Dusting off the grill for an al fresco feast?

A fun change from making every meal in the kitchen, planning a barbecue is also an excellent excuse to put something new on the menu.

Sure; the usual burgers and sausages are great, but with a few expert tips and clever purchases, you can comfortably claim the crown as BBQ King or Queen this year with zero effort.

The secret? Grab a bag and buy your ingredients from the English Market, where the cream of Cork’s artisan food community are waiting to answer your questions and share their advice.

Here are six stops to make before firing up the grill:

1. O’Mahony’s Family Butchers

Swing by the first stall on your right as you enter the market from the Grand Parade. Eoin O’Mahony is a master of gourmet, sustainably-sourced meats. As well as his epic chorizo and ribeye burgers and lamb souvlaki kebabs, get your hands on a piece of hangar steak – a cheap cut that, when marinated in balsamic vinegar, olive oil and rosemary overnight, needs just six minutes per side on the grill and will feed around five people for as little as €13.

If you’re celebrating, it doesn’t get more impressive than the tomahawk, an incredibly tender steak with a rich, buttery flavour.

Birthday dinner. Reverse dear method following @MichaelsCoDub method. Tomahawks from @guilderdbutcher . Looking very forward to it pic.twitter.com/yQZEnvmDpl

— Daire Calnan (@DaireCalnan) May 31, 2020

2. ABC Bread

From fluffy rolls for barbecues sausages to fresh sourdough loaves to serve with salads, the ABC Bread counter is stacked high with more freshly baked creations than you can shake a butter knife at.

Try the olive ciabatta (divine with cheese or a dollop of tapenade) or pick a Mediterranean focaccia decorated with roasted veg to elevate your sides spread to Instagram-worthy.

3. The Olive Stall

If you’re not the most creative in the kitchen, a stop here will fool your barbecue diners into believing you’re a natural gourmand. Pick some plump olives, an oozy burrata, a pot of juicy semi-dried tomatoes and a pot of gloriously vibrant basil pesto for a start.

Do not leave without some of their famous feta cheese dip.

Feta cheese dip, a regular on our stall in the #englishmarketcork and also from our online shop (see link in bio).… https://t.co/A759acIhmW pic.twitter.com/iNv0jRMEoc

— Real Olive Company (@RealOliveCo) August 14, 2017

4. K O’Connell Fish Merchants

One of the healthiest ingredients you can cook on the barbecue, O’Connell’s is the place to go for the most grill-friendly options. The Cajun salmon is a popular choice, but if you want to try something new, a whole seabass (marinate it first in olive oil, lemon juice and chilli) is a good shout.

Build some seafood skewers with large prawns, scallops and chunks of fresh tuna for a tasty barbecued meal that will be ready to eat in less than 15 minutes. If you’re nervous about choosing fish for the grill, nobody knows more about cooking fish than the O’Connell’s counter crew.

5. O’Flynn’s Sausages

You can’t beat a spicy sausage, hot from the grill and served in a fresh roll. Our advice is to buy more of these than you think you need – it would be a crying shame not to have a few leftover for breakfast the following day.

O’Flynn’s do a mean burger too so stock up.

Little #BBQ this evening.
Of course using @oflynnssausages! 😉

But also using our Gourmet Burgers which are ideal for the BBQ! 😍

A blend of locally sourced pork and beef with garlic, onion, oregano and basil. #Foodie @EnglishMarket #Cork pic.twitter.com/RnEckOWSLa

— David Doyle (@Doyle12David) May 31, 2020

6. Bubble Brothers

The perfect wine can turn up the volume on just about all of the chargrilled flavours in the average barbecue. No matter what you’re grilling, the Bubble Brothers team will have a wine to complement it. Just drop by with your plan and tell them your price range. Voila; suddenly you’re pairing like an absolute pro.