PICTURED is Robert Owen Brown who makes a speciality out of roasting whole pigs and cows. Here he has added some poultry to the spits at his Hinchliffe Arms pub.
This summer, though, you won’t have to trek across the border to sample this full-on experience. The chef is producing his meaty magic at The Big Grill Festival UK, first in Bury's Burrs Country Park over the weekend of July 14 and 15, then at the Castlefield Bowl, Manchester (September 8 and 9).
The ‘meat, music and madness’ formula’s the same at both – designed to bring out the beast in all of us. Rob will be roasting a whole cow at ‘The Boneyard’, where fellow professionals will compete in the ‘Lord Of The Flames' two-day 'low and slow' BBQ competition.
Meanwhile, amateurs guzzlers face a series of gargantuan food challenges in ‘The Purgatorium’,, where there’ll be chicken wing battles, corn on the cob chomp-offs, hot dog heists and the fearsome grim reaper chilli challenge.
At Bury this coming weekend refreshement will be provided by a gin and whisky bar plus the Cider Gypsies and headline musical acts will be on Saturday Mac Fleetwood — a Fleetwood Mac covers band — and on the Sunday a tribute act to UB40.
Burrs Country Park, Woodhill Rod, Bury, Bl8 1DA. Day tickets cost £12 and weekend tickets at £20 are on sale at www.ticketline.co.uk and www.thebiggrilluk.com. Children aged 12 and under go free, with family tickets and reduced prices for children also available.