Are you looking to enjoy this summer heat in your backyard as you fire up the grill?

Well, we learned some surprising trends and plenty of tips when speaking to a local BBQ expert.

A thread #ottnews #capitalcurrent

Rod Emby is a Retail Sales Consultant at the Fireplace Center and Patio Shop in Ottawa and he had a lot to say about BBQing in a pandemic.

“A barbeque is an outdoor oven. People think it is for steaks and hotdogs and that kind of thing but you can make bread in it. I specialize in desserts, do a lot of fruits, [and] dessert pizzas.”

Summer this year is different than in the past. Travel restrictions across the country set up to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have affected the summer plans of Canadians. It has also changed their BBQing plans.

“They are spending money on their backyards, spending money at home, you know they are entertaining within their ten people bubbles but they are doing it all at home and outside.”

This doesn’t come without hiccups, mainly in the form of delays due to troubles getting products made internationally and customers not trusting non-Canadian products. “The supply chains this year just can’t keep up with the demand.”

Emby had plenty of tips for picking the perfect BBQ for your backyard oasis. He broke them down into three main things to consider.

First up is the fuel source. All of them come with pros and cons. Natural gas costs a bit more. Using propane relies on restocking the tanks while charcoal requires more time to heat up. The pellet grill runs on electricity.

The next thing to consider is level of experience. There is a grill for those looking to just fry up hamburgers and hotdogs, but there are more complex grills.

One last tip!

There is one more tip for successful grilling which is important to remember to avoid a nasty surprise.

“The other thing I can’t stress enough is to keep your BBQ clean.” This means every time, keep it on for an extra 10 minutes and then give it a good scrub and spray. This way it doesn’t attract bugs or animals and it makes grilling better.

For Emby it is all about the end result:

The food and the outdoors!

”On the worst day, the BBQ is just a fun thing to do with your friends and family.”

End of thread