Our goal
At Big K quality matters. But quality doesn’t just magically appear. It comes from organisation. To us, the way we structure and run our operation is key. From production and sales to distribution and stock, every organisational detail in each area of our business serves a purpose. All these individual elements work together to achieve a clear goal – the consistent delivery of quality product all year round.
Our evolution
Our beginnings were humble but our ambition was vast. We built our operation on a strong foundation of values, putting family, relationships and people first. At the same time we were, and still are, always looking at new ways to bring our quality fuel to new people and new markets. Due to never compromising on our principles and approach, we now have over 40 years of experience and expertise in the industry.
Big K initially started off supplying restaurants with charcoal. However, as industry trends changed in the early seventies, we expanded into the home barbecue market. Over the following years we diversified further, adding a winter range to our offering. Our winter fuel range includes coal products, hardwood logs, and kindling wood. Big K also stocks a range of outdoor living products, including barbecues and accessories. With these additions to our operation, Big K runs continuously all year round, offering a diverse range of winter and summer fuels, as well as accessories and related outdoor living products whilst maintaining out Big Green Policy.
Our operations
Our National Distribution Depot
In 1989, Big K invested in a freehold property, establishing our own packing plant in Stoke Ferry, Norfolk. This 7.5 acre area is one of our core operational sites, allowing Big K to carry significant stock in bulk, as well as finished goods. Our carefully designed and unique system of packing and stock holding ensures quality, continuity of supply, and the ability to react quickly to market needs, with deliveries usually made within 72 hours of receiving an order. We believe in being proactive rather than reactive, that way we are always ahead of the curve. With this in mind, we identified very early on the Increasing customer demand for quick deliveries on seasonal products, so we made many operational changes. The most important being increased investment in modern production facilities and the improvement of our supply chains.
This site consists of:
- 82,000 square ft of warehousing space
- 8000 pallet capacity
- 7 loading bays
- Fully racked warehousing
- 3 separate warehouses with fully automated sprinkler system to reduce the risk of loss of stock
- 3 production lines, operational all year round
- Biomass boiler
- Office area
Due to our increased financial investment and modernisation strategy, Big K is uniquely placed to serve the fuel marketplace. We are continuing to make significant investments into our facilities, to ensure that we match the needs and expectations of our customers.
Our London Retail Site
In addition to the National Distribution Centre, Big K’s Head Office is based in Tottenham Hale, North London. This property is the focal point of our business and the site is ideally located for Big K to operate a localised warehouse and distribution centre for areas within the M25.
We may have many different functional parts to our Head Office, yet they all compliment each other culminating in our ability to serve customers with the best possible quality and consistency. At Tottenham Hale, our fleet of vehicles offers a fast and reliable service to all our customers within the area. We deliver charcoal and log orders to restaurants every week, and we also provide many shops with a range of orders from small quantities to full pallets. The site also operates a daily cash and carry facility for customers who do not have space to store their products.
The warehouse is fully racked and receives regular deliveries from the Norfolk depot to ensure all products are in stock and readily available all year round. Big K prides itself in maintaining close customer relationships to meet their needs and help develop their businesses.
The synergy between our two operational sites ensures that Big K can serve all of our customers with quality products and reliable deliveries.
Why Choose Big K?
- 40 years’ experience in the fuel industry
- A robust quality and control system
- Quality products of the highest standard
- Constant product review and refinement where possible
- Large stock levels to meet customer demand
- Quick and efficient delivery thanks to our own fleet and third party haulage relationships
- Strong supplier relationships meaning better overall product
- We’re a business built on the values of trust, family and partnership
Forest Stewardship Council ®
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) is an independent, not-for-profit, non-government organisation that provides standard setting, trademark assurance and certification services for companies and organisations interested in responsible forestry. FSC provides Chain of Custody standards for manufacturers and processors of forest products. The Chain of Custody standards allow credible tracking of certified wood and wood products from certified forests through trade and manufacturing to committed retailers and consumers.
Big K and FSC
Big K has been a certified supplier of FSC certified goods since 1997. The FSC logo and label is used by Big K to denote that the product is sourced from FSC certified suppliers, and can be tracked throughout the production process. The Big K Chain of Custody number is TT-CoC-001015. Find out more about FSC here.
Customisation is king. That’s why the Big K range of restaurant grade charcoal and wood is specifically tailored for professional kitchens. It provides the best possible combination of quality and performance, delivering long lasting heat and vibrat flavours for your menus. With a wide range of charcoals suitable for specific tastes and cuisines, it’s easy to find the perfect charcoal to compliment your culinary vision and offering.
True quality comes from consistency. We’re constantly testing all of our charcoal to ensure the perfect cook, every time. Our robust and modern manufacturing processes produce dependable, reliable charcoal and wood products that don’t change from batch to batch, meaning you can focus on creating the perfect dish, rather than worry about whether your charcoal is up to the task.
If your restaurant is cooking over wood and fire then Big K is your perfect partner. For wood burning pizza ovens we have an extensive range of wood products, including Kiln Dried Hardwood Logs using finest quality British Beech and Ash, and compressed sawdust Forno logs providing long lasting consistent heat. All these products can be easily stored and handled. Our British Kiln Dried Oak is ideal for smokers or for open grilling producing long lasting heat and flavour.
We believe in sourcing our product sustainably wherever possible. 100% of our wood is grown in Britain and sustainably and ethically sourced. Find out more about our sustainability journey here.
Try Big K restaurant grade charcoal for your business
If you are embarking on a new project, our experienced sales team can provide onsite consultations to discuss your requirements and assess your situation. Then we can advise you on the appropriate fuel type to meet your goals. We are professionals with a vast knowledge of the industry and we want to share our expertise with you – including everything from the appropriate type of commercial kitchen equipment using charcoal or wood, to fuel related flavour profiles. We are here to help make any project on any scale a success.