FIRE IT UP

What many of us think of as a firepit is simply a vessel that burns wood, over which a suspended grill or hotplate can be fitted to cook food. Many modern firepits will come with an attachable grill, which is perfect for cooking.

Remove the grill while you fire up the coals. Take two mediumsized pieces of firewood [see note on firewood below] and place them in the centre of the firepit, parallel to each other and about 20cm apart. Take two more similar-sized pieces of wood and place these on top, in the opposite direction, parallel and 20cm apart. There will be a gap in the centre – this is where you ignite the fire.

Crumple up some newspaper into loose balls and put these between the timber (egg cartons work a treat, too). Now arrange some kindling around the paper to look like a teepee. Light the newspaper in several places, allowing it to catch and burn – it won’t take long before the kindling catches fire, but the large pieces of timber will need some more time. You can use a piece of cardboard or a baking tray to fan air into