BIG K AMBASSADOR STORIES
From a remote village in the spanish mountains fire cooking in a washing machine drum, to orchestrating large-scale events and expertly preparing a 20 kilo bird.
What is your earliest memory of BBQing?
My earliest memory of cooking over fire takes me back to when I was 18 and living in Spain. In a small mountain village, I stumbled across a group of local women cooking lamb chops over a wood fire using an old washing machine drum as a grill. Inside the drum they had laid a bed of old dried olive tree kindling and olive logs with bails of dried foraged herbs, they gathered themselves from the surrounding hills.
The smell alone was unforgettable.
Despite my terrible Spanish at the time and having not long moved into the village, they welcomed me straight into their circle. We sat together eating simple, honest food cooked over fire, and the flavour of that lamb was incredible. Smoky, herbal and completely unlike anything I’d ever tasted from home.
I became slightly fascinated and every time they gathered to cook, I found myself wandering back to watch and learn. Those women taught me the fundamentals of live fire cooking, how to build a proper fire, cook over embers, forage for wood and herbs, and how patience transforms simple food into something unforgettable.
For them it wasn’t BBQ. It was simply the way they had always cooked.
When did you realise you wanted to become a pit master?
I never had a single moment where I decided to become a pit master. Cooking with fire just became the most natural way for me to cook. It all goes back to those years in Spain, cooking outdoors with some incredible women in a mountain village. Everything was done over wood fires with simple ingredients, instinct, patience and flame.
Those experiences shaped the way I cook today and showed me how fire connects people in a way that nothing else does.
What is the best part about your set up?
For me it’s the versatility. I can go from digging a hole in the sand on the beach, to cooking over live fire the most primitive way possible in the ground. My garden hosts most of my kit, even the green house has a Gozney Dome in it. I love that I can cook anywhere, and I’m not tied to one spot!
I’ve recently bought a camper van and it’s loaded with grills and a wood fired oven for the ultimate road adventure. I can simply pull over and get cooking over fire anywhere.
I also work with one of the UK's largest BBQ schools, which gives me access to a dream live-fire kitchen garden and cookery school where everything is cooked over Charcoal or wood.
In 3 words describe your cooking style?
Mediterranean Rustic, Vibrant, Fiesta.
What’s a dish that’s always made better when done over charcoal?
For me it has to be Paella.
Cooking it over charcoal transforms the dish completely. The fire gives it a gentle smoky depth that you just can’t achieve on a stove. The heat from the charcoal cooks the rice beautifully and helps create that incredible crispy base known as socarrat.
When it is cooked outside over live fire, with good ingredients and a big pan in the middle of the table, Paella becomes more than just a dish. It becomes a celebration.
How did you discover Big K and what made you start using it over everything else?
I was recommended Big K products from a fellow BBQ friend while catering at a private Christmas event, for around 60 people. I was cooking a 20kg turkey on a rotisserie over live fire on my Vulcanus Grill.
For a cook like that you need fuel you can completely trust. I needed charcoal and wood that would burn steadily for hours, so, I could cook such a huge bird slowly and perfectly.
Once I tried Big K I understood why people recommended it. The consistency and clean burn made all the difference. For a cook like that you can’t fight your fuel, it has to work with you.
I also love the variety of fuels for all the styles of cooking I do. That versatility and reliability is why it’s become my go to fuel for cooking over real fire.
How long have you been using Big K Charcoal and how has it changed over time?
I’ve been using Big K Products on and off for about two years, but everything really changed last year when I went to a Smoke & Fire Festival. Seeing how fire chefs were using the fuel in a professional environment really opened my eyes to what it could do.
While I was there I met Alex and hearing his story and the family ethics behind the company really resonated with me. Its rare to see that level of passion and integrity behind a fuel brand.
Since August last year I’ve used Big K consistently across all of my live fire cooking, and the difference has been huge. The quality, burn time and reliability mean I can build a fire that behaves exactly how I want it to, whether that’s a slow rotisserie cook, smoking, or pushing high heat on the grill.
Recently I was incredibly proud to become a Big K ambassador, which feels like a natural step after cooking with their fuel and believing in what they stand for.
Is there any advice you would give to anyone starting out on their BBQ journey?
Start simple and focus on learning how to control your fire. BBQ isn’t about loads of gadgets or complicated recipes, it’s about understanding heat, fuel and patience.
Use good quality charcoal like Big K, because reliable fuel makes a huge difference when you’re learning. Spend time watching how your fire behaves, how the charcoal lights, how it burns, and how adjusting airflow changes the heat.
Cook often, don’t be afraid to make mistakes and that knowledge turns someone from just grilling into a proper fire cook.
Most importantly, enjoy yourself. Cooking outdoors is about slowing down, cooking over real fire and sharing food with people.
Fire, patience and good fuel will teach you everything you need to know.
What are your favourite Big K products and why?
Big K Marabu Charcoal – I love Marabu because it’s incredibly dense hardwood charcoal, so it burns hotter and much longer than most standard lumpwood. That gives me a really stable fire whether I’m grilling, running a rotisserie, or cooking big cuts over live fire. Another reason I rate it so highly is how clean it burns. It produces strong heat with very little smoke and no chemical additives, which means the flavour of the food and the wood smoke really shine through.
Big K Kiln Dried Hardwood Logs – I also love using Hardwood Logs when I’m cooking with wood fire. The logs have a consistent moisture level of under 20%, which means they light easily, burn hotter and produce much less smoke than wet wood. That clean burn gives you a really beautiful flame and a natural wood-fire flavour, which is exactly what you want when cooking over open fire, on a grill or in a pizza oven
Big K Binchotan Charcoal – I also really enjoy cooking with Binchotan. It burns extremely hot and incredibly clean, with very little smoke, which makes it ideal when you want pure heat and control, especially for delicate ingredients where you want the flavour of the food to shine rather than the fuel.
Big K Firelighters – And finally, Woodies are brilliant for getting a fire started quickly and naturally. They’re reliable, easy to use, and perfect when you want to get your charcoal going without chemicals or fuss.
