Grillstock!! (Part 1)

This weekend I was lucky enough to win VIP tickets to Grillstock through a competition run by Crumbs Mag. For those of you who don't know, Grillstock is a festival which combines a "low 'n' slow" barbecue competition with some quality music acts, a top notch bar and a complete variety of food and drink stalls.

As a competition winner I was invited on the Friday night to go down to the site, to enjoy some pulled pork and a pint of ale from the Brooklyn Brewery bar and then have a masterclass in barbecue-ing from the man himself - Andy Annat!

My mum came down from The North as my plus one and, once she'd dumped her bags at her hotel, we set off not really knowing what to expect! When we got there we were  treated to a couple of free drinks and as well as some food tokens so we got a pulled pork bap each with slaw and wedges, and a Brooklyn's Brewery Summer Ale.

The pork was super soft and practically melted in the mouth. It was fairly smokey and although I enjoyed it, I think it was borderline too strong for a British palate. The coleslaw was tangy and creamy in equal measure and along with the wedges provided the perfect accompaniment. The ale was refreshing and light, and went extremely well with the punchy flavours of the pork.

Next up was our Barbecue Masterclass with three times UK BBQ champion, World Championship Finalist and top bloke Andy Annat. Happy to give us all a lager and his jacket before we even got going, he epitomises the friendly, welcoming and generous nature of the festival. He started off by asking for a volunteer and never one to shy away I offered myself. Little did I know I was to then be used as a demo 'pig' so Andy could demonstrate where the ribs are on the animal and why they're so god damn tasty!

As you can see by my face (below) I was a bit taken aback! But once I'd got over the initial shock, I picked up some good tips for BBQ-ing ribs. Always trim off excess fat, pull off the membrane from the bone side and squeeze out the blood and capillaries from inside the bones. In terms of a rub, first brush the ribs with american mustard (for sticking not really for flavour) and cover in your own blends of spices - a mix of salt, paprika, sugar and your favourite herbs.

One thing that really struck me about the festival was the camaraderie among the competitors, judges and various stall holders. Andy introduced us to The Chilli Jam Man, a seller of some cracking chilli chutneys, and to Dr BBQ himself, a judge of this year's festival and a true legend on the BBQ scene. After a thoroughly enjoyable evening, we headed home to rest up for the Saturday.

For Part 2 click HERE!