UK BBQ WhatsApp Community

Welcome to the home of the realest BBQ chat in the UK. No filters, no cold dinners waiting for a reel to upload, and definitely no over-polished foodie nonsense. This is where proper BBQ folk come to talk fire, meat, gear, wins, fails and everything in between.

This WhatsApp community is split into smaller, focused groups – not because we’re trying to be fancy, but because it helps keep things tidy (and stops your phone from blowing up every 3 seconds). Join the ones that suit you, ignore the rest. Simple.

Available Groups

Community Chat

The main room. Anything goes (BBQ-related or not). Share your latest cook, tell a daft story, ask a dumb question—this is where we hang out. Expect laughs, chaos, and zero judgement.

Recipes

Got a go-to dish that never misses? Share it here. From rubs to full feasts, this is the spot for crowd-pleasers, experiments, and “I probably shouldn’t tell you this but…” type recipes.

Competitions & Giveaways

Seen a BBQ comp floating about? Running one yourself? Stick it in here. Also where all the giveaways live—because who doesn’t love free meat and merch?

For Sale / Trade

Selling a smoker? Got a grill gathering dust? This is your BBQ boot sale. Be honest, be fair, and try not to cry when you part with your pride and joy.

Intros & Social Links

New around here? Pop your name in, tell us what you’re cooking on, and chuck in your Insta/TikTok if you’re into that. Helps put a face to the meat.

Meet-ups & Events

Organising something? Heading to a BBQ fest? Want to get a pint with some local legends? This is where all the in-person fire starts.

The BBQ Telegraph

This one’s strictly business. Just announcements, updates, and need-to-knows. No chat. No spam. Just the good stuff.

Collab Crew

This group’s for those who actually want to get involved. It’s not about chasing brands — it’s about teaming up with other BBQ lovers to create content together, support each other, and grow your reach the real way.

Whether you’re posting a picture, making a reel, or cooking the same dish with your own twist — this is the place to find people to collab with, bounce ideas around, and help each other out.

No ego, no pressure — just community-powered growth.

Grow & Grill

For the green-fingered grillers out there! Whether you’re pottering on your allotment, growing your own herbs, or just love getting your hands dirty while your brisket smokes—this is your spot.

Share your veggie patches, tips, compost chat (yep), and how you’re bringing your garden to your grill. From tomatoes to turnips to tri-tip—it’s all welcome here.

Off the Grill: The Wild & Rowdy Lounge

Where the filters come off and the chaos begins. Rant, meme, banter, offend (within reason) – this is the place for everything that doesn’t belong in the other groups. Join at your own risk.

Regional Groups

For local banter, butcher recommendations, and moaning about the weather.

North BBQ Group

From Yorkshire smoke rings to Mancunian meat sweats, this is where the northern grillers gather.

South BBQ Group

Garden grillers, coastal cookers, and everything in between. Southern sizzle starts here.

Wales BBQ Group

If you’ve ever cooked lamb in sideways rain with a pint in hand, this is your crew. Proper Welsh fire.

Scotland BBQ Group

Smokin’ in the snow? Midgie-infested meat sessions? Aye, you’ll feel right at home here.

Midlands BBQ Group

Smack bang in the middle and holding it down! From Brum to Notts, this is where the Midlands crew link up. Share your cooks, find local butchers, and chat all things BBQ with your fellow midlanders.

Ireland BBQ Group

BBQing with Guinness in hand? You’re in the right place. Whether you’re in Dublin, Cork, or anywhere in between, this is where the Irish BBQ community links up to share the craic and the cook-ups.

Northern Ireland BBQ Group

From Belfast briskets to Lough Neagh lamb, this is your home for grilling in the North. Join the chat, share your cooks, and maybe even arrange a meet-up when the rain lets up.

To keep our community safe and spam-free, all new members now start in the Holding Pen. This is a temporary group where you can introduce yourself and get to know the community. After a short period, and once we’ve had a chance to ensure you’re here for the right reasons, you’ll be welcomed into the main groups. It’s all about keeping the fire burning without any unwanted smoke!

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Still buzzing from The Big BBQ Community Cookout at Millington Hall Farm, Cheshire 🔥

What. A. Weekend.

Old mates, new friends, non-stop food, live fire, beers, banter, and some of the best people you could ever meet. From the butchers demos to the fire stage, the wing challenge, and the teepees glowing late into the night — this one had it all.

Huge shoutout to @charredfoodco & @cheshire_grill for pulling off something incredible for their first event 👏 

Rumours are already flying for next year, and I can’t bloody wait.

Big love too to everyone I got to hang with, but special shoutouts to — @jons.bbq , @wazs_sauce_hut , @alfresco_chapel_bbq , @meatf_reaks & the lads, @banquet1415 , @liamthecateringbutcher , @firetitsbbq , and Tom from @kendogrills — absolute legends every one of you 🙌 

The BBQ community in the UK is strong, growing, and full of heart. Many friends for life made this weekend ❤️

#BBQCommunity #LiveFireCooking #UKBBQ #BBQFamily #SmokeAndSear #BBQLife #Cookout #MillingtonHallFarm #BBQEvent #Pitmasters #FoodFamily #GoodVibesOnly
Shot on Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra 🎥🔥

I had some fantastic dino ribs from idevour that needed smoking — so I decided to put the new Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra through a proper real-world test while cooking.

Producing BBQ content solo is hard work — juggling tripods, chasing angles, and trying to film when your hands are covered in seasoning is honestly the most stressful part of sharing the journey.

But this gimbal genuinely made life easier.

🙌 Gesture control to start/stop recording and enable A.I. tracking worked a treat — reliable every time.

📸 The built-in tripod meant I could drop it exactly where I was cooking.

💡 The variable light module helped even out those tricky shadows.

🎮 And that removable remote with live-view screen . . . game-changer. I can finally use my phone’s rear camera for proper quality and still see exactly what I’m filming. A quick tweak on the joystick and framing’s sorted.

I’m still exploring the different gimbal modes and plan to dive deeper into the Hohem app, but for a first run it was seriously impressive — smooth, stable and intuitive.

Admittedly, filming myself using the gimbal filming me cooking got a little confusing at times (had to prop up an iPad to catch the chaos 😂) — oh, the joys of content creation!

In short: if you’re a solo content creator who wants to simplify your workflow while levelling up filming quality and creative angles, the Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra is an absolute winner.

🔗 Check it out via [link in bio]

#Hohem #iSteadyV3Ultra #HohemV3Ultratryout #Videography #ContentCreation #BBQ #SmokeAndSear #SoloCreator #BBQCommunity

@hohem_global @hohem_na 

⸻

⚠️ Gifted Item Disclosure:

The Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra was sent to me by Hohem to try out and review. Opinions and content are my own.
🔥 This is probably the thing I’m most proud of in my BBQ journey.

I’m not a pitmaster or pro chef — just a geek who started cooking outside during lockdown and wanted to remember what I’d learnt.

So I built Smoke & Sear - a site that’s now packed with:

✅ 100+ step-by-step BBQ recipes
✅ Honest reviews of grills, gadgets, and gear I’ve actually used
✅ A full UK BBQ Events calendar
✅ Top UK BBQ Instagram accounts
✅ Rub competitions, pitmaster map & more
✅ Sizzle – my own AI BBQ assistant (yep, I went full nerd)

All built to support the UK BBQ community — nothing fancy, just useful stuff from someone who lives and breathes it.

📍 114,000+ have found it via Google
📈 27,000+ users in one week (at peak)
🌍 Visitors from 170+ countries — but always flying the UK flag

—

💬 If you’ve ever used the site, let me know what helped.

If you haven’t yet, go have a mooch - it’s all free.

👉 https://www.smokeandsear.world

What else would you like me to add or do?

I’m a geek — and if it helps the UK BBQ community, I’ll see what I can do.

— Lee | Smoke & Sear

"Just a bloke with a BBQ obsession and a dodgy memory."
"Low ‘n’ slow till it falls apart in your hands – @ninjakitchen Woodfire pulled pork that’s smoky, juicy and dangerously moreish 🐖🔥"

Here’s the move:
🐖 Pork collar rubbed, scored and (optionally) injected for max flavour
💨 Smoked at 120°C until the bark is set and the colour’s spot on
🥤 Foil-wrapped with cider vinegar, BBQ sauce… maybe even a cheeky splash of Dr Pepper
🔥 Cooked through till probe-tender at 95°C, then rested so it pulls like butter
🥪 Load it into buns, pile it on fries, or stuff it into a jacket spud – it’s BBQ gold

No shortcuts, just patience and smoke working their magic.

👉 Full recipe here:
https://www.smokeandsear.world/BBQ-recipes/perfect-pulled-pork-in-the-ninja-woodfire/

#SmokeAndSear #PulledPork #NinjaWoodfire #LowAndSlow #BBQPork #UKBBQ #BBQComfortFood #SmokeGameStrong
"Golden fries drowned in melty cheese, topped with smoky shredded beef cheeks that fall apart with a fork. Comfort food, BBQ style 🍟🔥🥩🧀"

The play-by-play:
🥩 Ox cheeks smoked in the @ninjakitchenuk Woodfire, then braised till buttery tender
🍟 Fries cooked crisp and golden, ready to carry the load
🧀 Cheddar, mozzarella & parmesan melted into gooey goodness
🌶️ Garnished with red chilli, spring onion & coriander for a fresh kick

It’s indulgent, messy, and exactly the kind of food that makes a BBQ table go quiet for a few minutes.

👉 Full recipe here:
https://www.smokeandsear.world/BBQ-recipes/shredded-beef-cheeks-and-cheese-loaded-fries/

#SmokeAndSear #LoadedFries #BeefCheeks #CheeseGoals #BBQComfortFood #NinjaWoodfire #UKBBQ #MessyEats
"Rotisserie Picanha with a fat cap sizzling, gooey Brazilian cheese bread, smoky sweet potato wedges and a mango-pomegranate salsa that hits like Rio Carnival 🎉🥩🧀"

This cook’s a full-on flavour trip:
🐂 Picanha steaks skewered and spun over live fire until medium-rare perfection
🧀 Pão de Queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) – crispy outside, chewy, cheesy middle
🍠 Sweet potato wedges with smoked paprika, grilled till fluffy inside and crisp outside
🥭 Carnival salsa with mango, pomegranate, coriander, lime & a kick of chilli

Stick it all on a big board, crack a cold one, and you’ve got yourself a proper celebration of fire and flavour.

👉 Step-by-step feast guide here:
https://www.smokeandsear.world/BBQ-recipes/picanha-steak-pao-de-queijo-carnival-sides/

#SmokeAndSear #BrazilianBBQ #Picanha #PaodeQueijo #BBQFeast #CarnivalOnAPlate #UKBBQ #RotisserieMagic
"Forget your meal deal – this is the kind of sandwich that needs two hands and a bit of silence while you eat 🥩🥖🔥"

Here’s what makes it special:
🐂 Prime rump joint from Village Butchers, dry brined & cooked rotisserie-style over coals
🔥 Rested, sliced thin, juicy and tender
🥖 Artisan baguette toasted over the fire for that charred crunch
🌿 Fresh rocket for peppery bite
🥵 Slathered with a mustard-horseradish-mayo sauce that packs just the right amount of punch

It’s messy, it’s meaty, it’s smoky – basically the ultimate steak sandwich.

👉 Full step-by-step recipe here:
https://www.smokeandsear.world/BBQ-recipes/prime-beef-rump-joint-sandwich-with-zesty-sauce/

#SmokeAndSear #SteakSandwich #BeefDoneRight #BBQSarnie #UKBBQ #RumpSteak #FireCooking
First night away in the @tentbox I bought from @nomadtrailers ✅

Kept it local and, despite a few niggles, I loved it. 

Stayed at the @theglampingpub pub & campsite — can’t fault it at all. Friendly owners, loads of chats with locals and other guests, self-serve beer pumps (dangerous 😂), and the food was spot on after hiking the Footsteps of Kolkr.

Lessons learned:

	•	I need a @jackery.uk or similar . . . power is everything ⚡️

	•	Waterproof jacket = essential for packing away in the rain 🌧

	•	Snacks . . . don’t forget the snacks 🥨

	•	Mobile reception is rubbish — might have to treat myself to portable Starlink 📡

Wins:

	•	Two plastic tubs system worked perfectly (one for tent & dog bits, one for comfort gear — @chillbeamofficial lights, speaker, chargers etc).

	•	My double sleeping bag was a game-changer — best night’s sleep ever. 😴

	•	TentBox setup was smooth, even if pack-down in the rain took me 15 mins instead of 5.

Overall: cracking little adventure, and I can’t wait for the next one… which just happens to be the Big BBQ Community Cookout next weekend 🔥🍻