The New Normal Could be better than the old one

In many ways the new normal could be better than the old one.

Even though we'll all be trying hard to get back to normal many of us will probably play it safe and avoid the crowds. Instead we'll be looking forward to rubbing shoulders with friends and family at home. How we've missed them. Entertaining in the garden when the weather's better is therefore set to become the new normal.

You can make it second nature too with a wonderful new barbecue like the Big Green Egg, loved by television chefs the world over. It's a complete outdoor cooking system with temperature control for perfection every time and it will also allow you to cook in seven different ways, including baking, searing and roasting. It simply sets the benchmark for barbecues with it's restaurant quality food.

Apart from barbecuing there's now just so much more you can do to make the most of your outdoor entertaining. At The Stove Yard in Newtownards they have a whole section of their new showroom dedicated to it. From Alfa Forni Italian pizza ovens (good enough for pizza shops in italy) to a fantastic new collection of Traegar grills and smokers complemented with authentic barbecue sauces and rubs straight from the USA. Then there's Morsø's sculptural designer garden fires that look stunning even when they're not lit. For people in a rush Morsø also make some great outdoor table-top gas grills and ovens with the attention to detail that make their Danish designs world famous.

"I think that this year our gardens are going to be the number one holiday destination and at The Stove Yard we aim to fire people's imaginations with all of the possibilities that are available to them when they entertain and cook outdoors. After lockdown people deserve something better than the rusty old barbecue bought for a few quid years ago" says Director Richard Poulter.

So let us all make the most of our freedom this year and create some flavourful moments in our gardens that our friends and family won't forget.