The Guyrope Gourmet
Josh Sutton, the chef behind the phenomenal website Guyrope Gourmet, shares his tips on how to move beyond the old camping staples of bangers and beans. Once your taste buds have been well and truly tickled, click here to read his mouth-watering seafood recipes.
BCUK: Your website is an incredibly generous offering in itself, how did the idea come about?
GG: Guyrope Gourmet came about one summers eve, in a field in the Peak District two or three years ago. In fact the photo on the home page was taken there. To be honest though, the idea had been rattling around my head for some considerable time prior to that. I like camping, I like cooking. I figured we campers deserve better than bangers and beans!
BCUK: If you could only recommend 3 vital ingredients to perk up the usual camping fare for those who are still dubious of the extra effort, what would they be?
GG: Smoked salmon, eggs & bread! Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toast for breakfast while camping is easy, tasty and it feels extravagant. Go on, try it, you'll be converted!
BCUK: And for those of us who are willing to go the extra mile, what are the most important pieces of equipment needed to be a true guyrope gourmet?
GG: To be a true guyrope gourmet you just have to think outside of the tin! Enjoy your food. Use the local produce, keep it simple and keep an open mind. For heaven's sake, don't get me started on gadgets, we'll be here all day!
BCUK: One of the joys of beach camping is all the fresh sea food on offer, where is the best seafood you have eaten in the UK?
GG: It's got to be lobster! Bought fresh from Will the Fish, of St Davids. There's something rather amicable about a man that plies his trade in a Robin Reliant! We were staying on Porthclais farm campsite in Pembrokeshire. I boiled it in salted water for five minutes, cut it in half and devoured it with crusty bread and mayonnaise!
BCUK: If you were to hold the perfect beach barbecue in this country, which beach would it be on?
BCUK: It's a tricky one this, I'd be torn between holding it on the beach at Staithes, which is a small fishing village on the Yorkshire Coast, where my friends could amble freely between the Royal George, The Cod and Lobster (re-named Snoop Coddy Cod by my brother, having sampled a few!) and my flaming barbeque, and holding it on the beach by Durdle Dor in Dorset, which is just about the most spectacular beachscape in the country. I guess I'd stick with Staithes.