The modern household is not fully equipped without a BBQ tucked away in some corner of the garden or shed.  Regardless of whether it is a shiny, industrial gas barbeque with fancy wheels and a fancy price to go with it or a more classic charcoal grill, the barbeque is a truly loved member of the family.  They are generally associated with sunny days, fun times with family and friends, relaxation and most importantly – food.

As soon as even a little bit of sunshine is forecast our first thought is towards this loved family member who has been in hibernation.  The ritual of celebrating them coming out of hibernation is a very special one and is a worldwide tradition.  There is the unveiling by removing the cover and the cleaning to make it like new.  However the main part of this ritual is the ‘lighting’ of the barbeque but this is not just for any family member to do.  This is usually only a tradition allowed for one person – the ‘man’ of the house.  Any other person seen trying to enter this forbidden zone is usually quickly alerted to this fact and forced to retreat.

I believe this tradition goes back many many years where cavemen brought home the food for their family and with pride set about lighting a fire.  You would think over time this role would have changed but unfortunately it seems nothing has changed.  Come rain or shine they will be out there manning the barbeque, so to speak, and acting the protector. 

I remember one family barbeque where my father, who had built a traditional barbeque with chimney, was proudly standing by his creation cooking up some food.  Unfortunately the smoke from the barbeque seemed to be going anywhere but up the chimney as he stood there with tears rolling down his face.  He was not going to let this dent his pride so he went into the house and returned with what I thought was going to be some practical piece of equipment to fix the problem.  You can only imagine the sight of a grown man at his barbeque in the middle of summer with skiing goggles on! 

So a word of warning for all those starting a life together and eagerly awaiting the arrival of the newest member of their family - just remember who the BBQ really belongs to!