Barbecues have never been more popular, with sales at an all-time high. They’re a great way to entertain friends and family over summer – but there’s just one hitch: who’s going to be tied to the grill? You can’t leave a BBQ to look after itself. It needs your full attention – and that means you can’t also circulate among your friends.

My clients have come up with the ideal solution: they get me to come in and operate their grill while they enjoy the party vibe.

Having a private chef to run the BBQ also means that your guests can enjoy foods that go way beyond the usual burgers, bangers and corn on the cobs. Chicken will be cooked through and safe to eat… with the crispy skin we all love and flesh that is succulent and delicious.

Here are the choices that a recent client made for their BBQ lunch party…

• Cambodian rib eye beef skewers marinated in chilli, garlic, ginger, lime, soy, oyster sauce, fish sauce and brown sugar
• Chilli beef burgers with kimchi
• Chicken pieces with chilli, ginger and tamarind
• Lamb chops marinated in cumin, coriander, fenugreek, yogurt and ginger
• Tuna steaks with a Sri Lankan mint and coconut sambal

For sides, we served a choice of salads, spicy potato wedges and roast butternut squash.

To finish the meal, guests had a choice of rhubarb crumble or Eton Mess – but most had both!