From The Times, September 8, 2007

British barbeque team take on the Americans in their own backyard

By Patrick Foster

Beneath tufts of smoke rising over the North Yorkshire village of Goldsborough, four men are sweating over a barbecue. Another lacklustre British summer may be drawing to a close, but for the British barbecue team, the greatest challenge is still ahead.

Next month the team of four will compete in the World Invitational Barbecue Championship, in Lynchburg, Tennessee, the most prestigious such event in the world.

Only national champions are invited to compete in “The Jack”, as the contest is known, after its sponsors, the makers of Jack Daniel’s whiskey. There they will compete with a selection of American state champions for the world crown.

The British are not renowned for their barbecuing expertise – last year’s entrants came 63rd out of a field of 65. But this year the team are determined to win and have hired Rocky Danner, one of the world’s top barbecue cooks, to coach them.

The team comprises Jeremy Fowler, former personal chef to the Sultan of Brunei, Terry Greenhouse, former executive chef of the Queen Elizabeth 2, as well as Andy Annat, a Yorkshire butcher and the British barbecue champion, and his colleague Nick Ellam.

Mr Annat, who beat 5,000 competitors to take the British crown and cooked at Balmoral for the Queen’s 80th birthday celebrations, is confident that his team can win. “It’s an unbelievable achievement even to be asked to compete,” he said. “We’re going out there to win. We’re very confident.

“We’re competing at the top level so we can’t take it faintheartedly. I was over in Memphis and people said to me, ‘Oh, you’re British. I didn’t think you guys did barbecue’. We’re out to show them that we do.”

Mr Danner, 69, a bearded Tennessean who wears a cowboy hat, has been instrumental in the British team’s preparations. He is a master judge of the World Barbecue Association and is spending six weeks whipping the cooks into shape.

“In the UK you take a bit of meat or chicken, burn it, and eat it,” Mr Danner said.

“It’s burnt on the outside and bleeding on the inside. If I had a plaster and a litre of blood I could put him back in the henhouse. I teach the US style of barbecue. It’s called low and slow cooking. It takes 18-24 hours to cook a piece of meat.

“I’ve tried to give them 30 years’ experience in six weeks. But there are going to be all the US teams, the best of the best, each of them, and other countries too.

“I see no reason why they can’t take the championship. They have people of a tremendous calibre. They have quality people on the team.”

In mid-October the team will fly to Mr Danner’s home for more intensive training. Then it’s on to the competition. Lynchburg, a sleepy backwater with a population of 361, welcomes 100,000 visitors over the weekend of the cook-off, which involves a variety of tasks. Each team has to cook a chicken, pork ribs, a whole pork shoulder and a whole beef brisket. There is also a mystery meat category – last year it involved frozen pigeons.

It can take 12 to 15 hours to cook the meats, and teams start at about 3am. Many use a variety of electronic sensors linked to computer equipment that alerts them should temperatures on their barbecue rise or fall.

Gamesmanship from other competitors is another pitfall. Mr Danner said: “In the old days people shut your fire off but now it’s mostly mind games. You tell people they are too light on garlic or salt. Some countries have a reputation for trying to get other teams drunk and put them off.”

The teams compete for a $30,000 (£15,000) prize, but the winners can make millions from sponsorship and marketing their own sauces. “Every team is going out to win,” Mr Danner said. “The only thing that will separate them is who makes the least mistakes. All of the hard work they do lands on a table with six judges, and they can make and break them.”

The three steps to meat heaven

Tenderness Rocky Danner, master judge of the World Barbecue Association, says that this is the first of the three key targets the master barbecuer must meet.

“The judges don’t want to use both hands and grab and pull at the meat like a bulldog. At the other end of the spectrum they don’t want to have to eat it with a spoon,” he says.

The variability of age and quality of the meat affects cooking times. Brisket has only a half-hour window when it is not leathery or “mushy”.

Taste “It’s not what you like or what your mother cooks for you,” Mr Danner says. “The judges won’t care if you use paprika or your mother’s secret powder. All they want is a piece of meat that tastes the same all over, with no flavour spikes.” Marinades are hugely important, as are sauces.

Appearance Competitors cook far more meat than they need and hand in joints that look the part. Mr Danner says: “If your lady sends you to the store to get six rib-eyes and you’ve got 20 in front of you, you pick the best. It’s the same principle.”

The judges score the submissions from 2-9. One – and a disqualification – is awarded when teams fail to submit enough pieces of meat in the boxes for the judges.

From 4Food, Channel4.com, July 14th, 2008

How To Host the Perfect Barbie

4Food caught up with British Barbecue Champion, Andy Annat, to find out his top tips for a tasty barbecue.

So how do you become British barbecue champion?

I won a contest beating 5000 people and then I managed the Great Britain team for the world championships, which we were in last year in October. Now I have my own barbecue catering business, Blazing Barbecues, and I do consultancy work for barbecue manufacturers, Weber. We also did a rare breed hog roast and barbecue at Balmoral for the Queen's 80th.

But how did it all start?how do you get into barbecuing as a full time career?

I started off with my own butcher's shop, originally, seven years ago in Leeds and a lady once said to me: "I've bought all this meat from you, all i need now is for somebody to cook it." So I said, "OK, let me do that." And I did it and from that day i said to my wife, "I'm going to make business out of this" - because i enjoyed it so much. So that's what I did. We range from events for 50 people up to 2000- from back gardens to weddings.

So what makes a good barbecue? How can the humble back garden chef get it right?

Cooking low and slow rather than rushing it. Cook on a low temperature. If I'm cooking whole chickens then they take about an hour and a half, which is what they would take in a conventional oven, but the flavour and the moisture is out of this world. It's a different league.

The other thing i do is to spray the meat with natural apple juice as it's cooking with a spray gun. That'll help caramelise the meat, so if you're doing the basic things like sausages or chicken, spray it wit apple juice, I use something like Capella, natural without concentrate, and the natural sugars in the apple juice help caramelise the meat. It keeps it moist so that you're adding moisture to it as you're cooking it.

I think one of the most important things, particularly in this country, is getting the right temperature. People see chicken and think, "is this cooked?" What we do when we sell a barbecue is sell it with a little temperature probe to give the person cooking at home confidence while they are cooking. They can see the gauge and check they're cooking things at the right temperature. They're not having to put things in the oven to warm it up, that sort of thing.

One of the biggest secrets of cooking a barbecue is a good quality barbecue, preferably with a lid. You want to be able to put it on and relax, not be rushing around dealing with flare ups.

So there is a difference from cheap disposable barbecues you can pick up from an all night garage?

A massive difference.

In terms of what goes on the barbecue, do we need to look past bangers and burgers?

Definitely. I'm running a Barbecue Bootcamp this weekend, which is my barbecue cooking class, and I'm teaching people how to cook - from a simple sausage to a whole joint of topside, a whole shoulder of pork, a whole lamb. We're even doing chocolate brownies because we can; with a good quality barbecue you can do anything.

Are you a marinade man?

Ooh yes, I'm working with a mustard marinade today that i've just made up for use on chicken but there are a lot of different types you can do. I think where people go wrong in this country is they buy a ready made marinade and thy're not too sure what they've got. What they've often bought is a salt based marinade; it looks moist but it's made with sugar and salt so it's actually drying the meat out. If you cook that directly over coal it's going to dry out even more. It'll go hard and caramelise quickly and that's when you'll get meat that's cooked on the outside but raw in the middle.

If you used that same marinade but cooked it really slowly on a low heat it would taste delicious, but if you're cooking directly over the coals I would suggest you use an oil based marinade and that'll help baste the meat - it's like putting sun tan lotion on.

Do you have any particular recipe suggestions?

Thai marinades always work well - we do an oil based one with lemongrass, ginger and chili which tastes delicious on chicken breasts. You don't even need a blender; just chop the ingredients and mix them together. Fruits like limes and lemons taste great but you don't really want to leave it marinating for more than four hours because the citrus fruits will start scorching the meat.

Another marinade I like is a delicious redcurrant and port one we do one lamb with a handful of fresh mint.

What's the most important thing to remember if you want to avoid a dodgy tummy the next day?

Cross contamination is a big problem. You want to be using different utensils for raw and cooked meats and different chopping boards. We use disposable rubber gloves so that we can just take off after we've been dealing with raw meat.

Another tip is to get the meat to room temperature before you start cooking it.  Don't cook it straight from the fridge because when it's chilled all the way through it takes a long time to start warming up. Don't have it out opened - maybe have it in a cool-box or wrapped up - and don't have it out in the sun but maybe in the kitchen on the side. Get it up to room temperature and then start cooking.

It's your perfect barbecue - what are you eating?

I would have a barbecued rack of lamb with redcurrant and port glaze with barbecued Cajun sweet potato chips and some vivid green salad, mange tout and green beans lightly blanched with cucumber and a light vinaigrette. To drink i'd probably have a glass of rosé or a nice pale ale, a Daleside Blonde, something nice and light.

From INTELLIGENT LIFE Magazine, Summer 2008

Andy Annat, Butcher and British Barbecue Champion, on Choosing Equipment for Alfresco Cooking ...

by Andy Annat

What you really want is a barbecue with a lid. Not to keep the rain off, but for what we call "off-set" or "indirect" cooking, where you push the charcoal over to one side, put the food above the charcoal-free area, and then close the lid, making a kind of oven. This way you're not just restricted to sausages: in a lidded, 57cm-diameter kettle-type barbecue you can cook anything from the Sunday roast to pizza or bread-and-butter pudding.

Should you use gas or charcoal? It's your choice, really. Charcoal is arguably more macho: it's "real", it burns hotter, and it gives that distinctive smoky flavour. But it's slow to start, you'll get flare-ups-when dripping fat catches fire on the coals below, singeing the food -- and there'll be ashes to dispose of. A separate ash pan helps, plus it'll stop ash choking the charcoal as it burns.

Gas barbecues are more expensive, but do give rapid, consistent, controllable heat --and as long as they have more than two burners, will do off set cooking. To stop flare ups, the burners will be covered with either lava rocks, ceramic briquettes or V-shaped metal "flavorizer" bars -- the latter tend to be the most effective, though cast-iron or stainless steel ones last longer than the ceramic-coated type.

Choose a model that is stable, a comfortable height, and the right size for your catering ambitions -- too big a cooking space and you'll waste fuel. Enamel-coated steel lasts years longer than painted steel, which will soon peel and rust; but whatever it's made of, it must have a good, sturdy grate of heavy-gauge metal to hold the heat and sear the meat.

Don't get too distracted by accessories. A warming tray in the lid and a decent manufacturer's warranty are probably the only extras you'll need. The one accessory you must never, ever use is a fork -- it'll pierce the meat and let all the lovely juices drain away.

From Plush, October 2007

Andy Annat's Blazing Barbecues Catering

by Rachel Firth

Rachel Firth catches up with the flaming food expert to hear what he's been throwing on the barbie.

I love a good barbecue. The only problem is, I don't know whether I can call sausage shaped pieces of charcoal an edible meal. If you're like me and are hopeless at barbecues then never fear. The finest and most prestigious barbie champion will lend a professional helping hand in the for of his Blazing Barbecues Team.

Andy Annat, renowned for his Yorkshire Barbecue Catering Business, is in hot demand. Having cooked a hog roast for the Queen's 80th birthday it's not surprising that Annat's Blazing Barbecues has become one of the most highly ranked in the business.

Annat has catered for an event at the BBC, as well as for various footballers, proving he's not just your average butcher or caterer. But if you'd prefer things a little more simple, then he can easily adapt. He recently catered for an event at the Harrogate Ladies College who opted for sandwiches; first class sandwiches of course.

Whoever said that you could only host a barbecue in the summer? With Annat's culinary skills, the barbecue should be a service offered and celebrated all year round. This is often the case for Annat's aptly named catering business, Blazing Barbecues. His business has bee so successful that he's already taking bookings for as far ahead as 2008 and has been snapped up for events throughout autumn and winter.

So why is Annat's Blazing Barbecues so popular and sought after? Well, aside from catering to a royal standard, Annat produces an individual taste that many of us can't seem to achieve on our own. It is all thanks to his home made marinades, which add that extra special taste. Not only this, but the pig spit roast is not something you can get hold of just anywhere. Even if you could, would you know the first thing about cooking it properly and safely? I know I wouldn't.

We all know how stressful it can be to entertain and host a barbecue at the same time. So if your culinary skills are as questionable as mine, then Andy Annat and his Blazing Barbecues team can make any event run a lot more smoother and a lot less stressful for the host.

Never mind the weather, come rain or shine, Annat is at hand all year round.

From National Barbecue News - U.S.A, October 2007

Flaming Gorgeous: Andy Annat is Harrogate's King of the Barbecue

by Lisa Millett

YORKSHIRE - Food, glorious food. Where do you start in Harrogate? Well, if it's a barbecue you fancy, then there's only one man for the job.

Andy Annat and his barbecue catering company, Blazing Barbecues. Having cooked a hog roast for the Queen's 80th birthday and catered for a number of footballers' parties, he's perhaps the best barbecuer out there, certainly one with the greatest celebrity credentials. Annat is so good, in fact, that he's already been booked to cater for events in Dubai, Paris and Porta Crista next year.

The Blazing Barbecue team are currently in training with the past Vice President of the World Barbecue Association, Rocky Danner. Following an intensive two month coaching program, they'll compete in the 19th annual Jack Daniels World Invitational Championships in Lynchburg, Tennessee, on October 27th. The event is the most prestigious in the barbecue calendar and is only open to other competition award-winners by strict invitation.

If you didn't think barbecue contests were a big deal, then you're wrong. The annual event that descends upon Lynchburg each year sends it's population skyrocketing from 361 residents to an amazing 100,000 over the event weekend.

Annat, along with his three team-mates, Nick Ellam (specialist Caterer), Jeremy Fowler (former head chef to the Sultan of Brunei and the Saudi Royal family, past World Head Judge of the WBBQA, Past British National team manager, and first KCBS Master Judge outside the USA), and Terry Greenhouse (former head chef of the QE2, second place winner in the World Championships for ribs in Jamaica in 2003, and group Executive Chef of the 6 Star Hebredian Island Cruise Group), will face 60 teams from all around the world to battle it out for a £40,000 prize.

Whether you fancy a rack of lamb or a humble sausage, the boys can cook everything to perfection, including the notoriously difficult brisket. However, a favourite of Annat's is a rack of lamb grilled in redcurrant sauce.

So what is Annat's top tip for a great barbie? Apparently, if you want to acheive the perfect grilled chicken or juicy spare ribs, cooking it under low temperatures for a long time will create the perfect feast. If you like your sausages extra juicy and with a caramelized finish, Andy's tip is to spray them with natural apple juice to stop them from drying out.

If you fancy yourself as a bit of a barbecue wiz, you will be able to get everything to need under one roof, including classes and demonstrations from the man himself at his renowned BBQ Bootcamp.

But Annat's plans don't stop there. He's already lined up next year's competitions, including the European Barbecue Championship and Memphis in May World Championship, which he has won a trip to last year. He's even in with a chance of winning a UKTV Food Local Food Heroes Award. He really is the King of the barbie!

From the Harrogate Advertiser, August 2006

Sizzling His Way to a UK Triumph

His sausage sizzling skills are well-known in Yorkshire but now Andy Annat has been picked as the best Barbecuer in Britain.

The Harrogate owner of Blazing Barbecues of Melmerby, North Yorkshire, beat more than 5,000 other competitors to come top in the national contest.

Now he will travel to Memphis to represent the UK at international barbecuing level. "I'm really chuffed," he said "When we went to London we had to close shop for a day but all our hard work paid off."

Mr Annat had to compete in regional heats before making it to the final in London earlier this month. In the semi-final he scored 49 and a half points out of a maximum of 50.

When he got to London he faced nine other barbecuing finalists and had to prove his skills before Brian George, President of the National Barbecue Association, chef Ross Burden, and Neil and Christine Hamilton. Each finalist was asked to prepare, cook and present two dishes - chicken ciabatta and a dish of their choice - in 90 minutes.

As the winner, Mr Annat won a state-of-the-art-barbecue, and the trip to America to compete at international level. Asked what his top tips for barbecuing were, he said using high-quality products and keeping a close eye on the barbecue.

From the Yorkshire Evening Post, 11th October 2007

Grill King Steaks Chance of Glory on Cash Plea

by Sarah Calkin

A barbecuers dream of becoming a world barbecue champ was today hanging in balance after his sponsor pulled out at the eleventh hour.

But Andy Annat refuses to give up and still hopes to be jetting out to Lynchburg, Tennessee, on Sunday to compete in the Jack Daniels World Championships. He believes his crack barbecuing team have got a great chance of winning the $30,000 first prize and possible sponsorship deals worth millions of dollars.

Andy is almost half way to raising the £10,000 he needs to pay for his flights and accommodation after a leading opera singer said he would stump up £4,000 of his own cash. Now the local BBQ man is hoping to raise another £6,000 to send him Stateside.

The 38-year old said "We were all ready to go and out sponsor backed out on us a week ago. He made a promise to us that his cooking equipment would be up to American safety standards, bt when it wasn't he pulled out. I even put a sign up asking if anyone could help out. I had nothing in the pipeline then an angel just came out of the sky."

That was James Laing, a Yorkshire-based opera singer, who has sung all over the world. Andy said : "He'd read the sign and said he would give us £4,000. It was incredible. Now we are asking the public to help out with the rest."

The team want to fly out early to allow them time to settle in before the competition at the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg, on October 27. Andy said "It's the eleventh hour and I'm getting nervous."

Andy and his wife Sharon, who have a four year old daughter Millie and live in Stavely, have run Blazing Barbecues for six years. They have gradually expanded the business and have even cooked for the Queen's 80th birthday celebrations at Balmoral.

Andy's barbecues are a step above the burnt sausages of average British barbecue fare. His specialities include bristket barbecued for up to 20 hours and whole shoulders of pork. He became British Barbecue Champion in 2006.

Andy said "It is all cooked on charcoal and wood, no firelighters or  lighter fuel. The American style is low and slow. We have got a good, experienced team and we were looking forward to beating the Yanks at their own game and a place on the podium."

From the Harrogate Advertiser, 9th June 2006

Serving up a Burger by Royal Appointment

by Susannah Berry

The Queen's 80th birthday will get a taste of Harrogate when a Barbecue Caterer from the town provides catering at her Balmoral Castle celebration.

Andy Annat of Melmerby, Yorkshire, is one of just three caterers to be hand picked by royal organisers to provide barbecue food at the event. The party will be held on Friday, June 30th and 15,000 guests will gather together to celebrate the Queen's milestone birthday in the grounds of her Scottish home.

Mr Annat, who has been in the catering business for six years, said his company is delighted to be picked especially for the occasion. "It is great that a Yorkshire company has been chosen to provide the catering and it is great for my business as it is a prestigious event."

Mr Annat was recommended for the Royal event after they provided the catering at a recent birthday party. "It just so happened we provided the catering at one of the royal organiser's party and they recommended us for the Queen's do which was very lucky for us," said Mr Annat.

From the Harrogate Advertiser, 19th August 2005

Cooking Canon's Appetiser for Historic Trafalgar Dinner

It's a great English fry-up for a great British victory. Canon Brian Abell, one of the "Cooking Canon's" was cooking local bangers with Andy Annat of Blazing Barbecue's this week.

He'll return tomorrow from 10am to publicise a special Black Tie Dinner to mark the 200th anniversary of Trafalgar on Saturday, October 22nd at the Harrogate Ladies College. The Cooking Canon's are retired vicar of Masham Mr Abell and rural officer in the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds, Canon Leslie Morley. The pair regularly strike up a feast at local shows and events, but their serious side is promoting the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI), which helps members of the farming community in hardship.

Mr Abell said "We're not cooking the dinner - that will be superb and by professional chefs. "Andy is a good local barbecue caterer who sources all of his meat from the Yorkshire Dales. We want to suport local farmers while at the same time marking this important piece of history."

From the Yorkshire Evening Post, 17th July 2008

Taste of Leeds Festival Gets Cooking

by Sophie Hazan

From National Barbecue News - U.S.A.

Former Resident's Barbecue Legacy Spans Many Countries, Years

by Mark Taylor

When Rocky Danner left Inland Steel's Plant 2 as a supervisor in 1991 after 33 years in the mills, he retired to a family farm in Fayetteville, Tennessee and reinvented himself. Or, as Danner would say, he just returned to his roots.

His first job at age 7 in his family's central Indiana home near Plainfield was shoveling and toting hot coals from one fire to another while his German grandfather roasted pigs on cinder blocks, a cooking process that could span 18 hours. Ronald Dwight Danner, 68, said his grandfather observed "that boy has a head as hard as a rock" and, since then, he has only been called "Rocky."

"I gradually improved, then it was my job to cook the hogs," he said about a passion that only grew.

He joined the Army at age 15 and celebrated his 16th and 17th birthdays in Korea, traveled that continent and learned Asian barbecue techniques using ceramic cookers and little fuel. He then returned from the war to the industrial boom and took a job in the thriving steel industry in Northwest Indiana. He raised three children in Highland.

"I was doing 8 to 12 events per year when my boys were small, weddings and big community events. Every holiday I was out cooking whole hogs, shoulder and ribs. Then, I started competing in teams and judging events."

Now, he travels the world judging and organising barbecue cooking contests. He tests new grills for manufacturers and has launched cooking events in Jamaica, South Africa, Estonia and nine other countries.

Danner is a culinary emissary, sort of a Kofi Annan for the growing world barbecue community. He's a former vice president with the Switzerland-based World Barbecue Association and writes for three trade publications.

British barbecue champion Andy Annat credited Danner with coaching him in the American style. Annat, 38, from Melmerby, Yorkshire has a thriving barbecue catering business called Blazing Barbecues. Annat, who helped to cater Queens Elizabeth's 80th birthday party at her castle in Balmoral, England, said "American barbecue is taking Britain by storm."

"It's becoming increasingly popular to throw barbecue dinner parties," he said "Rocky's teaching me and other grillers how to do it the southern American style, and it's becoming quite a hit!"

Danner said he's become an expert at world religions since his so called retirement.

"When I'm organising barbecue events in other countries, my biggest roadblock is religion," he explained. "Whether it's lamb or beef or pork, some people won't allow them to be cooked on the same grill and some won't eat one or the other meats. I have had to learn the dietary habits of the countries I'm in and ask the judges what they won't eat so I don't offend anyone and level the judging playing field for contestants."

Danner said barbecuing has grown into a major world industry, calling it the country's fastest-growing competitive sport.

From BBC Good Food Magazine, August 2006

Yorkshire Caterer Crowned Best Barbecuer In Britain

In a battle with over 5,000 original entries, Andy Annat, renowned event caterer from Melmerby, North Yorkshire was crowned Britain's Best Barbecuer on Thursday August 10th, a whopping 39 points ahead of second place!

Now in it's 4th year, this nationwide competition was judged by Brian George, President of the National Barbecue Association, 'Ready Steady Cook' celebrity chef Ross Burden and the ubiquitous Neil and Christine Hamilton.

Andy runs his own Barbecue Catering business, Blazing Barbecues, from Melmerby, North Yorkshire, and regularly caters successful events for private and corporate parties. He learned his barbecuing craft at family BBQ's and with his formidable knowledge of meat secured himself first place, preparing and cooking two dishes in 90 minutes. Andy cooked the National BBQ's classic Chicken Ciabatta and his own dish consisting of a rack of lamb with sweet potato chips, grilled vegetables, mint mojo and a redcurrant and port sauce.

Being crowned the British BBQ'ing King, Andy's next challenge will take him to the World BBQ Championships in Memphis, USA in may 2007, where he will be representing Great Britain.

From Rothwell and District Record

Oulton Hog Roast

The Oulton society held a hog roast, kindly supplied by Yorkshire's finest Barbecue Caterers and Hog roasters, Blazing Barbecues, at Croft House last month to raise funds for improving the appearace of the village in conjunction with Oulton in Bloom.

Audrey Hindle from the group said: "After so much rain in the last few days, we were lucky to have fine weather, alowing everyone to mingle and take a stroll round the delightful garden and produce stalls before tucking into a hearty buffet lunch."

Sincere thanks are extended to Andy Annat of Blazing Barbecues, Yorkshire, to Malcolm and Molly Brocklesby for their kind hospitality and to all who helped make the event such a success.

From Channel4.com, June 2008

Al Fresco Dining with Weber

Weber's expert team of BBQ Chefs showed visitors how to get the best out of their BBQ - what summer would be complete without it?

The BBQ Chef at this year's events was multi award-winning barbecue champion Andy Annat who impared his world championship grilling techniques. Andy is currently Team Manager and chief chef for Blazing Barbecues, Yorkshire.

From the Harrogate Advertiser, February 2009

Generous Winner Gives Back Prize

TICKETS are on sale for a charity hog roast, part of a raffle prize given back to Saint Michael's Hospice by a generous local resident. Magaret Barker and her husband Steven, who live in Darley, won a hog roast for 50 people, compliments of Melmerby's Blazing Barbecues.

They then donated the prize back to Saint Michaels, with Blazing Barbecues agreeing to accomodate 100 people at Darley Memorial Hall on April 26th at 1pm.

From Cost Sector Catering Magazine

A Fusion of British and American Chefs Delight Delegates in Sheffield

This years Skills for Chefs conference held in the Octagon Centre at the University of Sheffield was rated the best yet by returning delegates.

The conference finale was the eagerly awaited appearance of America's best chef Charlie Trotter whose books foir many chefs are simply inspirational.

Chef Trotter introduced his session with his philosophy on cooking and he described  his food as 'based on French-Italian cuisine married with Asian minimalistic aesthetics.'

The British chefs demonstrating at the conference are members of The Master Chefs of Great Britain and the final demonstration was by Bruce Sangster, Garde D'Or Chef of the year and Master Butcher Andy Annat, Institute of Meat catering innovations winner.

The session featured two new innovative cuts of welfare friendly British select veal created by Andy Annat. One of the spectaculardishes Bruce created was "slow cooked shin of veal and marbled fillet with mushroom filled fondant potato, vegetable mosaic, savoy cabbage, pear and kiln dried chutney and caramelised shallots.

From Memphis Commercial Appeal, May 20th, 2007

Georgia Team Claims Third Grand Championship

by Christopher Blank

Though Mixon's was just one of the 258 cooking teams that assembled in Tom Lee Park for this year's Memphis in May International World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, his was the most under the media microscope.

The pitmaster from Vienna, Ga., and his family barbecue team, Jack's Old South, were poised to become one of the most well-known names in the barbecue industry, and the Food Network was documenting his trip to the festival, recording his techniques and interviewing his competitors.

Mixon was, after all, a two-time grand champion of the festival. Taking top prize would secure his place in history - tying him with the only three-time winning team, the Apple City Barbecue Team, which has held it's record the record since the 1990's.

Saturday evening, Jack's Old South became the second team to win a third Grand Champion prize in the country's largest barbecue cooking contest.

Mike Mills, a co-captain of Apple City Barbecue Team and a current judge of the contest, said he wasn't sore that someone had finally tied his team's longstanding record.

"Right now we share the title, and I feel honoured that it's Jack's Old South," Mills said "They're a great team."

Diane Hampton, executive vice president of Memphis in May, said this has been the largest barbecue festival in the event's history in both the number of competing teams and visitors to the park, though the organization will not release the attendance figures.

"We typically have people from all over the world come here." Hampton said "Everybody comes to Memphis because everybody wants to find the Elvis of barbecue. We have teams from every contiguous state except North Dakota. I've seen guests from Great Britain and Norway."

One of those foreign visitors was Andy Annat, from Yorkshire, England. He won a barbecue contest there and the prize was an all-expenses-paid trip to Memphis in May. He spent the weekend with Reserve Grand Champions Right on Q, cooking whole hog, often considered the most difficult category.

Annat says his mentors can count on seeing him again next year.

Food Network, get your Klieg lights ready.

From the Harrogate Advertiser, August 2006

Royal Boost for Catering Business

The royal seal of approval has helped a Yorkshire company double their outside catering trade.

Andy Annat, of Melmerby North Yorkshire, was one of just three cateres to be hand picked by royal organisers to provide barbecue food at the Queen's 80th birthday celebrations at Balmoral Castle in June.

Andy and his team provided a free-range Tamworth hog roast and a barbecue of Aberdeen Angus steaks, free-range chicken and the new 'Balmoral Banger', which was launched especially for the occasion.

From Ben Smith of the Times, July 2008

Food: Blazing Food in Sunshine and Rain

by Ben Smith

The fickle Enlgish weather is not a subject to attract the shrewd gambler. Like the English football team and the national cricket team, it promises much and disappoints just as certainly.

But a new successful catering company, Blazing Barbecues, has turned accepted wisdom on it's head; not by gambling on a perfect summer, but by gambling on their ability to cope with an imperfect one. It's a sensational, original and briliant idea, and they canput on complete and comprehensive barbecue events from anything from 50 to 500 and even 3,000 people. They can also provide useful lessons for us all.

When he founded Blazing Barbecues, Andy was determined to create a special kind of catering company, one with inspiration, imagination and perhaps most importantly of all - passion at it's core. His vision is to reflect his personality and spirit in his food and when you put Blazing Barbecues in charge of your event you are guaranteed originality and authenticity and the very best service and advice.

One of the first to praise their efforts was the event organiser for the Queen's 80th birthday celebration party hey did at Balmoral Castle. Then they threw a western-style barbecue for 400 for Jason Fuller of Fuller International plc in Harrogate. Last month they barbecued Carribean style for PR giants Golly Slater. Indoors and outdoors, they can do it. And it seems they can do it in the rain.

Weather apart, there can be no more delightful way of entertaining than outdoors, but we British are amateurs in this highly professional performance art. We lack the confidence born of experience and practise to handle it more than passably.

But there is no reason whay we shouldn't, say's Andy Annat, British barbecue champion and manager of the world championship barbecue cooking team, Blazing Barbecues. Andy, a trained butcher and barbecue chef, knows better than anyone, having spent time on the world barbecue circuit.

"In Britain, people expect substandard food at barbecues." says Andy. "We realised that if we did food which was delicious and original, we could get ahead of the competition.

I went to see them in Melmerby, North Yorkshire, where they operate out of a small industrial unit, with customised equipment which would make any barbecuer envious. Andy guided me through every step, from selecting your menu to putting together a plan for how your event will run, no stone is left unturned.

They handle a wide range of food: marinated morsels of beef, lamb, pork and chicken, and whole salmon, tuna, sardines, fruits and vegetables. Some are served as canapes of Blazing Bites.

And the rain? They use a state of the art mini marquee called an easy-up, initially conceived to provide shade in hot countries. This is a tented canopy which extends 15ft by 10ft. "It can shelter four barbecues, a 6ft table and three or four chefs. It packs into a 1ft container and you can put it up in 60 seconds." Guests may beat a retreat to shelter, but the cooks can work on without hindrance.

Would Andy care to share his wisdom with our would-be barbecuers? Certainly and he recommends;

"Contrary to belief," explains Andy "most barbecue food should be cooked slowly. There are a few exceptions, seared tuna, minute-steaks."

"I tend to cook low and slow rather than rushing it. If I'm cooking whole chickens then they take about an hour and a half, which is what they would take in a conventional oven, but the flavour and the moisture is out of this world. It's a different league."

"We also like to coat meat with natural apple juice as it's cooking, using a spray gun. That help's to caramelise the meat, so if you're doing basic things like sausages or chicken, spray it with the apple juice, I use something like Capella, natural without concentrate, and the natural sugars in the apple juice help caramelise the meat and keeps it moist so that you're adding misture to it as it's cooking."

If you're cooking directly over the coals, Andy suggests using oil based marinades which will help baste the meat - "It's like putting sun tan lotion on" he says.

The Blazing Barbecues philosophy is simple and it revolves around one word - passion - passion for the produce we use, a passion for the food we cook, a passion for providing innovative service that not only combines a real insight into what their clients really want from their event, but ensures they care about their event as much as you do.

From the New York Times, October 17th, 2007

The Brits Are Coming!

by Shelley Emling

London - Whether it involves low heat, slow heat, slow smoke or gloppy sauce, few countries how to incinerate meat as well as the United States.

But now the British Barbecue Champions, Blazing Barbecues, have come to show the American's how it's done!

Indeed, the four-man British team is confident it will bring home the bacon at the grand-daddy of all barbecue contests: the Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue in Lynchburg, Tennessee.

"Memphis in May, the American Royal in Kansas City, the Jack and the Houston Llivestock and Rodeo Show. You have to make a good showing there to get you name on the map." said Terry Black, owner of Super Smokers BBQ, Eureka.

Black ought to know, he was won numerour barbecue contests himself, including the 2000 World Championship at Memphis in May and the Illinois State Championship for his ribs just last month.

The Brit's have never been renowned for their barbecuing finesse; last year's competitors placed 63rd out of a field of 65. But Blazing Barbecues have come to change all that. They've hired the bearded Tennessean Rocky Danner, former vice president of the World Barbecue Association and an internationally renowned judge.

Danner spent six weeks with the British team in the North Yorkshire vilage of Goldsborough, helping them hone their skills so that they can create melt-in-the-mouth meat.

"These are seasoned veterans, some with 30 to 35 years of experience." Danner said. "I've taught them the American style barbecue, which is low and slow and they're ready to compete."

The British team, Blazing Barbecues, includes Jeremy Fowler, Terry Greenhouse and Nick Ellam - all experienced chefs with varied talents. One is a former personal chef to the Sultan of Brunei; another is the former executive chef of the legendary cruise ship, the Queen Elizabeth 2.

The team's manager, Andy Annat, is the British Barbecue champion. He was recently asked to barbecue for 3,000 people at Queen Elizabeth's 80th birthday celebrations at her castle at Balmoral.

The winner of this prestigious contest not only takes home $30,000 in cash and prizes but also a chance at millions in sponsorship money - not to mention braging rights.

To qualify for "the Jack", teams must either have been crowned their state's champion or have won a competition in which at least 50 teams participated. The event is s popular that a lottery is held to choose 65 or so competitors from the pool of qualified teams.

The competitors will go up against eachother in categories that include pork shoulder, ork ribs, beef brisket and chicken.

Annat knows the heat will be on his team.

"The timing will be crucial." he said "We're cooking pieces of meat like brisket that are not tender. Even so, we're pretty confident we're coming away with a prize," he said "We know what we're doing."

Super Smokers' Terry Black is glad to see the art of barbecuing going global and he's looking forward to the real competition posed by the British team this year.