Longacres Blog

Wanting to purchase an upgrade for your existing outdoor cooker, or looking for something new to impress your guests? Read our handy guide on how to know which barbecue is the right one for you!

Purchase selected New Original Kettle, New Master-Touch, Master-Touch Premium, Genesis II, Spirit II, Summit Gas or Summit Charcoal Weber barbecues between the 2nd May 2019 and the 30th June 2019 and you will be eligible for a FREE Weber poultry roaster!

Get the party really going with your FREE Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter Set when you buy selected Weber Charcoal barbecues before the 30/06/18! Find out which barbecues and how to claim yours on our blog.

If you purchase a Weber Genesis II from Longacres and register it with Weber then you will receive a FREE iGrill 3! Find out more details on how to on our blog.

Whether you are a backyard hero or part time cooker, the Weber iGrill is the ultimate Bluetooth thermometer to help make your grilling a whole lot easier and more convenient!

The first of our Certified by Weber cooking events happened on Saturday 3rd June 2017, with 20 customers chucking on an apron and getting stuck in and learning in the most hands on way possible!

For just 2 weeks only, you can save massive 25% off Furniture sets, Gas barbecues & Charcoal barbecues to help you make the most of Summer 2016! Now you can transform your garden for even less with our amazing range of outdoor furniture and barbecues! We have some astonishing prices including the Emelina 6 Seat Set now at £561.75 (RRP £1079, Was £749), the Wentworth Bar Set now at £674.25 (RRP £1399, Was £899), the Amola Sofa Set now at £675.25 (RRP £1129, Was £899) and more barbecues than you could shake a stick at! You can view our range online and our full range in store at our Bagshot branch. Be sure to call us on 01276 476 778 before placing any orders as stock is selling fast! We also have a huge range of barbecue fuels, accessories and fresh meat from Bevan's Butchers to help you make the most of your brand new barbecues, as well as a range of furniture covers to ensure your furniture stays in tip top condition (these items are not included in the sale - sorry!) Don't forget you can keep up to date with all our latest news and offers by clicking 'Like' on the Longacres Facebook page and 'Follow' on the Longacres Twitter page.

This weekend we have two different companies coming to our Bagshot branch to show off their products, demonstrate how to use them and of course, provide a free sample or two! Valoriani Fornino Demonstration (Saturday 28th May) Join us on Saturday 28th May 2016 for a day of cooking with the Valoriani Fornino (brand new to Longacres!) This wood burning outdoor oven is perfect for pizzas, chicken, beef, lamb, fish or anything else you can think of. We have Nino from Caffe Amore joining us along with the team from The Green Olive Firewood company to show you what the oven can do and hand out some free freshly baked pizza samples. All the pizza dough will be provided by Caffe Amore; so if you enjoy the sample you can visit them for more. We will be all set up from 10am until 4.30pm on Saturday 28th, so be sure to pop along! Weber Grill Squad Demonstration (Sunday 29th May 2016) We here at Longacres are huge fans of the Weber brand and their amazing products, so we are pleased to welcome them back on Sunday 29th May! The team will be at our Bagshot branch cooking smoked salmon, beer can chicken and meatballs wrapped in bacon in the morning, and preparing perfect steak, pizzas and brownies in the afternoon (yum!) The first demonstration will begin at 10.30am and the second demonstration will begin at 1.30pm (ending around 3.30pm) - be sure to pop along, say hello, learn a few things and of course grab yourself some free grub!

We have the very talented Grant Colbrook from La Hacienda joining us this weekend (Saturday May 14th 2016), at our Bagshot branch for a cooking demonstration day with his magical BakerStone Pizza Oven. Join us any time between 9.30am and 4.30pm for a demonstration and some free pizza samples! You can find our BakerStone Pizza ovens online here!

Summer is right around the corner and the weather is warming up. Nothing defines the summer season better than beach escapades, cold drinks and a barbecue with friends. Barbecue parties are one of the best ways to welcome summer bliss. After all, the delectable scent of grilled meat completes the essence of the season. You get to enjoy delicious barbecue while you chatter with your buds or play some outdoor games. Barbecues are a great way to celebrate the season. Proper planning plays a pivotal role in successful parties. To enjoy an ace of a party, make sure you have the following essentials: The right equipment How can you cook the barbecue without the necessary equipment? You can spend as much as you want on grillers and charcoal, but one should restrain oneself from spending hundreds of quid for your first party. Cheaper models work just as well as the expensive ones. Decide which equipment suits your need. Will you be holding another party or is this your first and last barbecue? Will you need a deluxe multi burner or kettle barbecues? Make sure you have the right equipment before throwing your bash. The right accessories A griller is not enough; you’ll need other accessories to complete your grilling party. Complete your barbecue inventory with the following: Charcoal Gas canisters Cooking tools (tongs, grill brushes, skewers, spatulas, branding irons) Plates and other flatware Matches The right food Your shopping list should be complete with the food essentials. Barbecues are not always about spare ribs, burgers and sausages. Other options are available, especially for your health-conscious guests. Fish, chicken and vegetables make delicious barbecues; just experiment with different coatings and marinades. Also, shop for salad, corn on the cob and dips. The right decoration Emphasise the summer season by decorating your home for the party. Select a theme for your party; go Hawaiian or use popular culture for your themes. Search your local party shop for cheap and fun decorations. Welcome the summer heat with a party. Barbecue parties are one of the best ways to enjoy summer bliss. Longacres offers the essentials for a successful barbecue party with your mates. Browse through our selection and call us now.

Most people will agree that cheese is great, but not all cheeses are good for everything. There will be some cheeses that excel with certain foods where others fail, and it is in the best interest of any cook to find which cheese works best for what. In this case, we will look at the cheeses that taste the best with food cooking on the grill. Dairy Heat This is actually a difficult subject to discuss since cheese does not normally do well in high temperatures, the variety best suited to the grill should be able to taste good as it melts. Fortunately, there are cheeses that do exactly that, though it may take a bit of exploring beyond the local store to find them. Just to be clear, any kind of cheese will work well on a grill as long as it is melting on top of something. Bread is the best mattress for normal cheese to lie on when grilling, since it transfers heat easily without burning to a blackened husk. Meat is also acceptable in this regard, but the griller/chef should pay close attention to the food and ensure nothing goes black under the yellow and white. Hot Cheese The cheeses discussed here are the ones grillers will have no fear of placing directly on top of the fire for a unique culinary experience. The first of these cheeses is the Haloumi, a salt-brined goat and sheep cheese variety from Cyprus whose curds are heated before processing. This cheese tastes best when lightly grilled and brushed with olive oil, and then served as an appetizer with tomatoes, ripe onions, and cucumbers. Another goat and sheep cheese variety that does not mind taking the heat is the Grecian Kefalotyri. The same recipes of the Haloumi can apply to this cheese; the only notable difference is that the Kefalotyri becomes firmer as it ages. This may change the rate it cooks on the grill, but it should not greatly affect the taste of the final product. We should all remember that the art of the barbecue and grill is not exclusive to cooking and serving meat. There are other ways to grill a special meal, just as long as there is enough imagination and knowledge to do so. If you are looking for quality equipment that can cook a wide variety of food, contact us today. You can also browse through the rest of our website for other products and services that we have on offer.

"At any given time, somewhere in the world, someone is barbecuing. Let us take you on a journey to some of the most delicious barbecues around." These are the powerful opening words of BBQ Cultures; Weber's brand new cinematic and interactive campaign that allows us to watch a series of short films whilst interacting and learning about Weber products, recipes, tips and tricks along the way. Click here to view the BBQ Cultures Interactive Campaign Five distinct BBQ cultures are focussed on, starting with a men's fishing trip in tranquil Scandinavia and ending at a warm and beautiful wedding in France. The campaign reinforces the fact that there is a barbecue cooking food, at any given time, somewhere in the world - and we at Longacres couldn't agree more! Longacres are now incredibly proud to be an official Premium Weber Certified Store, meaning that we are fully authorised to offer the entire Weber product range to you. It also means that our seasonal team have been trained by the Weber experts themselves - so you can fully trust us to ensure that we sell only the barbecue(s) and accessories that are right for you. Come and visit us at our Bagshot store where you can see the full range on display. Weber display at Longacres Bagshot Did you know that Weber are hosting their much anticipated Grill Academy - On Tour event at our Bagshot store on Thursday the 25th June? The Weber Grill Academy is a live and exciting 2-hour cooking demonstration designed to inspire and excite you, whether you be a barbecuing pro or a total novice! The Grill Academy will begin at 6:30pm and will last for approximately 2 hours. Tickets cost just £10 and include entry to the event, refreshments, nibbles and samples. To find out more about the event and to view a video of what to expect click here, or if you've already been persuaded enough to buy tickets click here! Don't forget that our seasonal department also has a vast range of barbecues, accessories, furniture and more, with new additions to our BBQ range from the likes of The Big Green Egg and Landmann, as well as new additions to our furniture range including Alexander Rose, the Jamie Oliver range and Bramblecrest. Take a few minutes to watch the video below to find our more from our seasonal manager, John Connel, and have a glimpse at what we have in store this year. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho89Ak6K7fw[/embed]