For health and safety reasons, we don’t recommend this method, but this is still a popular choice (according to the British BBQ society Facebook forum). You can always get yourself a large brolly that will cover both you and the grill, or more ideally a parasol that can be secured to the ground properly. Remember that if you do this, ensure the umbrella is far enough away from the heat source to avoid any fire hazards! Holding an umbrella in one hand is a bit impractical, so this should probably be a last resort option. Robin Tunsley - a member of the British BBQ Society – couldn’t have said it any better... “The only trouble I found is, when using an umbrella, you have to put your tongs down to drink your beer”.

Rain will make the air cooler and damper, which isn’t ideal for reaching high grilling temperatures. However, this doesn’t have to stop you from cooking with lower temperatures. A bit of drizzle won’t stop you from achieving that tender pull apart meat on a larger joint. The best thing about this method is that the smoky flavours will be enhanced.

If you can’t be bothered with all the above, you could just find a sheltered place to store your BBQ. You can buy grilling stations, with a little roof and storage space as a cute garden feature or you could even build one yourself.

IMPORTANT: Make sure this is in an outdoor space with plenty of air circulation – do not use a barbecue inside your home or garage.