In the sunny days of summer there is nothing more satisfying than putting on a spread for your nearest and dearest. Picture it, the kids swimming in the river with the dogs, your friends chatting with a wine in hand, and you cooking up some countryside goodness on the barbecue. There’s no set of instructions on how to have a great barbecue (which is why we love them), but here are some tips and game recipes to do it with some countryside flair.

What to Pack for On the Go

Since not every country lover has a garden to host their barbecue, we are fortunate enough to be able to dine al fresco in the beautiful countryside. Here are some tips on what to bring to help you have the perfect day (apart from the essential drinks, finger food and delicious barbecue meats or veggies).

Picnic Blanket

Bringing along a picnic blanket means we can have a picturesque seat for our barbecue without having to lug around camping chairs and tables. Picnic blankets come in a huge range of styles and sizes to choose from, we recommend that Country Living’s 25 of the best picnic blankets for outdoor dining is a good place to start looking.

Cool Box

A cool box will keep everything chilled from our burgers to our white wine. If we don’t feel like lugging around a big cool box, we can also use an insulated picnic bag (like this lovely Bees Picnic Bag from Sophie Allport).

Portable Barbeque and Supplies

Instead of a disposable barbecue, invest in a light travel one that we will be able to use summer after summer (like this portable folding barbecue). The Zero Waste Company also supplies Eco BBQ Starter Kits which are perfect for a barbecue that’s environmentally friendly while cooking up deliciously smoky flavours.

Wheat Straw Cups

While it’s a no brainer to leave our beautiful glasses at home (in fear they will shattered on the bumpy ride up), we loath the thought of taking those flimsy little plastic or paper cups that are bad for the environment. Instead, we found these lovely wheat straw cups that are sturdy, reusable, and eco-friendly.

Biodegradable Cutlery and Plates

We really hate the use of disposable plastic (or paper) cutlery and plates, and we are so happy with the sustainable alternatives we can use that are chemical free, recyclable and compostable. Biodegradable plates and cutlery (like these) will serve up our hot and delicious grub no problem.

Only Footprints Left Behind

Following our point on taking along some sustainable cups and biodegradable cutlery, here are some little things you can do to ensure your barbeque leaves no trace on our beautiful countryside.

Taking Away Rubbish

Though a no brainer nowadays, making sure to leave sites exactly how they were found is more important than ever. While having a black bin bag is useful to quickly clear up any mess, we encourage trying to separate things out so they can be recycled or composted instead of dumped in the landfill.

Tip: Instead of black bags, we can use biodegradable ones (like these) that can be composted with our food waste.

Following Countryside Code Etiquette

Sometimes to keep our countryside beautiful, it doesn’t hurt to reacquaint ourselves with the countryside code. Luckily, we have a full guide on countryside code etiquette that offers key outlines to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (without having to read all 135 pages).

Having a Local Barbecue

While it is nice to venture far to find some picturesque places to have our barbecue, going to one of our favourite local spots in the countryside reduces carbon emissions. Even if we live in the city, we can look for local parks or pockets of countryside to enjoy our barbecue.

Using Local Produce

Instead of buying things from the supermarket that are covered in plastic and have huge carbon emissions, we can choose to buy our barbecue foods local. For example, if we bought our game meat from our local supplier at Burnside Farm, we know that this reduces carbon emissions, and we are using a more sustainable meat source.

Turning Winter Meats into Summer Feasts

These delicious recipes will have you thawing out the game meat in the freezer to make some countryside delights fit for the barbecue.

Rosemary and Garlic Rabbit Burgers (4 Burgers)

Ingredients

• 300-400g Minced Rabbit Meat
• 200g Pork Sausages (skins removed)
• 2 Shredded Carrots
• 3 Chopped Shallots
• 1 Egg
• 30g Breadcrumbs
• 3 Minced Garlic Cloves
• 2 Tsp. Finely Chopped Fresh Rosemary (or dried we don’t judge)

Preparation

Step 1

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.

Step 2

Divide the mix equally in four.

Step 3

Roll each mixture into a ball and lightly pat it down to form the patties at the desired thickness.

Step 4

Store them in the fridge until you are ready to put them on the barbecue.

Pheasant and Bacon Marinated Skewers (4 Skewers)

Ingredients

• 4 Thick Bacon Slices (unsmoked)
• 4 Pheasant Breasts
• 2 Minced Garlic Cloves
• 500g Natural yogurt
• 1 Tsp. Sugar
• 2 Tsp. Paprika
• 1 Tsp Cumin
• 1 Tsp Chilli Powder
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• Pinch of Black Pepper
• Pinch of Salt

Preparation

Step 1

Mix the garlic, yoghurt, sugar, paprika, cumin, chilli powder and olive oil in a large bowl.

Step 2

Put the pheasant breasts in the mixture and coat them thoroughly, then put the bowl in the fridge for the meat to marinade overnight.

Step 3

Remove the pheasant breasts from the mixture and wrap them each in a slice of bacon.

Step 4

Take a large wooden skewer and pierce the breast and bacon so that they are secure for cooking. Repeat for each piece.

Step 5

Store the skewers in the fridge until you are ready to cook. With this guide you can accomplish a countryside barbecue that is both fun for you, and green for your countryside.

What would be your top tips for enjoying the perfect country barbecue? We would love to hear on social media using #humesoutandabout