We are definitely now well and truly in the throes of barbecue season and I hope that people are experimenting with something other than just burgers and sausages.

There's nothing quite like cooking outdoors and smelling the flavours you are creating.

It's always a good thing to chuck as much as you can on the barbecue and see what you can come up with. So go ahead and try out a different marinade, plonk some fresh fish on the grill or enjoy the combination of vegetables and feta.

I often find that when people have a barbecue they are so busy concentrating on meat and the accompaniments to serve that they forget about a dessert.

And for me a light dessert is important after a barbecue to help cleanse the palette.

There are lots of things to choose from that take very little time to prepare, but I want to share with you one of my personal favourites that we serve regularly at Ivy House Country Hotel.

My recommendation is the age-old favourite Eton Mess and despite what many may say meringue is not as difficult to make as you think.

Ingredients

Fruit of your choice: - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries

Caster sugar

4 eggs

Thimble of salt

Vanilla pod

Method

To make the meringue take one tablespoon of caster sugar, four egg whites and a thimble of salt and whisk until peaks form. Pop into a piping bag and pipe onto a tray to form one large meringue.

Put into a 100 degree oven for 40 minutes, allow to cool and break up.

Whip up some vanilla cream using one dessert spoon of caster sugar and one vanilla pod, whisking until peak.

Wash and cut some berries and fold the cream into the meringue. Take a tall glass dropping some berries into the bottom, spoon in the meringue and cream and then repeat until the glass is full.

You can finish with a fruit coulis of your choice. Pop the glass in the fridge to keep cool until you are ready to serve.