Knowledge
Guides
Practical knowledge for fire cooking, growing, and eating well. A field manual, not a blog.
Guide
The Winter Smoke: Cold Weather BBQ Fundamentals
Cooking over fire in winter is one of the most rewarding things you can do. Cold air makes smoke behave differently. The fire becomes a social centrepiece. And the long, slow cooks of winter are the most satisfying of the year.
1 November 2026
Guide
Winter Garden Prep: Soil Care and Planning
What to do in the garden between November and February — protecting soil, planning next year's growing, and the jobs that make spring planting easier.
1 November 2026
Guide
The Autumn Smoke: Squash, Game, and Late-Season Fire Cooking
Autumn is when fire cooking comes into its own. The temperature drops, the evenings close in, and the combination of game season, root vegetables, and squash creates the most interesting BBQ season of the year.
1 September 2026
Guide
Autumn Sowing: What to Plant September to November
The growing season doesn't end in September. What to sow in autumn for winter harvests, early spring crops, and a head start on next year.
1 September 2026
Guide
Summer Harvest Cook: Peak Season on the BBQ
July and August are the months when everything the kitchen garden has been working toward arrives at once. Tomatoes, courgettes, sweet peppers, corn, beans, basil — this guide is about cooking all of it over fire at the peak of the season.
1 June 2026
Guide
Buying Meat for the BBQ
What to look for at the butcher — cuts, quality, sourcing, and how to buy well for every type of BBQ cook.
23 March 2026
Guide
Charcoal, Lumpwood & Briquettes: Fuel Types Explained
Lumpwood, briquettes, and wood — what each fuel does, when to use it, and how it affects your cooking.
23 March 2026
Guide
Smoking Your First Brisket
A step-by-step guide to smoking a whole brisket on a charcoal grill — from choosing the meat to slicing and serving. The long cook that teaches you everything about fire and patience.
23 March 2026
Guide
The BBQ Toolkit: Essential Equipment
The equipment that actually matters for BBQ cooking — what to buy first, what to add later, and what you don't need at all.
23 March 2026
Guide
Which BBQ to Buy: An Honest Guide
Kettle, kamado, offset, gas, or pellet — what each type actually does well, what it doesn't, and which one suits how you want to cook.
23 March 2026
Guide
Your First BBQ Cook
Everything you need to know for your very first cook on a charcoal BBQ — lighting the fire, controlling temperature, and cooking your first meal with confidence.
23 March 2026
Guide
Companion Planting for Flavour: Garden Relationships That Work
Some plants grow better together — and the right pairings can improve flavour, deter pests, and increase yield. This is the practical guide to companion planting relationships that are genuinely proven in the kitchen garden.
15 March 2026
Guide
Fire-Side Growing: Herbs and Plants to Keep Near Your BBQ
Some plants belong at the grill station, not across the garden. This guide covers the herbs and edibles most worth growing close to where you cook — for instant, spontaneous use the moment the fire is lit.
15 March 2026
Guide
Designing Your Kitchen Garden: Layout, Raised Beds, and First Year Planning
A well-designed kitchen garden is a pleasure to work in and dramatically outperforms a poorly planned one. This guide covers layout principles, raised bed construction, crop rotation basics, and realistic first-year planning.
15 March 2026
Guide
Saving Seed: Heritage Varieties Worth Preserving
Saving seed from your best plants closes the loop between grower and garden, builds local adaptation over generations, and preserves varieties that no commercial supplier can match. This guide covers which seeds are worth saving and how to do it right.
15 March 2026
Guide
Spring on the Grill: What to Cook in April and May
Spring is the most underrated BBQ season in Britain. The evenings are lengthening, the first garden produce is ready, and the grill has been dormant for months. This guide covers what's in season now and how to cook it over fire.
15 March 2026
Guide
Growing for the Grill: The 10 Best Vegetables to Grow for BBQ
Not all vegetables are born equal when it comes to fire. Some transform completely on the grill; others wilt and disappear. This is the definitive guide to the vegetables most worth growing if the BBQ is your primary kitchen.
1 March 2026
Guide
Starting Your Grow Patch: From Bare Soil to First Harvest
Everything you need to know to turn a patch of bare ground into a productive kitchen garden — from choosing the right spot and improving your soil, to deciding what to grow and how to plan your first year.
1 March 2026
Guide
What to Sow in Spring: The March to May Planting Guide
Spring is the most exciting and the most urgent time in the kitchen garden. Get the timing right and you set up the entire growing season. This guide covers what to sow when, what to start indoors, and what can wait.
1 March 2026
Guide
Smoke Meets Soil: The Philosophy Behind This Platform
Why fire cooking and kitchen gardening belong together — the philosophy, the flavour logic, and the life this platform is trying to help you build.
1 January 2026
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