National BBQ Week hot tips

Summer heatwave may not have reached us yet ... but since when has that stopped us firing up the coals?
BBQs awaitBBQs await
BBQs await

Yesterday marked start of National BBQ Week, so if you were waiting for a reason to pig out on burgers, hot dogs and anything else you can pop on a skewer, now's your chance!

The initiative, which began in 1997, is celebrating its 20th birthday this year.

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To help you prepare here below are nine BBQ chill 'n' grill facts for you to enjoy, provided by National BBQ Week HQ.

Meanwhile here's weather link to check if you can expect Sheffield scorcher or damp squib http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/gcqzwtdw71. BBQ & at-home eating and entertaining is now the UK's number one summer home leisure activity, with two in three households now owning a BBQ grill.

2. Last year the UK was once again Europe's leading BBQ nation, hosting over 130 million barbies and beating the Germans for the fifth time.

3. Hosts will now spend around £35 on food and drink for a BBQ, up from £17 in 2011.

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4. After-work or mid-week barbies now account for more than 48% of all BBQ occasions.

5. Twenty-four per cent of us now have BBQs during the spring, with a further 15% claiming to BBQ all year-round.

6. Couples are three times more likely to host a BBQ than singles, only 4% of pensioners are likely to hold one and 8% of adults claim to have found love over the coals.

7. Flat-bed grills remain most popular, but hooded BBQs are growing fast and now account for over 46% of all sales.

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8. As new house building begins to pick up, developers are incorporating patio areas and built-in BBQs as key purchase incentives.

9. The average number of BBQs held per family during the summer has risen to nine. Ten years ago, this number was at 2.5.

For more information, and to make the most of National BBQ Week, see http://www.nationalbbqweek.co.uk/