Right, it’s April. Any moment now, customers will be demanding to eat outside. If you haven’t already swept up last autumn’s dead leaves, chipped the top layer of bird droppings off the outdoor furniture and chased the smokers back into their designated areas, now’s the time.

Two out of three adults eat at “barbecue occasions” every summer, according to figures from market researcher Mintel, and the addition of the Diamond Jubilee, the Euro 2012 finals and the Olympics to this year’s calendar means there are more occasions than ever.

However, customers also have plenty of options when there is a national event or big sporting occasion.

Increasingly, pubs offering barbecues through the summer find word of mouth builds regular trade.

The Anchor in Hullbridge, Essex, had an outdoor cooking area installed by Space Catering Equipment in 2010. Licensee Perry Mountford says: “We have room for 300 customers outside, and we overlook the River Crouch, so the barbecue area has made a big difference to trade. The barbecue menu runs every weekend, so customers know it’s here. The only exception is if it gets rained off.”

The success of restaurant brands such as Nando’s highlights the British public’s love of grilled food, and the offer is getting more sophisticated. In its latest round-up of up-and-coming casual-dining brands, consultant Horizons notes the rise of operators offering all-you-can-eat Brazilian churrascaria menus.

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, it’s a range of freshly grilled meat and fish, said to owe its origins to South America gauchos cooking around the campfire. The offer varies, but in the main the food is cooked front-of-house on charcoal grills, and sliced off skewers at the table by passadores, as the knife-wielding waiters are known.

Leaving aside the health and safety implications – and it’s probably only a matter of time before some well-meaning council official takes an interest – behind the theatre of the serve and the exotic name, what customers are being offered is a classic mixed grill.

The people’s parilla

Some pubs are waking up to the credibility such authentic concepts bring to the menu, whether it’s hot rocks, planchas, or simply a genuine enthusiasm for barbecue cooking.

An award-winning chef is normally a licence to hike up prices, but expensive fancy food is definitely not what the World’s End pub in Brighton is about. Licensee Richard Hilton and chef John Hargate believe the barbecue is the people’s food. “Barbecue food was originally roadside food,” says Richard. “It was good quality, and value for money, and that’s what we do at the pub.”

John trained as a chef with Gary Rhodes and John Torode, and spent time in Texas learning the art of the barbecue from the masters. He was Series Grand Champion in the British BBQ Society’s 2010 Pitmasters competition, and barbecues competitively in events around the world.

The pub’s food offer is branded “BBQ Shack at the World’s End”, and was named Britain’s best barbecue restaurant by Observer food critic Jay Rayner. Although, Richard points out, “we’re a pub, definitely not a restaurant. I know all my regulars, and they know me.”

Jay Rayner described the World’s End menu, in the nicest possible way, as “dirty food”. In that spirit, “you can eat with your fingers if you like”, says Richard, “although you can have a knife and fork.”

Competitive pricing is integral to the offer. “You can get a rack of ribs with fries and onion rings or rice and beans for under a tenner, and a North Carolina pulled pork sandwich for just £6.50. The pork is cooked for 16 hours. John sleeps on a z-bed and bastes it every two hours. Where else could you eat anything made with that kind of care? It’s food you just couldn’t make yourself at home,” says Richard.

All meat is authentically pit-smoked, and other specialities include Texas-style beef brisket, and smoked chicken and chorizo.

While not every pub can call on the same level of skill, “chefs must raise their game to tempt customers who are looking for new and exciting dishes to enjoy out of the home,” says Tony Goodger, foodservice manager at British pork body BPEX.

“There is scope to experiment with alternative cuts to benefit from increased returns.”

For example, marinated and slowly barbecued collar of pork can be served in chunks with salads or vegetables, or torn into shreds for a pulled pork sandwich.

While pubs may be reluctant to risk prime steak on the barbecue, beef and lamb body EBLEX points out options such as flat iron, bavette, picanha or centre-cut flank steaks, which provide value for money. Burgers can be given a premium touch without increasing costs by offering a “rump steak burger” using the trim, or lamb burgers infused with herbs.

Hugh Judd, foodservice project manager for EBLEX, says: “Kebabs and cutlets are always popular, and whole shoulders of lamb tend to be in plentiful supply during the summer, making them a good value option. Many butchers have a great selection of beef and lamb sausages on offer, which will add interest to your menu.”

With so many options, even if the weather’s a washout and the England team flop, there’s no reason sales shouldn’t sizzle.