However much you hate cooking and avoid the kitchen, there’s something magically masculine about cooking on the BBQ. It’s traditional for the man of the house to take charge here, using your tools and flames to cook up a storm. Now is the time to make good use of your BBQ, so invite some friends round and get cooking! Lots of people love a barbecue, from our gorgeous Heathrow escorts, to children and grandparents.

If you’re really terrible at cooking, you can keep things simple with sausages and burgers. It’s really important that you cook them properly to avoid food poisoning; you’re not going to be a very popular host if all your guests get sick! You can check this by cutting the meat open to see if it’s still pink in the middle – in this case, it shouldn’t be.

When you light the barbecue, build the charcoal into a slight pyramid shape and evenly distribute the firelighters. You will need to leave this burning for 20 or 30 minutes before putting any food on the grill; not only do the firelighters give off an unpleasant kerosine smell, but the embers will not be hot enough before this. Leave the flames to burn down until the charcoal is white and glowing; before you cook, use a tool to spread it more evenly across the tray.

Barbecuing takes patience and regular supervision; ensure that the meat is turned enough to cook evenly all over. If you put it on before the charcoal has started to burn properly, you may well end up with sausages that are black on the outside and pink in the middle – not desirable! Do it slowly and steadily for the best results.

If you’re more familiar with fine cuisine, expand your BBQ menu and impress your guests; think along the lines of marinated steak, skewers and corn on the cob. For vegetarians, you can make skewers with chunky vegetables such as mushrooms, peppers and courgettes.

Although it is the most important ingredient, it takes more than just meat to have a successful BBQ. You will also need bread rolls for your hot dogs and burgers, a side salad and condiments such as tomato ketchup and mayonnaise. Make sure your fridge is full to, because cold beers all round will really complete the occasion! A feast like this makes for the perfect summer’s day.