BBQ Gifts for Father’s Day

Did you know (according to National BBQ week) the UK has 150 million BBQ’s a year? If your dad is part of that number, then keep on reading because this article is going to help inspire you to find the perfect Father’s Day gift idea for the man who loves to BBQ. 

While using fire to cook meat has been around since ancient times, the word barbeque finds its origins in the word ‘Barbacoa’. And if you’re British, then you know that having a BBQ is one of the UK’s well known traditions in summer and we want to help you do it right, while also adding a bit of sentimental sparkle to it too. So here are just a few ideas that you could give as a BBQ gift this Father’s Day:  

Gift Suggestions:  

1. Grilling Tools Set: A high-quality grilling tools set can make a huge difference to your dad’s bbqing experience. Make sure he is using the best gear to help him enjoy his outdoor cooking even more this summer! Consider getting a spatula, tongs, a fork, a basting brush as well as a cleaning brush to keep those utensils in great working order. 
2. Smoker Box: Does your dad like to smoke his meat or create intense flavours? Then a ‘smoker box’ is the perfect gift for him, allowing him to add a smoky taste to his grilled foods!  
3. Digital Meat Thermometer: Health and safety is most important when it comes to cooking meat. And if your dad likes to impress with perfectly cooked meats then a meat thermometer is the perfect gift for him. This gift ensures that his meats are cooked to perfection all the way through! In fact, it’s great if he is just a fan of cooking gadgets! 
4. Grill Light: If during the summer season, your dad enjoys entertaining late into the night, then help him do it with ease, with a grill light. 
5. Grill Basket: A grill basket is perfect for cooking vegetables, seafood, and small items like sliced potatoes or prawns that might fall through the grill grates. It’s an excellent gift for dads who love to grill healthy meals and especially so if he is a stickler for a clean bbq grill. 
6. BBQ Sauce Sampler: Is your dad a man of flavours? If that’s the case, then don’t hesitate to look for a BBQ sauce assortment. With so many unique combinations, he can mix and match to find the most mouth-watering tastes for his friends and family to enjoy. 
7. Wood Pellets or Chips: Wood pellets or chips are a great gift for dads who love to smoke their meats. Look for different wood types like hickory, mesquite, or applewood. A great accompaniment to a smoker box. 
8. BBQ Apron: Nobody likes to get messy while cooking. So, make sure your dad is fully equipped with his very own personalised apron that he can wear with pride this Father’s Day. Think about getting him one with many pockets so he can carry around his essential tools too. A personalised chef’s hat is a great accompaniment to an apron as well! 
9. Grill Cleaning Robot: A grill cleaning robot is an innovative gift for dads who love to grill but don’t enjoy cleaning up afterward. This handy gadget will do the job for them! It’s perfect for any one who loves a techy gadget. 
10. A BBQ Cookbook: A cookbook with a collection of delicious BBQ recipes is a great gift for dads who love to cook. Look for one with easy-to-follow recipes and mouth-watering photos. 

BONUS suggestion: If you dad is someone who loves to travel around and also is a big fan of using a BBQ, then a portable BBQ set might be the perfect gift!

These are just a few ideas to get you started. But there are plenty of other BBQ gifts that your dad may appreciate depending on his grilling style.
 

BBQ Tips & Tricks: 

If you are looking for ways to help improve your dad’s poor grilling skills (not that you would ever tell him that) and make his BBQ experience better, here are a few tips and tricks we have thought of to help!  

• Encourage him to preheat the grill! – You need to do this for more than one reason though. Firstly, it ensures that your meat is cooked through evenly, no one wants to eat raw BBQ so pre-heating ensure that the meat is cooked to perfection. Secondly, if you preheat your grill before applying your meat, then the meat is less likely to stick when you try to turn it over.  
• Clean the grill grates – Use a grill brush or scraper to clean the grill once you are finished cooking! If you like to cook your burgers with the traditional grill marks; then cleaning your grates is the best way to make sure you get that classic BBQ finish! 
• Rest the meat – Interesting fact here for you; when meat is allowed to rest, you give the meat time to reabsorb moisture making it more succulent and tender. 
• Oil the grill grates – Do you find that your food keeps sticking to the grates? Here’s the solution…. make sure to oil them before putting your meat on, so that halfway through cooking when you need to flip them you can do so with ease. Oiling the grates in combination with pre-heating, ensures that the meat doesn’t stick! 
• Use different cooking methods – try using smoking or indirect grilling! This is a great way to improve your technical grilling skills and really show off your BBQ prowess to your guests.
• Invest in good equipment – Make life easier and more enjoyable with some proper equipment to help you with your grilling. The utensils that you use are just as important as the BBQ itself. Invest in a really good pair of tongs and metal skewers; these are sustainable too as can be reused. 
• Start with the right cut of meat – Look for cuts of meat with a higher fat content and with good marbling for a much tastier final result. The right cut of meat (believe it or not) can make a HUGE difference to the outcome of your BBQ.  
• Let the meat come to room temperature before cooking – Doing this will help the meat cook more evenly over your grill.
• Serve with the right selection of sides – Compliment your BBQ with a great selection of delicious accompaniments. Sides like coleslaw, potato salads and pasta salads or sweetcorn as the ideal addition to any BBQ. 

Budget Friendly Gifts: 

Not all gifts have to be expensive; if it comes from the heart then that is all that matters. Sometimes, we forget that a gift is to show what someone means to us and that doesn’t always have to be the most expensive thing in the shop. Money can’t buy happiness after all!

If you are on a budget this Father’s Day, then take a look at our budget friendly BBQ gift guide where we have curated a list of 10 gifts you could consider giving as a present for the special father figure in your life!  

• Grill cleaning brush: For any king of the grill, a good grill cleaning brush is an essential tool! If he doesn’t have one or is in need of an upgrade, you should consider this as a gift. They can be found for under £20 and are a fantastic addition to any BBQ utensil kit. 
• BBQ rub or spice set: This is the best way to add signature flavours to meats on the BBQ. There are some fantastic spice sets with wonderful flavour combinations that can be found for under £15. You could even create your own with a range of spices from the supermarket. A one of a kind flavour for your one of a kind dad. 
• Meat claws: These are mainly used for pork. These tools are great for shredding and pulling meat. This the perfect gift for the man who loves a pulled pork roll! You could pick one of these up for around £10. 
• Grilling skewers: Stainless steel grilling skewers are great for kebabs and other grilled dishes such as prawns, and they can be found for under £15. Skewers are a great shout for a BBQ as they really make grilling more fiddly meats and fishes much easier.  
• Burger press: Does your dad love to make his own burgers? Help him create perfect patties every time with this tool that can be found usually under £20. 
• Grilling gloves: For any grilling enthusiast, some heat resistant gloves are a must have! Consider personalising them with a name or initials to create a sentimental gift too and at around £20, these really are a bargain. 
• BBQ sauce or marinade set: To experiment and try out new flavours a gift like this is perfect for Father’s Day! Can be found for under £15.
• Grill mat: A grill mat can be placed on top of the grill grates to prevent food from sticking and falling through the cracks, and they can be found for under £10. This is great if your dad likes his cooking area to be kept nice and clean. 
• A basting brush: for under £10, this is the perfect tool for applying marinades and sauces to grilled meat! 
• Meat thermometer: Make sure your dad can proudly say that his grilled meats are cooked to perfection with a meat thermometer costing around £20 or less. 

We hope our gift guide has helped to give you some inspiration for that BBQ extraordinaire in your life as well as some inadvertent knowledge to help your own BBQ skills too! We know it can be hard to find the right gift for your dad on Father’s Day but if he’s got a passion and love for cooking up a storm outdoors then hopefully this gift guide will offer the perfect gift this Father’s Day.