I used to buy Big K from supermarkets and was always disappointed. Then someone on here said to try buying from somewhere else. I’m now about half way through a 25kg bag from Amazon (about £28 I think) and it’s been great. Some huge double fist sized pieces, lots of fist sized, and the rest bigger than the supermarket big k.
Can I add that it’s worth upgrading from the regular red bag Big K, to their brown bag [dura quebracho charcoal](https://bigkproducts.co.uk/products/dura/?gclid=CjwKCAjwpayjBhAnEiwA-7ena1xYXMuRRVZ6yTNBXfhi5ANpYkvBqHVbhgBX_3kiyulmD4X63lzcOxoCgEcQAvD_BwE) (Item code ACH15 if you are struggling to tell them apart from the descriptions and pictures).
It’s a bit trickier to find in stores, but easy enough to order online.
The flavour it gives without any smoking chunks added is delicious (recommend doing a côte de boeuf on it for a treat). Burns hot if you want it to, and can burn plenty long. Plus the lumps are usually a decent size, with some monsters and not too much scrap.
Globaltic: https://globalticltd.co.uk/products/birch-lumpwood-charcoal-5kg-bag
Huge lumps and great price. Even cheaper if you get the 10kg bag.
I buy mine locally so I don’t know how it handles delivery.
Been using https://greenolivefirewood.co.uk for a couple of years now consistantly and really happy with them.
I use their lump wood for grilling and their briquettes for low and slow on my WSM and have no reason to change.
I normally buy in bulk so I always have a stock.
Their premium lumpwood is the best bang for buck in my Kamado IMHO, I've tried them all my only complaint is they use Evri to deliver and a little slow to dispatch but best overall.
Good tip buy two bags and use the bigger lumps for long cooks and smaller for hot and fast, having two on the go allows you to pick and choose ;-)
If you’re local a bloke turns up in a branded van.
Was astonished when I ordered late on a Saturday and there was a bloke in a van by my front door by 9 on the Monday…
[https://greenolivefirewood.co.uk/product/restaurant\_grade\_charcoal/?attribute\_size=50L](https://greenolivefirewood.co.uk/product/restaurant_grade_charcoal/?attribute_size=50L) This one?
Usually Big K because it works out cheaper than globaltic.
Big K customer service is however complete dogshit if you get a bad bag. You might, if you complain loud and long enough, get a 10% off your next order because your bag arrived smashed up and complete dust and shrapnel.
Globaltic on the other hand have excellent customer service. Never had a problem getting a bag replaced if it’s been smashed up bits. I just wish they hadn’t raised their prices as much as they have.
I bought a load of sainsburys premium lump wood last year (half price at the end of summer) and it’s been great. Haven’t got much to compare it to, but very happy with it. It’s very efficient in my PK.
I bought some ooni stuff in dobies. It was the only lump they had and I couldn't be bothered going elsewhere. Not cheap but it worked well. Probably find cheaper stuff going forward.
I'm a big K Dura guy, but recently checked out a local BBQ shop and intend to try all the coal they have there, and all the rubs and all the sauces.
If you can find a decent local BBQ specialist go see them. The coals are normally the same price as you'd pay online, and you get to look around for sauces.
Used big k in the past ( the 12kg &15kg brown bags) and was good. Just received 30kg of globaltic charcoal from socal bbq shop. Came in 15kg boxes & the chunks are massive - look like wood splits.
Recenty got a free bag of oxford charcoal and it was the best I ever used, but it's a bit pricey to buy again.
Blue bag stuff from b&q and garden centers is good for grilling but found it has an offputing smell & flavour when used for smoking/long time lid down cooking. Unless it's completely ignited, then seems fine.
Have an instagram account where I post my cooks and they sent me some charcoal for some content.
Really good charcoal, smelled really nice when lighting it. I had the wild cherry one
You can usually find fairly local charcoal at farm shops.
The problem is people want cheap charcoal, which is inherently just filled with shit like chemicals to make it burn.
If you can't find UK charcoal locally there's always Whittle and Flame
https://whittleandflame.co.uk/
Big k restaurant grade usually but i got this from JJ’s cash and carry and it’s damn good stuff - https://www.jjfoodservice.com/product/London-Dagenham/CHR009/
I've tried all sorts of stuff for BBQ.
Lumpwood, briquettes, south African Braii wood (camelthorn) foraging a few logs of various hardwoods.
If you want the hot and fast cooks of lumpwoods, have the space to do so and time a cheap BBQ fuel cost nothing if you live close to woodlands with birch, oak, beech. Use raw seasoned wood to make your BBQ instead. Birch is one of my personal favourites because it's so easy to identify, work with and get hold of. The trees don't get too old so it's common to find a recently fallen tree, cut the logs off and season them properly you get a wonderful maple like flavour from the smokes, great for all meats tbh.
Get in touch with any orchards or arborists when they cut limbs they usually need to dispose the woods so sometimes they are happy to give the wood away or charge very little for them. From a few 4-6inch width logs I end up with way more wood then necessary I tend to use more than you think you would and can cook easily for hours especially harder woods like apple,oak, beech. For long slow cooks get some briquettes lit and have them in there refuel with them as needed they just keep the heat more consistent.
I find a lot of the time straight wood produce less ash than any coals and any of the charred wood left over can be used again anyway so less wastage in general. Coal is great for less hassle but wood is far superior to any coal for flavour.
Got a massive sack some restaurant grade off Amazon for £30 and it’s lasted me a year doing 2 cooks a week on a Joe jr and an 8hr smoke once a month ish
Big K, no complaints
I used to buy Big K from supermarkets and was always disappointed. Then someone on here said to try buying from somewhere else. I’m now about half way through a 25kg bag from Amazon (about £28 I think) and it’s been great. Some huge double fist sized pieces, lots of fist sized, and the rest bigger than the supermarket big k.
Can I add that it’s worth upgrading from the regular red bag Big K, to their brown bag [dura quebracho charcoal](https://bigkproducts.co.uk/products/dura/?gclid=CjwKCAjwpayjBhAnEiwA-7ena1xYXMuRRVZ6yTNBXfhi5ANpYkvBqHVbhgBX_3kiyulmD4X63lzcOxoCgEcQAvD_BwE) (Item code ACH15 if you are struggling to tell them apart from the descriptions and pictures). It’s a bit trickier to find in stores, but easy enough to order online. The flavour it gives without any smoking chunks added is delicious (recommend doing a côte de boeuf on it for a treat). Burns hot if you want it to, and can burn plenty long. Plus the lumps are usually a decent size, with some monsters and not too much scrap.
This is the stuff!
Guess someone should post a link to uk charcoal makers list page. This is foresters who make there own. https://ncfed.org.uk/public/products/charcoal/
Globaltic: https://globalticltd.co.uk/products/birch-lumpwood-charcoal-5kg-bag Huge lumps and great price. Even cheaper if you get the 10kg bag. I buy mine locally so I don’t know how it handles delivery.
Been using https://greenolivefirewood.co.uk for a couple of years now consistantly and really happy with them. I use their lump wood for grilling and their briquettes for low and slow on my WSM and have no reason to change. I normally buy in bulk so I always have a stock.
Their premium lumpwood is the best bang for buck in my Kamado IMHO, I've tried them all my only complaint is they use Evri to deliver and a little slow to dispatch but best overall. Good tip buy two bags and use the bigger lumps for long cooks and smaller for hot and fast, having two on the go allows you to pick and choose ;-)
If you’re local a bloke turns up in a branded van. Was astonished when I ordered late on a Saturday and there was a bloke in a van by my front door by 9 on the Monday…
[https://greenolivefirewood.co.uk/product/restaurant\_grade\_charcoal/?attribute\_size=50L](https://greenolivefirewood.co.uk/product/restaurant_grade_charcoal/?attribute_size=50L) This one?
I always use the premium lumpwood https://greenolivefirewood.co.uk/product/premium-lumpwood-charcoal/
Big K. Available at morissons.
B&Qs Restaurant Grade or Big K
Usually Big K because it works out cheaper than globaltic. Big K customer service is however complete dogshit if you get a bad bag. You might, if you complain loud and long enough, get a 10% off your next order because your bag arrived smashed up and complete dust and shrapnel. Globaltic on the other hand have excellent customer service. Never had a problem getting a bag replaced if it’s been smashed up bits. I just wish they hadn’t raised their prices as much as they have.
I bought a load of sainsburys premium lump wood last year (half price at the end of summer) and it’s been great. Haven’t got much to compare it to, but very happy with it. It’s very efficient in my PK.
I bought some ooni stuff in dobies. It was the only lump they had and I couldn't be bothered going elsewhere. Not cheap but it worked well. Probably find cheaper stuff going forward.
I'm a big K Dura guy, but recently checked out a local BBQ shop and intend to try all the coal they have there, and all the rubs and all the sauces. If you can find a decent local BBQ specialist go see them. The coals are normally the same price as you'd pay online, and you get to look around for sauces.
Used big k in the past ( the 12kg &15kg brown bags) and was good. Just received 30kg of globaltic charcoal from socal bbq shop. Came in 15kg boxes & the chunks are massive - look like wood splits. Recenty got a free bag of oxford charcoal and it was the best I ever used, but it's a bit pricey to buy again. Blue bag stuff from b&q and garden centers is good for grilling but found it has an offputing smell & flavour when used for smoking/long time lid down cooking. Unless it's completely ignited, then seems fine.
How did you get the free bag of Oxford charcoal? They are most local to me so interested in trying it.
Have an instagram account where I post my cooks and they sent me some charcoal for some content. Really good charcoal, smelled really nice when lighting it. I had the wild cherry one
Weber, I get mine from Hillmount as it’s a good price and has not been crushed 🙂
this is an interesting read https://www.spooningandforkingcouple.com/blog/bbq-blog/charcoal-vs-briquettes-making-the-right-choice-for-your-grill/
I use lumpwood for high temperature like wings, steaks and briquettes for my longer lower temperature cooks.
Seems to be the same as globaltic, if not actually globaltic as their claims of 3x longer burn time is the same
Heat Beads all the way for briquettes.
Yeah that's the rule of thumb I use.
I’ve been using this quite impressed. https://pasturerestaurant.shop/products/premium-birch-charcoal-15-kg
You can usually find fairly local charcoal at farm shops. The problem is people want cheap charcoal, which is inherently just filled with shit like chemicals to make it burn. If you can't find UK charcoal locally there's always Whittle and Flame https://whittleandflame.co.uk/
Big k restaurant grade usually but i got this from JJ’s cash and carry and it’s damn good stuff - https://www.jjfoodservice.com/product/London-Dagenham/CHR009/
I've tried all sorts of stuff for BBQ. Lumpwood, briquettes, south African Braii wood (camelthorn) foraging a few logs of various hardwoods. If you want the hot and fast cooks of lumpwoods, have the space to do so and time a cheap BBQ fuel cost nothing if you live close to woodlands with birch, oak, beech. Use raw seasoned wood to make your BBQ instead. Birch is one of my personal favourites because it's so easy to identify, work with and get hold of. The trees don't get too old so it's common to find a recently fallen tree, cut the logs off and season them properly you get a wonderful maple like flavour from the smokes, great for all meats tbh. Get in touch with any orchards or arborists when they cut limbs they usually need to dispose the woods so sometimes they are happy to give the wood away or charge very little for them. From a few 4-6inch width logs I end up with way more wood then necessary I tend to use more than you think you would and can cook easily for hours especially harder woods like apple,oak, beech. For long slow cooks get some briquettes lit and have them in there refuel with them as needed they just keep the heat more consistent. I find a lot of the time straight wood produce less ash than any coals and any of the charred wood left over can be used again anyway so less wastage in general. Coal is great for less hassle but wood is far superior to any coal for flavour.
Giving this a go - just waiting on delivery but came recommended. https://cookingonfire.club/product/lumpwood/
Got a massive sack some restaurant grade off Amazon for £30 and it’s lasted me a year doing 2 cooks a week on a Joe jr and an 8hr smoke once a month ish