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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Today marks one year since I relaunched the Smoke & Sear website — and honestly, I thought it wouldn’t survive.

With everyone jumping to AI for recipes and reviews, I genuinely expected my little BBQ site to fade away.

But you proved me wrong.

Massively wrong.

Here are 10 epic facts from the first 12 months:

🔥 Nearly 180,000 new people visited the site — enough to fill Wembley twice.

🔥 People from 100+ countries used the site this year.

🔥 The USA alone sent 51,000+ visitors.

🔥 Perfect Pulled Pork was read 32,947 times.

🔥 Ninja content smashed 100,000+ views across Woodfire & FlexFlame reviews.

🔥 Pages were loaded hundreds of thousands of times overall.

🔥 The UK BBQ Events 2025 page hit 7,200+ readers.

🔥 Brisket content pulled 13,000+ views… and I’ve only cooked TWO briskets in my entire life. 😂

🔥 Even the 404 page somehow got 8,406 views.

🔥 And my honest, unsponsored reviews were read over 92,000 times — real testing that people actually trust.

I can’t thank you enough for reading, cooking, sharing, messaging, and keeping this whole thing alive.

In a year where everyone said websites were dead . . . you showed me that real cooks, real stories, and real honesty still matter.

Here’s to year two — bigger, hotter, smokier, and even more ridiculous. 🔥❤️

www.smokeandsear.world

— Lee
Coffee-Infused Beef Short Ribs slathered in a bourbon & maple sauce that was so good I nearly licked the plate clean . . . twice.

Rich, sticky, smoky, sweet, boozy — proper grown-up BBQ that hits different.

🔥 The real star though? That sauce.

Here’s how you make it — trust me, you’ll wanna bookmark this one:

🧪 Bourbon & Maple BBQ Sauce

	•	160g Maple Syrup
	•	80g @woodfordreserve Bourbon
	•	60g Ketchup
	•	60g Brown Sugar
	•	4 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
	•	4 tsp @norfolk_smoke_pit ‘Brew & Briskets’ Rub

Chuck it all in a pan, simmer it down, and let the magic happen. It’s sticky, boozy BBQ gold.

📸 Would I make these again? Absolutely.

⏪ Did I cook these exact ribs 4 years ago to the day? You bet I did.
1 year living next door to RAF Coningsby . . . and what a year it’s been.

Didn’t miss a single Typhoon display practice, caught every Red Arrows pass I could, and those Lancaster moments over the garden will always feel special.

Here’s a little montage of just some of the magic I’ve seen this year.

Can’t wait to see what 2026 brings. ✈️🔥
Not just cooked . . . this tomahawk was forged in fire.

Reverse-cooked low ‘n slow, then straight-up dirty seared right on the coals for that primal crust. Finished with a fat slice of cowboy butter — melted over the top with a chunk of red-hot charcoal.

Flavour? Savage.
Style? Full caveman.
Crust? Absolute filth.

👉 Full step-by-step recipe now live over on the site if you’re keen to give it a go.

www.smokeandsear.world
Too early for a Christmas-themed turkey cook? Maybe.

But with Thanksgiving just around the corner and festive planning in full swing . . . now feels like the perfect time to drop this belter.

Smoked, brined, and slathered in herby garlic butter – this wood-fired turkey’s an absolute showstopper.

Full cook on the Kamado Joe. Full flavour. Full-on festive vibes. 🎄🔥

🎥 Watch the reel
📌 Save it for the big day
🖱️ Full recipe’s up on the site now

#SmokeAndSear #ChristmasTurkey #BBQTurkey #KamadoJoe #SmokedTurkey #ThanksgivingFeast #FestiveBBQ #BBQSeason #BBQLife #TurkeyDoneRight
Right then — first brew DONE, and what better way to mark it than cooking up something to go with it 🍗🍺

If you saw my reel 20 days ago, @igulubeer had sent me their S1 Smart Home Brewing System (gifted) — and this was the moment of truth. First pour, first taste, and my first ever beer used in a BBQ recipe.

I grilled up some beer-brined, honey beer glazed chicken thighs on the @ninjakitchenuk Woodfire, dropped ’em into warm naan pockets with salad, poured over some of that leftover glaze, and got stuck in 🔥

⸻

🧂 Beer Brine:

	•	250ml cold water
	•	250ml of my freshly brewed German Helles
	•	50g salt
	•	25g sugar
	•	1 garlic clove (smashed)
	•	1 bay leaf
	•	5–6 peppercorns

Brined boneless, skinless chicken thighs for 6 hours, patted them dry, and cracked on.

⸻

🍯 Honey Beer Glaze:

	•	150ml beer
	•	2 tbsp honey
	•	1.5 tbsp French’s yellow mustard
	•	1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
	•	1 tsp smoked paprika
	•	Salt & pepper
	•	Knob of butter

Simmered until it thickened up and got sticky, then basted the chicken in the last few mins.

⸻

🔥 Cooked in the Ninja Woodfire:

	•	Grill Mode: HIGH
	•	Around 10–12 mins, flipping halfway
	•	Glazed the last 3–4 mins ’til it was glossy and banging

⸻

Served it all in naan pockets with fresh salad, poured over some of that leftover glaze, and washed it down with a cold pint of the beer I brewed myself. Not gonna lie — for a first try, I’m proper impressed 👌

The only problem? I’ve no CO2 setup yet, so the keg needs finishing sharpish . . . looks like it’s gonna be a very decent night 😂

👉 What should I brew next?

#ad @igulubeer 

www.igulu.co.uk

#igulu #iGuluS1 #gifted #bbqandbeer #firstbrew #beerbrined #stickychicken #ninjawoodfire #beerrecipe #bbqrecipe #cheekydrink #comingsoon #brewtobbq
1 year to the day . . . and I still can’t believe little old me was flown to Nashville by @ninjakitchenuk . First time in America, first time doing anything like that — honestly one of the biggest moments of my BBQ life. And yep, the FlexFlame review I wrote back then is still getting loads of daily traffic too. Madness.
Simple Beef Stew & Fire-Roasted Mash in the Kamado Joe

No thrills. No fancy edits. Just a proper wholesome family dinner cooked low and slow outdoors. Diced beef braising steak, smoked and stewed in the Smoke Pot, with jacket spuds roasted next to it and turned into mash — easy as you like.

Kept the reel as simple as the cook — no crazy angles, just real food, cooked for me and the kids. And sometimes, it’s the simple things that just hit the spot.

Not that you’ll need it, but the full recipe’s up on the website as usual 😉

www.smokeandsear.world

#SmokeAndSear #KamadoJoeCooking #SimpleBBQ #FamilyFood #BeefStew #BBQMash #OnePotCook #RealFoodRealFire #OutdoorCooking #BBQLife