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We'd love to hear from you, drop us a text! Ever wondered how a chef goes from two-star French rigidity to painting with fire in the garden and landing Selfridges with a sauce born at a dinner party? That’s the pulse of this conversation with Mat Blak—restless, funny, bruised by failure, and absolutely electric about food that respects where it comes from. We start with boundaries and how to break them well. Mat calls it free cooking: pushing flavour without trampling the roots. He explains why anchovies, Galician beef, proper olive oil and technique are the difference between fusion that sings and mash-ups that go nowhere. Then it gets human—pulling cold pork butts for a festival queue, brisket humbling a pro, and the truth that repetition turns chaos into craft. He walks us through his backyard “studio,” Big Green Egg, Minimax, gas for clients who rely on it, wood-fired ovens for heat and theatre, and the reality that wind and rain don’t care about your content plan. The sauce story is a masterclass in scaling. Partnering with an ex-chemist, Mat learns how garlic refuses to scale neatly, why water matters, and how a late-night Instagram message became a Selfridges deal. We talk wins and stalls—Blackfire’s slow burn, Blak Elder’s sweet-chilli pop, and the maple-smoked pineapple vinegar that stole Christmas hams across the country. He’s frank about supermarkets, margins, ticking shelf lives, bottles and labels that swallow profit, and the grit it takes to keep going. Culture and community thread through it all. Mat shares a careful collaboration with Tribe Apparel using a Māori hammerhead motif, tying the shark’s need to keep swimming to mental health—move, breathe, endure. Proceeds back the Burnt Chef Project with training that reaches kitchens where it’s needed most. And for pure cooking joy, Barbecue Bingo lands on chicken hearts, and Matt leaves the next guest a gem: finish a hard-charred steak with a brush of kecap manis before the rest for a glossy, umami-laced crust. If you love live fire, honest craft, and the stories behind the plates and bottles, you’ll feel right at home. Subscribe, share with a mate who lives by the grill, and leave a review—what lesson from Matt will you try first? Sponsored by AOS KitchensAOS Kitchens are a leading outdoor kitchen design and installation specialists based in Hampshire Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show If you want to get involved and showcase your cooks or fails, join our Facebook Group. For all of our other episodes you can listen or watch them on our website.

We'd love to hear from you, drop us a text! A beatbox nickname, two expulsions, a near-miss with a gang, and a single dishwashing shift that changed everything. Matt Burgess AKA matblak joins us to chart a wild, human journey from a chaotic Wellington childhood to Michelin-level kitchens, catertainment stages, and a sober, purposeful life built around live fire and community. We dive into the moments that bent the arc: a catering course where childhood food lessons suddenly become a superpower; the night a back door opens onto a brigade of glorious misfits; and a Cannes detour that turns into a two-star education in timing, cleanliness, and respect for ingredients. Back in London, Matt steps onto the glass-box stage of Mays, grinds through 90 to 100-hour weeks, and learns how standards shape flavour as much as salt does. Jamie Oliver stops being a punchline and becomes a partner, from school dinners that shift policy to Threadneedle Street’s elegant, ingredient-led menus. Then the story flips again. At a star-packed book launch, an outrageous charcuterie board meets Christian “DJ BBQ” Stevenson’s playlist, and fire finds a soundtrack. Festivals become labs for reverse-flow smokers, airflow, and coal management. The pandemic forces a pivot: a Big Green Egg on a West London balcony, suppliers sending whole haunches, a neighbourhood WhatsApp turning into a pop-up delivery brand. Through grief and reflection after his mum’s passing, Matt chooses reinvention—leaving a senior post at Caravan to build a consultancy, launch sauces, host supper clubs, and hit festival stages across the UK. Seven years sober, he’s frank about the pull of old habits and the deeper satisfaction of craft, mentoring, and feeding people well. If you care about food as a trade, not a trend; if you’re curious how live-fire cooking really works; if you’re chasing a second chance or planning a pivot, Matt’s story brings heat, humour, and hope. Hit follow, share this with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave us a review with the moment that stuck with you most. Sponsored by AOS KitchensAOS Kitchens are a leading outdoor kitchen design and installation specialists based in Hampshire Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show If you want to get involved and showcase your cooks or fails, join our Facebook Group. For all of our other episodes you can listen or watch them on our website.

We'd love to hear from you, drop us a text! What happens when your kamado tries to swan dive off the outdoor kitchen mid-cook? We get candid about the mess, the ash, the panic, and the fixes that stop it happening again. From a Christmas “brisketta” that blew past the predicted timeline to a gammon glazed in rum and coke that turned out beautifully, we unpack how small choices shape big results when you’re cooking for people you love. We trade the January performance grind for practical midweek sessions: flat-top fajitas, hot-and-fast chicken, and quiet cooks that sharpen timing without the camera rolling. Then we go deep on value: bulk-buying from the butcher, controlling fat for better burgers and sears, and even stretching sides with a 25-kilo sack of local potatoes that tastes better and costs less than supermarket packs. It’s a reminder that great barbecue is half sourcing, half process. New gear has us dreaming bigger. A stout rotisserie and deep roasting pans unlock shawarma over wood, spinning roasts with self-basting juices, and richer gravies. A cocktail smoker sparks experiments with cold-smoked coffee beans and subtle aromatics. Along the way we talk safety and design: why kamados can get top heavy on low units, how to add stops, choose the right feet, and load fuel without tipping. And because pain teaches fast, we confess the chili-to-eye mistake and share practical ways to avoid it. Looking ahead, we’re plotting premium chicken to test whether heritage birds earn their price, eyeing Meatopia and local smokehouses for inspiration, and lining up weekends where friends actually want to stand outside again. If you’ve battled the weather, the clock, or your own equipment, you’ll feel seen here. Hit play, learn from our chaos, and come out with smarter prep, safer setups, and tastier plates. If you enjoyed the chat, follow the show, share it with a barbecue friend, and leave a review to help more grill nerds find us. Sponsored by AOS KitchensAOS Kitchens are a leading outdoor kitchen design and installation specialists based in Hampshire Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show If you want to get involved and showcase your cooks or fails, join our Facebook Group. For all of our other episodes you can listen or watch them on our website.

We'd love to hear from you, drop us a text! A promise to honour a father’s memory became a cookbook that rallied a whole barbecue community. We sit down with John Wilson to trace the gritty, very human path from “let’s do a book” to holding a 204‑page charity cookbook that climbed Amazon’s barbecue charts and put first‑time contributors next to big names. John walks us through the real barriers no one talks about: post‑pandemic print costs that quadrupled, the tough decision to abandon a traditional print run, and the steep learning curve of Amazon KDP. He shares how AI became a practical assistant for formatting recipes consistently, while the painstaking work of proofreading, indexing and layout stayed stubbornly manual. Proof copies exposed mismatched fonts and an off‑by‑one index that demanded days of fixes. Hitting publish brought 72 anxious hours, then a wave of support as cooks opened the book and found their recipes on the page. There is heart at every turn. We unpack the legal care required when naming charities and using logos, the slim KDP margins that still make the project worthwhile, and the moments that made it all land—like a young contributor presenting his printed recipe at school and earning an award. John also reveals a bold plan for volume two: a global live‑fire collection with curated regional dishes, a “Live Fire Legends” chapter, and a smarter submission flow to avoid duplicate recipes while encouraging cooks to stretch beyond their comfort zones. Along the way, we talk sold‑out charity events, festival demos, and a playful barbecue bingo segment that lands on sweet chilli halloumi. If you care about cookbooks, community and the craft of getting ideas into people’s hands, this story will light a fire. Grab the cookbook via the links in our Instagram bios, cook a recipe, and tell us what you make. If this conversation resonates, subscribe, leave a quick review, and share it with a friend who loves live fire as much as you do. Sponsored by AOS KitchensAOS Kitchens are a leading outdoor kitchen design and installation specialists based in Hampshire Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show If you want to get involved and showcase your cooks or fails, join our Facebook Group. For all of our other episodes you can listen or watch them on our website.

We'd love to hear from you, drop us a text! Fire changes everything—how food tastes, how we cook, and how people gather. We sat down with Ben, co-founder of Somerset Grill Co, to explore the craft behind Argentinian-style, wood-fired grills built in the UK for serious durability and everyday joy. From a superyacht encounter with a $30,000 parrilla to welding the first prototype in a shipping container, Ben shares the gritty iteration path that led to their “unquestionable quality” mantra and the design choices that make open fire feel approachable at home. We break down the real mechanics of live-fire control: why an ember maker matters, how grate height transforms heat management, and when to move coals instead of meat. Expect practical tips and plenty of inspiration: fast-cooked flank short ribs with chimichurri, porchetta with shattering crackling, charred pineapple thrown straight into the embers, and a light, clean smoke from a simple tapa on cold days. We also dive into accessories that earn their keep—the crowd-pleasing rotisserie, the endlessly useful ember grill—and compare open fire’s roast-forward results to heavier American smoke. Holidays get the spotlight too. Think rib of beef slowly spinning while you baste with butter, cola-braised gammon finished with a hot honey glaze, and crisp sprouts in a cast iron skillet over live coals. Leftovers become strategy, not afterthought: brisket chilled and rewarmed in stock for extra smoke and gravy depth, short ribs turned into the richest eight-hour chilli, chicken skin re-crisped into addictive “crisps.” There’s honest talk about fails—seasoning switch-ups, underfuelled fires, even a duck ruined by a soapy board—and why they make us better cooks. We round things out with the Asado Go portable, how engineering changes at smaller scales, and dream setups that blend live fire, ceramics, and pizza ovens. If you’re curious about parrilla-style cooking, grill design, or just want new ideas for your next cook, this one’s packed with insight you can use tonight. If you enjoyed it, subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with a friend who loves cooking over real fire. Sponsored by AOS KitchensAOS Kitchens are a leading outdoor kitchen design and installation specialists based in Hampshire Thermapen Electronic Temperature ProbesThermapen thermometers are designed to take the guesswork out of cooking perfect for your BBQDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show If you want to get involved and showcase your cooks or fails, join our Facebook Group. For all of our other episodes you can listen or watch them on our website.

We'd love to hear from you, drop us a text! A food truck, a festival stage, and a sword stacked with sizzling meat—DJ BBQ shows how live-fire cooking becomes unforgettable when craft meets theatre. We dive into his story from early days on the Jamie Oliver network to building a mobile pit operation that feeds tens of thousands, all while sharing the techniques that make barbecue consistent and crowd-pleasing. Think precise temperature zones, the confidence to probe to target, and the art of trusting the rest so joints finish tender, not tough. We get practical and specific: why British-made lump charcoal beats chemical‑laden imports, how grass‑fed British brisket delivers deep flavour once you’ve mastered fat and carryover, and when beginners might “goofproof” with imported packers. Christian breaks down cooking by senses—listening for sizzles, reading smoke, feeling for that soft‑to‑tough‑to‑soft arc—and admits the hard lessons learned from opening pits too often or trapping embers in greasy gloves. The tips are actionable: pull turkey around 64°C and rest upward, carve radiant heat for rare spit‑roast beef, and skip full-bed coals in a kettle to keep a safe zone for flare‑ups. The conversation roams where the fire leads. We champion winter grilling with stews, chilis, and cauldrons over embers; trade notes on Weber kettles, Kamado efficiency, and insulated fireboxes; and set our sights on pizza—New Haven and New York styles that crackle without the heavy chew. Regional cues thread through it all: Alabama white sauce you can double-dip on the grill, Memphis-style one-hour ribs at Rendezvous, and the Piedmont “outside brown” technique that turns pork shoulder into burnished, addictive steaks. It’s a celebration of the UK’s melting pot—techniques and flavours borrowed, blended, and made our own. Ready to level up your barbecue with skills you can use this weekend? Hit play, then share your winter fire plans and favourite live‑fire tip. If you enjoyed the show, follow, rate, and leave a review—your support helps more people find the flame. Sponsored by AOS KitchensAOS Kitchens are a leading outdoor kitchen design and installation specialists based in Hampshire Thermapen Electronic Temperature ProbesThermapen thermometers are designed to take the guesswork out of cooking perfect for your BBQDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show If you want to get involved and showcase your cooks or fails, join our Facebook Group. For all of our other episodes you can listen or watch them on our website.

We'd love to hear from you, drop us a text! Forget the oven-first myth and the burnt banger stereotype. We sit down with Alan from Totally Awesome Barbecue to unpack how simple methods, smart gear choices, and a little patience can transform any backyard into a reliable smokehouse. Alan’s story starts where many of us do—over-firing a cheap grill—then moves through practical upgrades, mastering airflow on a kettle, and knowing when a pellet smoker makes more sense for low-and-slow. His philosophy is refreshingly no-nonsense: buy kit that lasts, learn your specific grill, and build confidence with repeatable setups. We break down the minion and snake methods in clear, actionable steps, including common pitfalls like lighting too much fuel and chasing temperatures all day. There’s plenty of real-world nuance—how a heat deflector evens out hot spots, why sausages and burgers shine when cooked indirect, and how to avoid over-salted rubs by keeping sauce on the side. Alan shares honest fails (midnight dinners, anyone?), quick fixes that actually help, and the small tweaks that turn frustration into reliable results. What really stands out is how British barbecue carves its own identity through range and ingenuity. We talk roasts on the grill at Christmas, breakfast on the flat top, pulled pork for a crowd, brisket for a birthday, and fusion flavours borrowed from curry nights and Greek skewers. It’s frugality, creativity, and fire—showing that great outdoor cooking doesn’t demand a shed full of steel, just sound technique and care. If you’re ready to cook better with what you have, hit play. Then tell us your biggest win, your most painful fail, and what truly defines UK BBQ for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who still pre-cooks chicken indoors, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Support the show If you want to get involved and showcase your cooks or fails, join our Facebook Group. For all of our other episodes you can listen or watch them on our website.

We'd love to hear from you, drop us a text! The fire isn’t lit, but the warmth is real: we’re sitting under a brand-new pergola on Christmas Eve, talking through how a messy garden corner turned into a clean, year‑round outdoor kitchen built for 365 cooking. We get practical about design—why the old workshop had to go, how a Somerset grill became the centrepiece, and the small layout shifts that made everything click. With transparent chat on budgets, drawings, and brand choices from the AOS Kitchens process, this is a candid blueprint for anyone planning a functional, beautiful cooking space. Holiday cooking brings the plan to life. We map out a calm, mid‑afternoon feast by spreading tasks across multiple cookers: turkey with room to breathe, a brisket started early for a long rest, and a cola‑and‑rum glazed ham that caramelises into crowd‑pleasing lacquer. There’s cold‑smoked cheddar waiting for the cheese board and a breakfast ritual of pancakes on the griddle, bacon, maple syrup, and a brazen Irish coffee. It’s part menu, part timing playbook, packed with tips on airflow, buffers, rest times, and how to avoid the dreaded stall panic. We also look back and forward. A quieter year pushed us to invest in learning—like a standout day at the Irish Egg cookery school—and to double down on what makes British barbecue special: flexible, fusion‑friendly, and fearless with flavour. Being interviewed by the Barbecue Radio Network sharpened our empathy for guests and renewed our pride in the UK scene. Looking to 2026, we’re aiming for 100 episodes, more on‑the‑road recordings, and bigger live‑fire ambitions: a Kadai fire bowl, rotisserie and hanging hooks, feather blade done right, maybe even a shared suckling pig. We’re bringing back Barbecue Bingo too, and you’ll pick the ingredients. If you’re dreaming up your own outdoor kitchen, you’ll find honest advice on layout, workflow, storage, lighting, weatherproofing, and which appliances actually earn their space. If you’re cooking for Christmas, you’ll walk away with timing strategies that let you sit, sip, and enjoy your own meal. Join us, share your must‑have backyard upgrade, and tell us what you want to hear next. If you’re new here, tap follow, leave a quick review, and pass this on to a friend who lives for good food and a better setup. Sponsored by AOS KitchensAOS Kitchens are a leading outdoor kitchen design and installation specialists based in Hampshire Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show If you want to get involved and showcase your cooks or fails, join our Facebook Group. For all of our other episodes you can listen or watch them on our website.

We'd love to hear from you, drop us a text! Smoke you can see, stories you can taste. We welcome Full Moon BBQ David Maluff to share how a tiny 50–60 seat Birmingham spot with an open wood-burning pit became a 17-store stalwart without trading away its soul. David walks us through the choices that matter: hickory over shortcuts, open kitchens over back-room mystery, and a service mindset that treats every guest like a president. If you have ever wondered how to scale a craft built on patience and fire, this is a blueprint you can feel. We explore the flavours that define the South and the details that define Full Moon. From the tug between sweet red sauce, vinegar tang, mustard heat, and Alabama white sauce, to the unsung hero—chow chow—that snaps every sandwich to life. David breaks down rub strategy by protein, why pork butts go in un-rubbed, and how a touch of oregano and the right granulated garlic can transform ribs, chicken, and brisket cooked low and slow. There is honesty here too: power surges that kill a brisket run, the hard choice to say “we are out,” and the rule that quality beats convenience every time. Beyond smoke and spice, we get into the business of barbecue: training manuals, hiring for character, and keeping standards tight as stores grow from 1,800 to 5,500 square feet. The menu widens without losing identity—giant baked potatoes loaded with pork, chicken, turkey, or brisket; crisp salads; scratch sides made with care. Catering now fuels weddings, offices, and massive game days, where pits stretch 14 feet and a thousand slabs move in a Saturday rush. Through it all, community remains the centre: giving back, inviting people to see and taste the work, and making the pit a stage that keeps the team honest and the guests connected. If you love barbecue, leadership, or simply a good growth story anchored by integrity, you will find plenty to savour. Hit follow, share with a friend who loves low and slow, and leave a review to tell us your favourite regional sauce—red, white, vinegar, or mustard? Sponsored by AOS KitchensAOS Kitchens are a leading outdoor kitchen design and installation specialists based in Hampshire Thermapen Electronic Temperature ProbesThermapen thermometers are designed to take the guesswork out of cooking perfect for your BBQDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show If you want to get involved and showcase your cooks or fails, join our Facebook Group. For all of our other episodes you can listen or watch them on our website.

We'd love to hear from you, drop us a text! We catch up with Ian “The Barbecue King” on life after retirement, the seven‑grill line‑up, and how a hobby turned into demos, brand partnerships, and feeding crowds without losing the fun. Travel, community, and a few honest fails shape a smarter, calmer approach to live fire. • retirement, part‑time work, grandad life and more time at the grill • seven‑grill set‑up, two pizza ovens and why each tool matters • sustainable charcoal, Green Olive ambassadorship and fuel quality • live demos with local butchers, fast formats and crowd tasting • catering by accident, menu planning and service flow for 60 covers • thermometers, rest and heat control as everyday discipline • travel inspiration from Thailand to Abu Dhabi, pizzas and skewers • barbecue fails that teach: scallops, overcooked steak, bad sauces • community wins, charity book, events and steady Instagram growth Thank you for following us on social media. You can find us just by Googling Meat and Greet Barbecue Podcast or on Facebook, Instagram, the Talk That Ticked, all of that sort of jazz. You can also go onto our website and drop us a message or an email. We’d love to hear from you. We want to hear what you’d like us to be talking about, any questions. But until next time, keep on grilling Support the show If you want to get involved and showcase your cooks or fails, join our Facebook Group. For all of our other episodes you can listen or watch them on our website.

We'd love to hear from you, drop us a text! Ever wondered how someone cooks a full week of meals on a single smoker without sacrificing flavour or sanity? We bring on Sarah from South Louisiana—aka Meat Me at the Smoker—to break down her exact weekend flow: brisket first with the smokestack choked for deeper early colour, then chicken once the draw opens, followed by ribs, bacon, and veg to round out the fridge. It’s part craft, part logistics, and all about clean fire, patience, and the right wrap at the right time. We dig into the heart of Cajun barbecue: salt-forward SPG, the comfort of oak and pecan smoke, and the joy of cooking from instinct rather than a measuring spoon. Sarah shares why she loves the foil boat method for brisket—keeping the top exposed for smoke while pooling juices below—and how long rests turn a good cook into a tender, sliceable feast. We compare UK and US meat, talk lean grass-fed challenges, and offer simple tweaks for bigger smoke and better moisture when marbling is scarce. There’s plenty of real-world wisdom, too: a brisket that survived a grease fire, a steak ruined by an avalanche of pepper, and the calm that comes from staying with the process when the pit behaves badly. We wander through competition culture, why judging is sometimes more fun than turning in boxes, and bucket-list events like Memphis in May. And our barbecue bingo lands on duck, sparking plans for duck bombs wrapped in bacon and medium-rare smoked goose breast that eats like steak. If you love brisket, live for clean blue smoke, or want a practical blueprint for meal prepping on a smoker, this one’s for you. Hit play, then tell us your favourite wrap method and wood combo. If you enjoyed the conversation, follow the show, share it with a barbecue friend, and leave a quick review—your support helps more pit lovers find us. Sponsored by AOS KitchensAOS Kitchens are a leading outdoor kitchen design and installation specialists based in Hampshire Thermapen Electronic Temperature ProbesThermapen thermometers are designed to take the guesswork out of cooking perfect for your BBQDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show If you want to get involved and showcase your cooks or fails, join our Facebook Group. For all of our other episodes you can listen or watch them on our website.

We'd love to hear from you, drop us a text! A shed went up in flames—and a lifelong love for live-fire cooking rose from the ashes. We sit down with Kate O’Driscoll to trace an unlikely journey from a no-name kamado to festival demo stages, and we get into the real talk: the kit that earns its keep, the cooks that keep you humble, and the community that makes you braver. We swap stories of Webers, Big Joes, and flat tops, and why a Blackstone can quietly end indoor frying. Kate explains the pull of open-fire rigs—Santa Maria lifts, asado frames, and the hands-on thrill you just don’t get from “easy bake” pellet smokers. We dig into favourite cuts and smart strategies: why beef ribs often outshine brisket for drama and flavour, how to nail picanha by marking the grain before the cook, and the small safety rituals that save your hands and eyebrows. Barbecue bingo throws us a curveball—paella—and Kate maps a plan with smoked chicken thighs, mussels, prawns, and a session IPA stock, a nod to her husband’s farmhouse brewery. Threaded through is a bigger theme: breaking the tired stereotype of “man, fire, meat.” Kate makes the case for everyone at the grill—especially women—and shares the moment a four-year-old fan mimicked her demos all weekend, proof that visibility matters. It’s honest, funny, and practical, packed with tips on supporting your local butcher, building a backyard bar that works, and turning weeknight cooks into easy leftovers that stretch into tomorrow. If you love barbecue stories with real stakes (and real mistakes), this one’s for you. Follow Kate on Instagram at KO’Driscoll Food Beers Life / Food Fire Life, subscribe for more conversations like this, and leave a review to tell us your favourite live-fire lesson. Thermapen Electronic Temperature ProbesThermapen thermometers are designed to take the guesswork out of cooking perfect for your BBQSponsored by AOS KitchensAOS Kitchens are a leading outdoor kitchen design and installation specialists based in Hampshire Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show If you want to get involved and showcase your cooks or fails, join our Facebook Group. For all of our other episodes you can listen or watch them on our website.

We'd love to hear from you, drop us a text! A Somerset Grill transforms a backyard into a theatre of flames, smoke, and sizzle. Owen's new Argentine Asado-style cooker became the centerpiece of an unforgettable five-hour cooking session where we lost ourselves watching flames dance across carefully prepared meats. The adjustable grates allow precise temperature control as wood burns down to perfect cooking embers – a dramatic departure from standard charcoal grilling that connects you to cooking's primal roots. We put Brewdog's new barbecue rubs and sauces to the test on chicken wings, finding their Punk IPA-inspired sauce deliciously fruity while their hot sauce proved disappointingly vinegary. The Somerset Grill showed its versatility as we moved from homemade sausages to gammon joint and even a whole pineapple that caramelized beautifully when placed directly on glowing embers. Cooking mishaps make for the best stories, and Dan's work barbecue disaster didn't disappoint. Despite careful planning and budgeting for 40 hungry colleagues, he somehow managed to leave the burger shop without actually purchasing any burgers – leaving 48 buns but zero patties! Thankfully, his backup sausages saved the day. The UK barbecue community continues growing with festivals like Smoke and Fire Ascot drawing crowds, while barbecue tourism gains momentum as enthusiasts organize Texas tours to experience authentic pit cooking at its source. Looking ahead, we're excited about the Big Barbecue Community Cookout this October – a bring-your-own-everything gathering where passionate grillers will share knowledge, techniques and undoubtedly a few cooking failures. We'd love to connect with small businesses and innovators in the barbecue space – reach out through our website or social media to share what you're seeing in this vibrant community. Until next time, keep those fires burning and don't forget to actually buy your burgers! Sponsored by AOS KitchensAOS Kitchens are a leading outdoor kitchen design and installation specialists based in Hampshire Thermapen Electronic Temperature ProbesThermapen thermometers are designed to take the guesswork out of cooking perfect for your BBQDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show If you want to get involved and showcase your cooks or fails, join our Facebook Group. For all of our other episodes you can listen or watch them on our website.

We'd love to hear from you, drop us a text! Thinking about firing up the barbecue but feeling a bit intimidated? You're not alone. In this practical, no-nonsense guide to barbecue basics, Dan and Owen demystify the essentials that every beginner needs to know before approaching the grill. The cornerstone of successful barbecuing isn't expensive equipment or complex techniques—it's understanding a few fundamental principles. First and foremost: invest in a good meat thermometer. This simple tool removes all guesswork from your cooking and ensures food safety. For chicken (a fantastic starting point for beginners), remember "75 stay alive" in Celsius as your target internal temperature. Two-zone cooking emerges as perhaps the most valuable technique in your arsenal. By arranging your coals on one side of the grill, you create both a searing hot zone and a gentler indirect cooking area that functions like an outdoor oven. This simple approach transforms everything from chicken to sausages, delivering restaurant-quality results with minimal effort. Beyond meat, we explore the incredible world of barbecued vegetables—from stuffed peppers and charred lettuce quarters to jacket potatoes that develop an almost magical nutty flavor when nestled among the coals. Vegetarian options abound, with Dan even accepting a challenge to barbecue seitan for an upcoming event! Throughout our conversation, one theme remains constant: don't be intimidated. Even professional establishments sometimes serve subpar barbecue (as evidenced by our "cooking in the wild" horror stories). The difference is that you're cooking for pleasure and continuously improving your skills with each session at the grill. Ready to transform your outdoor cooking game? Subscribe now for weekly tips, techniques and inspiration to help you become a backyard barbecue hero! Support the show If you want to get involved and showcase your cooks or fails, join our Facebook Group. For all of our other episodes you can listen or watch them on our website.

We'd love to hear from you, drop us a text! After a barbecue hiatus that left their grills gathering dust, Owen and Dan reunite with renewed passion for the flame. This candid conversation captures that magical moment when the spark returns to a beloved hobby – something many enthusiasts will recognize in their own journeys with outdoor cooking. The episode takes an unexpected turn when Owen sheepishly admits that just weeks after declaring he didn't need any new equipment, he's purchased his most expensive barbecue ever – a Somerset Grill for live fire cooking. His excitement is infectious as he describes seasoning it for the first time, planning its maiden voyage, and the possibilities it opens for his cooking repertoire. This confession perfectly captures the irresistible pull of new barbecue equipment that many listeners will recognize in themselves. Both hosts share laugh-out-loud cooking fails that prove even podcast hosts make mistakes. Owen recounts burning his lip on molten chili jam that had been cooking on burgers, while Dan admits to completely forgetting about foil-wrapped potatoes that he discovered, rock solid, weeks later at the bottom of his barbecue. The highlight comes when Dan introduces "Cooking in the Wild" – a hilarious story about queuing for food at a farm shop while the wooden hut housing their fire cage was literally catching fire, perfectly capturing the absurd moments that can happen around outdoor cooking. Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or occasional griller, this conversation celebrates the return of barbecue season and the joy of rediscovering passion for the flame. The hosts invite listeners to share their own barbecue fails and stories, building community around shared experiences – both triumphs and disasters. As warmer days approach, this episode will leave you eager to uncover your grill and embrace the excitement of a new barbecue season. Sponsored by AOS KitchensAOS Kitchens are a leading outdoor kitchen design and installation specialists based in Hampshire Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show If you want to get involved and showcase your cooks or fails, join our Facebook Group. For all of our other episodes you can listen or watch them on our website.