Spanish barbacoa, perhaps from Arawak barbacoa 'wooden frame on posts'. The original sense was 'wooden framework for sleeping on, or for storing meat or fish to be dried'.
While the indigenous people of Australia have long used the technique of cooking food over coals, it wasn’t until the 1950’s and 60’s (with the influx of European immigrants) that barbecuing became popular with the rest of the population. Paul 'Crocodile Dundee' Hogan fronted a long running (and clearly effective) travel campaign from 1984 to 1990 for Tourism Australia, and ever since then we’ve been happy to believe his promise to, ‘slip an extra shrimp on the barbie for you.’
It was in the America South, back in the 19th century, that the culinary technique was most prevalent. As barbecuing doesn't require expensive cuts of meat it became a dietary staple for impoverished Southern African Americans. When they moved from the rural South to Northern cities in the first half of the 20th century, so did their recipes and cooking techniques. By the 1950s barbecue joints could be found in nearly every city in America.
What we class as barbecuing would be frowned on by many Americans. For them there is a clear difference between:
Barbecuing - the process of cooking meat for a long period at a low temperature and
Grilling - the method of cooking food hot and fast on your grill.
In fact the term barbecuing varies considerably from country to country. In Korea it’s thinly sliced meat cooked and served with rice. Argentina has marinade-free meat cooked in a smokeless pit. And then there's Mongolian barbecue, which is neither Mongolian nor barbecue but a type of stir-fry recently invented in Taiwan.
Barbecue Blunders
Regardless of whether you’re grilling or barbequing, cooking over coals or gas, marinating ribs or throwing on some sausages, there are basic guidelines to follow to ensure you stay safe. Last time figures were collected through the Home and Leisure Accident Surveillance System way back in 2002, an estimated 1,800 people visited A&E in the UK having had an accident involving a bbq.
The Most Common Types of Barbecue Injury Were:
- Burn/scald/other injury related to fire or flame - 800
- Cut/tear by sharp edges - 200.
The vast majority of barbecue accidents (1,400) happened in a home setting, with 300 occurring in a public place.
8 Top Tips for Avoiding BBQ Accidents
- Obviously you thoroughly cleaned your BBQ before safely storing it away for winter (or like me you shoved a cover over it and are now looking at a good few hours of hosing and scrubbing) but make sure it’s in good condition with no loose or damaged parts.
- Make sure your barbecue is secure and stable, wobbly wonky legs are a definite no-no.
- As well as being on level ground, ensure it’s away from fences, sheds and overhanging trees to reduce the fire risk
- Smoke and fumes are extremely dangerous (carbon monoxide from barbecues can kill), never light a barbecue in an enclosed space. Never use a BBQ in a tent, awning, caravan or motorhome because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning as well as the fire risk.
- It’s frustrating when you’re ready to get going but the BBQ isn’t. Allow yourself plenty of time and never add accelerants such as petrol or meths. The most serious barbecue injuries occur when accelerants are added.
- Knives and forks are great for eating a BBQ but not for cooking it. Use long-handled tools and ensure food is thoroughly cooked all the way food to avoid food poisoning.
- Don’t leave children or pets unsupervised near a barbecue.
- Just because you’ve finished cooking and the flames have gone doesn’t mean the BBQ isn’t still hot. Don’t try to move it, or if it disposable get rid of it, until it’s properly cooled down.
- Oh and don’t leave it unattended until fully extinguished either.
We hope all your barbecues are safe and successful. However if you’re unlucky enough to have attended a barbecue at an event and suffered food poisoning or been injured then you may be entitled to make a claim for personal injury compensation.
Call us on 0800 756 7774 if you think you may have a claim for compensation, or complete the online form.
http://info.mayiclaim.co.uk/personal_injury_compensation_claim_news/bid/347427/Common-Barbecue-Accidents-8-Top-Tips-to-Avoid-BBQ-Related-Injuries
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