Genevieve Taylor is the Sunday Telegraph cover girl

Living it up in lockdown

We may be self isolating and social distancing ( new phrases for the Oxford English dictionary, we suspect), but the sun is shining and we all need to get our daily dose of fresh air and a little normality.

There is something primal about cooking over fire and this seems to chime with the times. There is always the element of social gathering about cooking over fire too, light a fire and people will gather. The gatherings may be restricted to your household and your garden, but that is no reason not to dust off the barbecue and get outdoors.

And there is no-one better to inspire us in our fire cooking adventures than Genevieve Taylor, queen of the coals, champion of the charcoal, adding flair to your fire.

Who else then would the Sunday Telegraph turn to for a 2 page spread of recipes and recommendations for cooking in the back garden?

Not that long ago, and however long it feels, it really wasn’t that long ago, we stood in Genevieve’s back garden, eager participants on her inaugural Fire School course. She taught us the magic of top down fire lighting – seriously, once you have seen the wizardry of this you will never revert to conventional fire lighting; described and demonstrated all the different kit she has and cooked up some amazing food, using recipes principally from her stunning book Charred.

We are delighted that her Netherton kit is up there as one of her all time favourites and love collaborating with her on new ideas and exciting product developments. The Dutch oven that is pictured atop the giant fire table was created at her behest and was finished just in time for the course. What is handy about this is that it can be used indoors as well as outdoors, in the oven and on the hob, so even when the sun goes in, it continues to be a versatile piece of kit. And the support packs down flat, just like the chapas and fire tables, for neat and tidy storage.

So stock up on decent charcoal (please take a look at Whittle and Flame, their charcoal is pure black gold and they are busily making and despatching their incredible wares), get your hands on a copy of Charred, slap on the suncream, dust of the barbecue or head over to our outdoor cooking section and take your pick and GET COOKING

All Telegraph photos by Andrew Crowley

Let’s all practice our old favourite and exciting new dishes, then head over to Genevieve's Fire School and register your interest in a course when the restrictions are lifted and, when all this is over and the parties start, we can truly feast and make merry.

You can find the full article here and if you are not already signed up to the Telegraph, you can simply register to read 2 free articles a week.

"The past few weeks have been a challenge for most of us, separated from friends and family, beginning to figure out some sort of “new normal”. As we all adjust to different ways of living and shopping, while inventing yet more ideas to keep our kids, and ourselves, amused, I have found cooking to be a constant reassurance.

The need to get food on the table is as strong as ever, and the planning, cooking and eating of meals provides a useful and comforting structure to each day. I’m lucky enough to have a garden and, being something of a barbecue addict, have taken to cooking as many of our family meals as possible out in the fresh air.

Cooking over fire has always been a sociable activity, and although it’s not possible to throw open your doors and host a big party, there is still fun to be had in turning your cooking routine into a microadventure in the garden."

Here is the fire table with split chapa, mentioned in the article and this is the Dutch oven