Diss-based barbecue business cooking up a recipe for success

A Diss-based barbecue business is helping people to expand their outdoor cooking knowledge through a series of courses.

Andrew King started Live Al Fresco in 2019, turning his hobby into a website selling high-end gas, wood and charcoal barbecues, as well as outdoor kitchens.

Having delivered a few barbecue cooking classes before the pandemic, cooking anything from desserts to bread and pies over flames, he took the decision to team up with award-winning private chef and Diss Express columnist Lilian Hiw (see last week’s Culture) to host a series of regular tutorials.

“The idea is to help people get the most out of their barbecue and to get away from the normal sausages, burgers and chicken legs,” explained Mr King.

“A good-quality barbecue can be very versatile, enabling you to be experimental and cook most things which you’d normally cook in a domestic oven.

“These courses are to show the differences between the various barbecue types, quality and price.

“After all, if you are purchasing a new one, you want to make sure it’s the right one for you.”

The courses, which are held at The Oaksmere in Eye, include Asian street food, Thai/Vietnamese, Indian and Italian.

Mr King added: “It is a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon – at a lovely location, meeting people, cooking and eating good food, having a beer and having a bit of fun as well.

“And those thinking about making a purchase will get the chance to try some of the different barbecues we offer, hopefully pairing them with their perfect grill.”

Mr King hopes to do other courses in the future on barbecue basics, slow cooking, smoking and seafood.

He said: “I am a bit nerdy and very passionate about barbecue cooking. The more people I speak to about it, the more say the same thing.

“I hope the courses really open the eyes of novices and experts alike into how great barbecuing can be.”

For more details on future courses and the barbecues available, go online to www.livealfresco.com.