I’m a big fan of BBQ cuisine so a trip to The Gloucester Old Spot to sample their new summer menu was particularly enticing.

The menu, advertised as ‘Street Food BBQ’, offers diners the chance to sample a varied range of flavours, from Marinated Chicken Wings through to Crispy Pork Belly Infused with Garlic & Lemon. It’s not just meat on the menu though, diners can tuck into several salads and other dishes that make for a superb dining experience.

Our party arrived straight from work and were greeted with a warm welcome from the bar staff who took our drinks order. Being a warm summer’s evening, we decided to sit in the large outdoor beer garden, the benches and long tables providing us a great setting for our group. Our attentive waitress explained the new menu to us and brought our food out in double quick time.

The menu is split into three parts, with diners choosing their grazing platter first. The options start with Apricot & Chilli Chicken Wings – more on them later. The second option is Charred Aubergine, Chickpea & Feta Bruschetta with Smoked Pork Tacos being the third offering. The next decision comes when you order your main dish, as you get to choose from north African, Indonesian and Portuguese dishes. Diners also get to choose two side dishes, such as salads, rice or noodles. All main dishes come with a fantastic homemade flat bread which is a great accompaniment to the meat dishes.

The platters of meat soon arrived, each one more impressive looking than the last. Cooking on a barbecue isn’t easy, the danger with barbecued cuisine is that the meat is overcooked, becoming tough and chewy in the process, so what a relief to have eaten meat that was both moist and flavoursome.

One of our mains, the Pork Shoulder in a Chilli & Lemongrass Marinade, was a particular highlight. The flavours were subtle and clean and the meat tender. Another pork dish – Belly Strips marinated in Lemon, Parsley & Garlic – proved another winner. The flavours were strong without being overpowering and the meat melted in your mouth.

The Chicken Wings, Coated in Apricot and Green Chilli, were cooked to perfection. The skins were crispy and the meat succulent. There was more chicken to be had in the shape of Szechuan Peppercorn, Ginger and Lime Chicken Skewers which were very impressive. The final chicken dish, Piri-Piri BBQ Chicken, provided a nice heat without being overpowering.

A good BBQ isn’t complete without an accompanying salad and our cucumber, watermelon and mint one was fantastically refreshing and complemented the various meat dishes superbly. The mini peppers, stuffed with feta cheese, were a total delight. The Roasted Beetroot, Spinach, Dill & Blood Orange Salad was another success, adding a freshness and zing to the meal. Another dish that was particularly enjoyable was the Asian Noodles. A subtle heat, provided by chilli flakes, gave the noodles a wonderful kick.

The BBQ menu is available for groups of 12 or more and at twenty pounds a head represents real value. The variety of cuisine, coupled with a friendly and polite service, made for a perfect dining experience.