Hi Martyn
Couldn't resist replying to this one....
At home, my husband is the cook. Whilst caravanning, I am the bbq person. At home, I can't cook to save my life, it just seems that everything in the kitchen (from the cooker to the microwave) is determined that anything I actually do attempt to cook must go wrong. However, put me in charge of barbecuing and it's a different story I can bbq anything to perfection whilst maintaining the highest possible food hygiene standards.
Not sure if I am correct but I think the 'male bbq thing' originated from Australia. My parents lived out there before moving to New Zealand for a few years. In Oz and NZ at the time particularly at parties, the men would be in one room and the women in another the men took control of the bbq.
Regards
lh