Britain can’t BBQ? Tell that to the fastest growing BBQ UK start up

A home grown British BBQ brand is celebrating a summer of success after partnering with some of the biggest names in the community, winning celebrity fans including Ed Sheeran and seeing demand for its colourful 45-gallon steel upright drum BBQ and smokers reach cult status.

Launched just last year, 45 BBQ has reignited the British passion for outdoor cooking and BBQ food and showed fed-up foodies that there’s more to summer dining than burnt bangers and uninspiring burgers plucked off a gas burner. The BBQ fanatics have gone from zero to 25,000 Instagram followers in less than 12 months and are an active part of the British BBQ and smoking scene.

The modern steel drum BBQs come fully loaded with everything needed to cook up a feast outdoors, with tools, locally sourced Welsh charcoal and high quality steel grills and planchas. BBQ heavy hitters including Marcus Bawdon have been vocal in their support, while this year has also seen 45 BBQ collaborate with big independent supermarket brands such as Tiny Rebel and Sauce Shop.

The steel drum BBQs have also won an international following with popular designs Big Red and Bubba often dispatched across Europe to destinations such as Spain and France.

Each part of the 45 BBQ is manufactured within a 10 mile radius of the brand’s base in Saltney, North Wales. Co-founder Nathan Pearson and business partner Rob Randall created 45 BBQ during lockdown after steel drum sales declined. Pearson said, “Having lost an enormous amount of business during the first lockdown, we stood around the BBQ we had cooked and eaten off for years each Friday as a team after work. After a few beers, we looked at each other, a spark landed and we laughed – if we could create our own BBQ which reflected our style of cooking, why not do that for others? We haven’t looked back since.

“We will be the first major UK BBQ brand of our kind and have already started to see interest from abroad. Our customers love the colourful vibes and fun our 45 BBQs inject back into outdoor cooking and we’re super happy to be encouraging the nation to get back out there and experiment with BBQs, smokers and outdoor meals. We are no longer a nation that can’t BBQ!”

45 BBQ designs and manufacture custom furniture and creates bespoke items from 45 gallon drums for the public and big brands. Recent projects include a drink table made from a steel drum with built in ice cooler and beer holders, custom drum furniture sets and even a mobile barrel bar. The BBQ gurus also offer grilling masterclasses at 45 BBQ HQ.

To find out more, visit: www.45-bbq.com
Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/45bbqs