Right . . . this has been a quieter week for actual UK BBQ news, but there are still a few things worth knowing about.
A fresh UK test has looked at whether a fan and app can make charcoal less temperamental, two fire-heavy festivals are happening this weekend, Borough Market devoted an evening to live-fire cooking and there is a promising London BBQ collaboration for the diary.
Fewer stories. More useful stuff. Let’s get into it.
Would you pay £719 for a smarter charcoal kettle?
T3 published a new UK review of the Weber Performer Premium Smart Charcoal Barbecue on 9 September, and the proposition is a genuinely interesting one.
At heart, it remains a 57cm charcoal kettle. What changes is the addition of an electronic temperature controller, an internal sensor, a small fan and app connectivity. Once the charcoal is lit and a target temperature is selected, the fan changes how much air reaches the coals in an attempt to hold the heat steady.
In other words, it tackles the part of charcoal cooking that sends plenty of people outside every ten minutes to adjust a vent by approximately the width of a fingernail.
Smart charcoal without losing the charcoal
The official UK price quoted by T3 is around £719, although the review listed lower retailer prices available when it was published. Those offers can move quickly, so it is worth checking the live price rather than treating any deal as permanent.
That is still serious kettle money. The useful question is what you are actually buying for it.
T3 found that the barbecue held temperatures steadily and delivered good cooking results. The controller can show information and alerts, the app adds remote monitoring, and the system can regulate airflow during longer cooks. It can also run from a suitable USB-C power bank, which avoids trailing an extension lead across the garden.
Importantly, it does not turn charcoal into pellets. You still need to light the fuel, load enough for the job and arrange it properly. The review also noted that the barbecue needs the usual 40 to 60 minutes to heat, depending on what you are trying to do.
Then there is the assembly. T3’s reviewer reported a five-hour build. FIVE. I think I would require at least one meal and a mild lie-down halfway through that 😂.
For UK outdoor cooks, the attraction is that this sits between a traditional kettle and a more automated pellet or gravity-fed smoker. It keeps the charcoal flavour and familiar cooking area, but removes some of the repeated vent adjustment. If the electronics ever stop playing nicely, the underlying kettle can still be used conventionally.
I can see the logic. Whether it is worth the price depends on how much you value a steadier fire and fewer trips away from the beer.
Read T3’s complete Weber Performer Premium Smart review
SizzleFest returns to Southampton . . . sold out
SizzleFest is taking place in Southampton on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 September 2026. This is the sixth edition of the event hosted by SoCal BBQ Shop and the Sizzle team.
The programme combines live-fire food, BBQ chefs and brands, country music, craft beer, competitions and tasters along BBQ Alley. New for 2026 is a Friday Feast hosted by Matty’s BBQ Chop Shop and Matt George, built around a four-course fire-led menu.
The official event page is showing SizzleFest as sold out. That means this is useful information for people who already have tickets, rather than a last-minute sales pitch. The same page says there is no on-site parking and recommends arranging a taxi or Uber.
A specialist BBQ festival selling out in September feels significant. It suggests the appetite for live fire, outdoor cooking and the UK BBQ community is not disappearing when the supermarket summer aisle does.
See the official SizzleFest information
Ludlow Castle gets a live-fire Friday night
Ludlow Food Festival runs from 11 to 13 September 2026, bringing independent producers, demonstrations, workshops and food events into Ludlow Castle.
For BBQ and live-fire people, the most relevant part is the separate Friday Fire Night Party in the Inner Bailey. It runs from 6.30pm to 10pm on Friday 11 September, with fire pits, street-food traders, drinks, DJs and live music.
The organisers state that the fire pits are subject to government guidelines. After the wildfire risk and restrictions seen across the UK this summer, that is a sensible qualification rather than boring small print.
Tickets for Fire Night are listed at £7.50, with food and drink bought separately. The evening ticket is not included with daytime festival admission.
A castle courtyard, live music and the smell of woodsmoke is a strong Friday-night proposition . . . assuming the weather and guidance cooperate.
See the official Friday Fire Night details
Borough Market put fire cooking centre stage
Borough Market held its one-night Flame & Smoke event on Thursday 10 September, opening after hours for an evening dedicated to cooking over fire.
Green Market and the open-air area beside Southwark Cathedral hosted special small plates from traders and restaurants, live-fire demonstrations, chef Q&As and a communal food hall. Entry was £7 plus a booking fee, with dishes and drinks sold separately.
The event has already happened, so it is not being presented as something you can still book. It matters because of the bigger direction of travel. Live-fire cooking was not a token grill in the corner. It was the entire reason a major London food market opened after hours.
That visibility is good for everybody who wants British BBQ to be understood as more than disposable trays and six sausages cooked during a heatwave.
See Borough Market’s Flame & Smoke event page
Coming up: Rogue Sarnies x Hon’s BBQ
This is an upcoming diary reminder rather than news announced during the reporting window.
Rogue Sarnies is hosting Hon’s BBQ at its Bethnal Green site on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September 2026. The announced menu includes corn ribs, smashed potatoes and a choice of smoked ox cheek or pork belly sandwiches.
Friday is listed as a ticketed evening priced at £20, running from 6pm to 10pm with DJs. Saturday is due to run from 6pm to 10.30pm as a walk-in service, first come, first served until sold out.
Good smoked meat and a properly constructed sandwich make a very convincing partnership. The difficult part is getting enough sauce and rendered fat in there without the whole thing failing structurally on your shoes. I would happily undertake the research.
Check the current Rogue Sarnies menu and booking page
What have I missed?
That is the strongest useful UK BBQ news for the seven days ending 11 September 2026. No padding with old product launches simply to make the list look longer.
If there is a new smokehouse, event, competition, rub, sauce or bit of outdoor cooking kit happening near you, let me know. Photos of something excellent you cooked are also welcome, obviously.
Cheers,
Lee
