BBQ Experience with Luncheon Muncheon; Fleet, Hampshire
Unlock the secrets of BBQ mastery, whether you're a seasoned pro or beginner on a BBQ cooking experience with local expert Simon from Luncheon Muncheon.
Whether you're a seasoned grillmaster seeking to refine your skills or a curious food lover eager to explore the world of outdoor cooking, I've found a BBQ experience that will leave you with a newfound appreciation for the art of the 'Cue!
Hosted & taught by local BBQ expert Simon, the day is relaxed, informal and packed with mouth-watering food. Simon is well known in the area for his BBQ street food stall, Luncheon Muncheon, which serves up amazing dishes at local markets, events and even a weekly drive way spot! I'm a big fan of the loaded burger (pictured below) and many items off the evolving specials board like this bratwurst edition!
The BBQ experience is unlike other cooking classes; the whole day is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the ambience of Luncheon Muncheon in the rustic, open-air class space on a local farm. Beware of a few bumps on the entry road! You'll soon be enjoying the tantalizing aroma of cooking mingled constantly with nature & the laughter and stories shared among fellow BBQ enthusiasts on your course. You may even get to meet some friendly chickens and cows if they decide to venture near the class.
On the course, Simon shared so many of his top tips and tricks, empowering us to create BBQ dishes that go beyond the ordinary. One of the biggest takeaways from the day for me was to slow down, enjoy barbequing and make amazing food because of that! We all know the stressful feeling that can descend over many a family BBQ due to the stress of cooking everything to be ready at the same time - thanks to Simon I'm hoping to avoid that in future with the skills I learnt! Of course, I'm not going spill the beans on the other tips, you will have to attend to learn them yourself from the master.
Throughout the day we learnt all about the best meat cuts to buy for BBQ cooking - it really is worth it to thinking outside the standard burgers, sausages and kebabs! Plus we got some great recommendations on local butchers, BBQ seasoning brands and more to really get the foundations of wonderful food. Some of the cuts were not things I'd ever think to cook on a BBQ normally. Not all of the meat was an expensive cut from the butcher, we definitely learnt how to make supermarket items taste amazing too!
As well as the basics on ingredients we of course spent time learning about the two BBQ's Simon had selected for the course day. One is his regular 'work horse' of his events and one was a bullet smoker, that had some fantastic features for advancing your cook & skills. Both were charcoal, and we had plenty of time to ask questions about how best to use coal economically, without wastage and for the best results.
Whilst taking in all of the knowledge we were learning in the relaxed, collaborative and jovial atmosphere we were of course cooking delicious food to enjoy. Believe me you need to go to the class hungry, because you won't come home hungry! It was a hands on experience of cooking, we were able to make one of the meat dishes from scratch (and I've already re-made it at home 3 times since!), BBQ veggies, and our own gyros including the flatbreads. Plus we devoured, literally, plenty of the other marinaded meats that we learnt how to prep, cook and serving suggestions.
Of course, after cooking up a storm I had to take away some of the delicious and unique BBQ seasonings that we'd experiemented with in the class. Sister brand, RuralPunkBBQ specialises in helping people to achieve the deliciousness of BBQ at home with ease! I went with 'Universal Matter' which is a sweet all purpose BBQ seasoning rub, originally designed for pulled pork & ribs, but seems to work spectacularly on anything it coats! Along with the 'Bovine Nebula' rub that was launched in 2022, that's designed to pair with beef with a big kick of cracked pepper and other ingredients that will infuse your meat with flavour right to the 'yummyverse' as Simon says!
I honestly had a blast on the BBQ experience with Simon and my other attendees. The whole day had such a wonderful atmosphere, it felt like we were among friends, and I think this actually helped us absorb all the fantastic tips. I arrived hungry (as instructed!) and left so happily full of unbelievably delicious BBQ food and knowledge, the perfect way to spend a sunny Sunday!
Event Dates: the classes run the last Sunday of the month between April - July, booking essential. Private classes and gift vouchers also available at request.
Notes: Wear closed toe shoes, and take a jacket/suncream etc for outside weather conditions.
Time: approximately 4 hours - 11am - 3pm
Website: Luncheon Muncheon
Date: April 2023
