Get up and grill

YOU can cook absolutely anything on a barbecue, according to Ed Gash and Emma Millest.

The couple have a string of awards to their name after setting up their own American-style barbecue business, Bunch of Swines, as a hobby four years ago.

Ed and Emma, who live in the town centre, barbecue all year round and now own 11 barbecues, which they use in competitions and to cater for events across the area.

This week is national barbecue week, and the pair have shared some of their top tips to help you mark the occasion.

Ed, 31, who sells IT software for a living, said: “You can cook anything on a barbecue. We do our Christmas turkey on it – it makes cooking Christmas Dinner a lot less stressful because you have got enough room for all your vegetables then.

“We barbecue all year round, usually three or four times a week. I have barbecued in snow, rain, hail, you name it.

“I love the social aspect of it. It’s the whole thing about getting friends around sharing food and having a drink.”

Bunch of Swines’ American barbecue specialities include chicken, ribs, brisket and pork shoulder.

But they also cook desserts on the barbecue, including brownies, apple pies and even a tarte tatin.

Emma, 30, who is an administrator for an insurance company, said: “You can put the lid on and turn the barbecue into an oven. You can do absolutely anything as long as you don’t mind the smokey smell.

“Desserts don’t take on the taste of smoke but you can tell it’s been cooked on a barbecue.”

Bunch of Swines does catering for weddings and parties, as well as pop-up events across the area.

Ed said: “When we started it was purely a hobby. We never thought about doing pop-ups or catering, we just started off doing competitions.

“The first time we did a pop-up event in Swindon with our American style barbecue we didn’t know how people would take it. It’s a very new thing but everybody loved it and asked when we would be doing it again.

“They seem to like the tenderness we cook it to. You can eat American-style barbecue at a lot of places now but it won’t be as tender and it won’t be as well-cooked.

“We have travelled the world and learned from lots of different people about the best ways to cook different things. We have tried the food that has won the competitions and learned from that.”

Emma said: “It’s hard to describe our barbecues to some people. When you say barbecue people automatically think sausage, burgers and food poisoning. It is very unusual to do big cuts of meat low and slow like we do.”

The couple first got into American-style barbecuing after watching YouTube videos.

Ed said: “I found a video of some Rednecks cooking racks of ribs and briskets on the barbecue and I thought ‘I can do that’. It all went from there.”

Bunch of Swines’ collection of awards include King of the Q Grand Champion at Grillstock 2013 and King of the Grill Grand Champion at Grillstock in 2012.

They were crowned grand champions at the IBQN Drum and Baste 2014 competition and they were also awarded first place in the British BBQ Championships 2012.

This year, the couple will take part in 10 competitions across Europe, as well as up to four in America.

Emma said getting feedback from customers is always rewarding.

“For most of the competitions the judges leave numbers rather than comments,” she said.

“That is why we like doing the catering because you can see it on their faces as soon as they bite into it that they are enjoying it.”

Ed and Emma said there are a few important tips to make sure your barbecue is a success, including only putting coals on one side of the barbecue so you have a hot section and a cool section.

Use a charcoal barbecue with a lid so you can turn your barbecue into an oven, which will help cook the barbecue food more evenly.

Ed said: “Cook it properly over the cool zone with the lid on and then finish it over the coals to get the char on it. Don’t cook on the coals because it will end up burned on the outside.

“It’s important to get a good piece of meat from a good butcher. A good butcher will age the meat properly.”

Bunch of Swines will be doing a Texas style barbecue at The Regent Hotel in Victoria Road on June 21.

There will be two sittings, one at 6pm and one at 8pm, but tickets must be bought in advance.

A children’s menu will be available at the 6pm sitting.

For tickets, which are £18 for adults or £6 for children, visit www.bunchofswines.com.