Welcome to AMA’s Backyard BBQ

By Don Smitten

Bringing back Alberta starts in our own backyard—supporting the growers, producers and small businesses who help put food on our tables (not to mention our grills).

That’s why we’re pleased to invite you to join AMA’s Backyard BBQ, a new online community that helps you explore, support, and enjoy the best of Alberta’s food industry from the comfort of your own patio.

Part of a broader AMA campaign to rally behind the Alberta economy, the Backyard BBQ features content from more than two dozen local businesses whose products pair perfectly with a deck chair and the smell of freshly cut grass.

The Facebook-based group is your chance to learn from local chefs (including Michelin-star trained Doreen Prei), share your favourite summer recipes with other members of the community, connect with local growers and grill-masters, swap tips, show off your barbecue masterpieces, and enjoy exclusively curated playlists from Alberta musicians like Corb Lund. What other barbecue can do all that?

We’ll also post recipes, how-to tips and other barbecue content here on the AMA Insider’s website. Every Thursday, we’ll recap some of the previous week’s most popular recipes—in case you missed them the first time around.

AMA’s Backyard BBQ is open to all Albertans. If you join us, and you love it, spread the word and invite your friends to join too. It’s a great way to get inspired, feel that sense of community and come together while apart. To extend that commitment, all our BBQ partners are “paying it forward” by supporting food banks across the province.

AMA was built by Albertans for Albertans, so we feel a strong call to support our province and our communities during these challenging times—and we’re happy to do so. Alberta businesses have been hit hard by supply chain disruptions, store closures, and the flagging economy, but by banding together and supporting local, we can make things a little easier for everyone. It’s what this province does best.