As the thermometer rises, it's that time of year to dust off the barbecue and fire up the coals.
But if you're hopeless at flipping patties and knocking up a marinade you could get some of the best grill chefs in the business do it for you.
Big Grill has been on the festival circuit in Ireland for a decade, celebrating the magic of cooking over fire.
Luckily for Londoners, they are making their first ever stop in the capital at the Five Points Brewing Company for a weekend of feasting and entertainment in June.
Big Grill runs at the Hackney venue over the weekend of June 8 and 9 and brings together some of the biggest names in BBQ and drinks from both sides of the water.
From The Ashes BBQ founders Curtis Bell and Martin Anderson, who enjoy a permanent residency at Five Points, will be leading the charge to deliver the best BBQ dishes across the weekend.
On Sunday 9th, the duo will take the traditional Sunday roast to a whole new level by slow-roasting a full Dexter steer over the fire.
Dublin-born chef and restaurateur Robin Gill will be stepping away from his popular London restaurants onto the Big Grill stage.
And after achieving the fastest debut of a two-star Michelin restaurant in Ireland, Cornwall born chef Jordan Bailey will join the grilling action alongside chef and TV personality Mark Moriarty, and this year’s Great British Menu finalist representing Northern Ireland Melissa McCabe.
A Big Grill Dublin favourite, is Fingal Ferguson, butcher and knifemaker, who will be coming to London to share his passion for crafting knives and cooking on stage with James Ross-Harris of Blenheim Forge.
Inside the Five Points Courtyard, Mursal Saiq and Joshua Moroney from Cuepoint London, will be firing up the coals and serving Afghan-London BBQ with an Irish twist, while Dublin-born chef Mark O’Brien (formerly of London’s Barbecoa, The Dairy and Birch) will be bringing his grounding in modern cooking and live fire all the way from his award-winning kitchen at Samphire in Whitstable to Hackney.
Another Big Grill Dublin veteran, TV chef and live fire maestro DJ BBQ will also be bringing his infectious energy to the party.
Collaborations on the grill are the order of the day and Filipino food truck Bahay and their Irish Filipino head chef Richie Castillo will join forces with Budgie Montoya, head chef and founder of London's Sarap, to deliver punchy Filipino flavours on the grill.
To complement the dishes, Ireland’s best cocktail bar Bar 1661 is releasing owner Dave Mulligan for the weekend to showcase Irish cocktail culture at its finest, while several Irish breweries will also make the journey to Hackney including Rascals, Galway Bay Brewery, and The White Hag.
There's also a range of entertainment from Big Grill’s legendary Chilli Eating Challenge to music from DJs Marcus O’Laoire and Arveene, Chloe Simone, Inko, Onai and more.
Big Grill Festival Director Andy Noonan is a dab hand at putting together an ambitious food festival weekend and in just ten years, he and his team have grown Big Grill Dublin to host more than 20 Irish and international restaurants, and 60 chefs serving over 20,000 visitors.
Andy is delighted to bring Big Grill to London for its debut this summer. "We have always had international aspirations for Big Grill so what better way to celebrate a milestone birthday than to bring the festival to a world class food destination like London?"
"There's always been a wonderful culinary corridor between both countries with some of the hottest talent from each working, learning, and innovating together. We want to bring some of that creativity and magic to Big Grill London this June.”
Ed Mason, Managing Director at The Five Points Brewing company adds “I’m thrilled to host the Big Grill Festival for its first time outside Ireland. I love what they do and it’s great that Five Points and From The Ashes are a part of it. We look forward to welcoming the brilliant line up of chefs who will be joining us over the festival”.
The Big Grill festival runs at the Five Points Brewing Company in Mare Street E8. Tickets cost £50 for four dishes.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here