Melissa Food

Melissa Food Recipes, barbecue and handy food tips from award-winning writer and broadcaster Melissa Thompson.
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Author of Fired Up (out March 26) and Motherland: A Jamaican Cookbook (available now from all bookshops)

11/06/2026

AD | You know I'm happy to put the work in for a barbecue but do you know what else makes me happy? Having put all the effort into the prep so all I have to do is cook it. 

They've got two boxes, a meat and a veggie one and they were beautiful and generous. The chicken was stunning and the lamb chops? Top 3 lamb chops of my life. And the veggie box was so thoughtful - the soya and pineapple tikka was delicious. We loved it.

They're only on for a limited time so trust me on this one - they're well worth your while.

10/06/2026

AD | A summer roast with Le Creuset UK for when you want the comfort with an added bit of sun.
Smoked and shredded lamb, baked focaccia with griddled vegetables and crispy Jersey Royals all made easy in the Le Creuset iconic BBQ collection. It's box-ready - no need to season before use - cleans easily and can be used in all grilling scenarios from direct fire cooking to low & slow. I love it.

07/06/2026

Curry mutton 🇯🇲
AD | Cooked on the Weber Grills - UK Master Touch using lovely Ginger Pig Ltd mutton. This is the Curry Oxtail recipe from my cookbook Fired Up, repurposed. The mutton's marinated, then smoked and then braised. It's really really tasty.
The Ginger Pig probably won't get more mutton til September but try it with oxtail or beef shin would work too.
PS And don't tell me it's not curry season. It's always curry season.

Embers Fire Festival was a dream. Fire, food, frolics and friends. I cooked some oysters with chicken fat butter, joine...
07/05/2026

Embers Fire Festival was a dream. Fire, food, frolics and friends.
I cooked some oysters with chicken fat butter, joined by scotch bonnet, chives and some other friends. Grilled them in the fire bowl and had the best time chatting to Shauna who hosted the fire stage with gusto. The best bit for me is seeing people who've never had an oyster before, fall in love with them. Cooked oysters are a great gateway to the beautiful world of bivalve appreciation.
Huge congratulations .lad & . .fire.festival's success was testament to the brilliant community you've built both locally and in the fire world. Ace to meet some new folk and hang out with old friends and even join Team for a tiny bit.
Thank you .studio for the gorgeous photos 🔥

01/05/2026

Scallops with Wild Garlic & Nduja butter cooked in the half-shell straight in the coals. The Weber Grills - UK Go Anywhere (ad) is the perfect grill for this: it's relatively shallow and you can see everything going on in it. Love Logs charcoal, Disco Scallops (look them up, they're great).
What's everyone eating this beautiful Bank Holiday? Whatever it is, enjoy! ☀️

01/05/2026

Scallops with Wild Garlic & Nduja butter grilled in the half-shells directly in the coals on the Weber Grills - UK Go Anywhere (ad).
I love these grills; small but mighty. Cooked with Love Logs ash charcoal.
Happy Bank Holiday weekend - what are you cooking?

The BEST day HQ celebrating his new BBQ book & incoming TV show with .Cooked alongside - their dishes were so beautifu...
24/04/2026

The BEST day HQ celebrating his new BBQ book & incoming TV show with .
Cooked alongside - their dishes were so beautiful and 60 Chicken Fat Oysters on the Master Touch and Go Anywhere? Completed it mate.
Jamie's book is great - make the Smashed Lamb Wraps, they're epic - and the whole team were incredible. Shout out to .ren
& and always to who has done so much for BBQ in the UK and always takes us on the best adventures. Honestly, days like these are why this never gets old. Cooking over fire is the greatest ☀️
(Also keep an eye out for the TV series - kicks off May 5 and , & me are all cooking in it)

A really fun episode of The Kitchen Cabinet recorded in Swindon tonight but bittersweet as it's our brilliant producer D...
22/04/2026

A really fun episode of The Kitchen Cabinet recorded in Swindon tonight but bittersweet as it's our brilliant producer Dan's final show. He's been with the company for 23 years and produced TKC for seven, and he's brilliant. Fun, funny, kind, excitable, irreverent and obsessive. Bye Dan (). We'll miss you loads.

UPDATE: sold out!On Thursday May 14 Jad & Aga and I are joining forces once again for a one-night supper club at their ...
17/04/2026

UPDATE: sold out!
On Thursday May 14 Jad & Aga and I are joining forces once again for a one-night supper club at their beautiful Reigate restaurant.
Expect a menu full of treats from both our cookbooks such as Grilled Leeks with Walnut Romesco & Sumac, Prawn & Sea Bass Ceviche with Lime, Pomegranate Molasses, Burnt Chilli Oil & Plantain Crisps, Charcoal-grilled Piri Piri Wings, Grilled Lamb Chops with Smoked Freekeh & Green Sauce and loads more. Swipe for the full menu
The last one, last year, was a real treat and I can't wait to be back cooking in their beautiful restaurant alongside their brilliant team once again.
We'll have copies of our books for sale too. Booking link in our bios. Come through 🔥

We won our netball final tonight after previously losing by one goal (on two occasions) and it feels amazing. Especially...
15/04/2026

We won our netball final tonight after previously losing by one goal (on two occasions) and it feels amazing. Especially as I was so tired I forgot to put a sports bra on.
I love our team and love this sport so much (and we play much better than we can jump for photos, see the last 2 pics ⛹🏾‍♀️) 🏀

(We missed you , Rachel & Jess)

GO Mammoth Events & Social

A magic weekend in Arundel for .smokesignals Part II. Shout out to Laura .sussex & for curating the perfect weekend of ...
12/04/2026

A magic weekend in Arundel for .smokesignals Part II. Shout out to Laura .sussex & for curating the perfect weekend of fire and persuading the sun to defy the forecast & shine all weekend.
We served jerk pork & chicken, plus piri piri chicken, all cooked on grills, and got to hang out with loads of beautiful folk. Excellent to be sandwiched between & .taylor20 and eat their excellent burger, and on the other side with their lovely porchetta focaccia.
I'm now in bed with a face mask and my hair still stinks of smoke despite me washing it 300 times. I wouldn't have it any other way 💚

01/04/2026

Spinach, Pesto & Comté Galette on the Slate (ad) 🌱
Buckwheat galettes are a brilliant vehicle for lovely ingredients and this is a beautiful seasonal dish for any time of day 🌱

31/03/2026

Chilli, Lemon & Wild Garlic Pesto 🌱
My latest recipe for - I wanted to level up my pesto with a few other flavours and this is perfect - lemon brings zest and fragrance, chilli brings some warmth.
Also I always mix wild garlic leaves with others - in this case basil - as I find it quite one-note and uninteresting used by itself.
To get the full recipe sign up to The Gay Farmer's free newsletter and it'll land in your inbox tomorrow 🍋🌶️🌱

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