Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Deal on charcoal in UK

I know this post will only appeal to the 1% of the forum who live in Britain, but SHARING IS CARING. I've been emailed by the company I normally buy my lumpwood from - they have a January sale, and no longer a delivery charge. When I started BG Egging a year ago, I tried several charcoal brands and have found Green Olive to be great in terms of value and quality. I'm not affiliated with them, just thought I'd share!

They did have deals on 4 x10kg, but they've sold out already so I've just bought 10 x10kg for £76, down from £109. I now have the problem of trying to store them all in my shed. https://www.greenolivefirewood.co.uk/barbecue-outdoor-range/charcoal/long-burn-lumpwood-charcoal

Quick review: Their charcoal burns well, smells good, and lasts a long time - I've smoked pork butts for 20hrs and still had a lot of lump left over. Only criticism is that I'd like more large chunks - BGE brand has larger pieces but that costs two or three times as much in the UK.



«13

Comments

  • westernbbq
    westernbbq Posts: 2,490
    thanks for sharing @TheToast...stay tuned as i am about to make my own lump charcoal with a home made rocket stove retort setup.  In AZ mesquite and pecan trees grow fast like weeds and we have em everywhere so i have an endless supply of wood around here that wont cost anything except some effort.  Once i get all this figured out ill post results and processes here.... 

    Is green olive a brand or is it actually green olive tree wood?  I ask because olive trees are virtually everywhere around here as well and if that wood could work as a lump source, ill try it
  • Eoin
    Eoin Posts: 4,304
    I have 1 bag of their lump not yet used and noticed this deal yestrday. Will burn some today and see how it goes, but £76 for 100 kg is a bargain.

    Where are you located @TheToast?
  • TheToast
    TheToast Posts: 376
    @westernbbq It's just a brand name - they say it's made from a mix of hard woods. Look forward to seeing how the charcoal making goes!

    @Eoin I'm from North London. How about you?
  • Eoin
    Eoin Posts: 4,304
    TheToast said:
    @westernbbq It's just a brand name - they say it's made from a mix of hard woods. Look forward to seeing how the charcoal making goes!

    @Eoin I'm from North London. How about you?
    Lincolnshire, not actually met a UK Egg owner yet!
  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    edited January 2017
    @thetoast - I am in the 1%. Thanks, will be ordering some. I find that the BGE stuff in the UK, the large bags, have a lot of large lumps anyway, can mix and match.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • TheToast
    TheToast Posts: 376
    @Eoin Me neither! Several of my friends now want one but then they see the price. 

    @Stormbringer where are you from?
  • Eoin
    Eoin Posts: 4,304
    We looked last year, then saw the price and then saw that almost everything you need is extra on top and hesitated for a while. We bought a bundle as our Christmas present from John Lewis with a staff discount from our son's Saturday job, which took the sting off the price.

  • TheToast
    TheToast Posts: 376
    @eoin @Stormbringer BTW with us UK eggers being so few and far between, do share any tips. I've still not sourced brisket yet - it's not impossible, but quotes are high at £50-60 and with a high chance of messing it up, I've not taken the plunge yet. 

    Also you probably know about the smoking wood guy http://bbqsmokingwood.co.uk/?page_id=11

    He's a good source of smoking wood - I bought a mixed box for £45 including delivery that will last me for years. Do specify woods you don't want though - he gave me several pieces of walnut which I threw having read it overpowers food. 
  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    edited January 2017
    @thetoast - I'm in the Midlands, my wife (SWMBO) and I cook with the Eggs (MM and L) most nights. Feel free to check out my food blog for recipes and tips:

    https://thecooksdigest.co.uk/

    This includes some mods I've done for raised cooking, as Ceramic Grill Store have yet to open a branch on our side of the pond. :D

    I highly recommend getting some Dizzy Pig rubs, we bought some back with us from our USA road trip last year and they are all fantastic. BBQ Gourmet sells them in the UK. Alfresco Concepts sell the BGE own brand DP rubs (which are just as good).

    I'm with you on the brisket, it's at a price that I think "meh, I'll still with reverse seared rib-eye". We have a local butcher that does outstanding rib-eyes.

    Now we just need to get a critical mass of BGE owners in the UK for an Eggfest.


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • TheToast
    TheToast Posts: 376
    @eoin I'd originally planned to build my own pizza oven, then learnt of the BGE a couple of years ago and realised it did pizza and so much more. Wanted one for a year, then a newspaper had a December promo code offering £200 of accessories (platesetter etc) so I just went for it. So glad I did!
  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    edited January 2017
    TheToast said:
    @eoin I'd originally planned to build my own pizza oven, then learnt of the BGE a couple of years ago and realised it did pizza and so much more.
    ^^ that is precisely the same reason for me getting our Egg.

    O.o and I just checked, BBQ Gourmet have a sale on DP rubs!!!
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • Eoin
    Eoin Posts: 4,304
    TheToast said:
    @eoin @Stormbringer BTW with us UK eggers being so few and far between, do share any tips. I've still not sourced brisket yet - it's not impossible, but quotes are high at £50-60 and with a high chance of messing it up, I've not taken the plunge yet. 

    Also you probably know about the smoking wood guy http://bbqsmokingwood.co.uk/?page_id=11

    He's a good source of smoking wood - I bought a mixed box for £45 including delivery that will last me for years. Do specify woods you don't want though - he gave me several pieces of walnut which I threw having read it overpowers food. 
    We have a large wood pile including a lot of apple logs from our garden, so I just split some sticks off those for smoking. Not tried anything more adventurous yet though!
  • TheToast
    TheToast Posts: 376
    @Stormbringer Amazing blog. Will have a proper read of that later. Any rubs you recommend I buy?

    I tend to use the house Pitt Cue rub for most things - it's a great spicy, sweet rub you make yourself from their book. 
  • westernbbq
    westernbbq Posts: 2,490
    @TheToast. I am in phoenix, arizona. Right on the line between phoenix and scottsdale. Near camelback mountain...tons of mesquite trees so i am looking forward to converting them into eggable charcoal!  
  • Hey guys, Grillo lump charcoal bought via Amazon is pretty good and cheaper than BGE. Large lump 
  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,323
    @thetoast - I'm in the Midlands, my wife (SWMBO) and I cook with the Eggs (MM and L) most nights. Feel free to check out my food blog for recipes and tips:

    https://thecooksdigest.co.uk/

    ...


    Nice food blog!
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    HeavyG said:
    @thetoast - I'm in the Midlands, my wife (SWMBO) and I cook with the Eggs (MM and L) most nights. Feel free to check out my food blog for recipes and tips:

    https://thecooksdigest.co.uk/

    ...


    Nice food blog!
    Thanks.

    Ten bags of lumpwood ordered, now have to clear some space in the garage. This is going to be a good year on the Egg. :D
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    And it arrived ... hurrah! Thanks again for the tip @TheToast
     



    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • Eoin
    Eoin Posts: 4,304
    Got mine too. Seems like good lump, nice big pieces.
  • TheToast
    TheToast Posts: 376
    @stormbr @eoin Phew that you like it! Got mine last week too - neighbour took 3. But along with the 3 bags I already had, they're now in my shed, stacked to the ceiling. Let me know what you think of it - hope it works out. 

    I should get commission from Green Olive!
  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    edited January 2017
    TheToast said:
    @Stormbringer Amazing blog. Will have a proper read of that later. Any rubs you recommend I buy?

    I tend to use the house Pitt Cue rub for most things - it's a great spicy, sweet rub you make yourself from their book. 
    All the DP ones are good, or at least the ones I have used.

    Cow Lick for reverse-seared rib eye steak (also Raising the Steaks)
    Red Eye Express for scotch eggs (also Pineapple Head)
    Tsunami Spin for double cut pork chops and roast chicken

    There are a few threads about what to use DP rubs for, there was one a couple of days ago. The chap that runs BBQ Gourmet knows his stuff, and is very responsive to questions.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    edited March 2017
    @Eoin @TheToast @nogbaduk just noticed that BGE in the UK has upped the price of a 9kg bag to £25. Jeepers. In fact looking at the site, I think there have been price increases across the board, a MM is now £599 ... pretty sure it wasn't that much a couple of months ago. I paid less than that for the bundle deal from Topstak.

    Makes the lump from Green Olive Firewood even more appealling, even without the offer on. Like ... less than half the price. :wink:
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • Eoin
    Eoin Posts: 4,304
    @Eoin @TheToast @nogbaduk just noticed that BGE in the UK has upped the price of a 9kg bag to £25. Jeepers. In fact looking at the site, I think there have been price increases across the board, a MM is now £599 ... pretty sure it wasn't that much a couple of months ago. I paid less than that for the bundle deal from Topstak.

    Makes the lump from Green Olive Firewood even more appealling, even without the offer on. Like ... less than half the price. :wink:
    Price increases are inevitable with the state of the £ post-Brexit. We have to accept that we got poorer by 20% and put up with it.
  • TheToast
    TheToast Posts: 376
    edited March 2017
    @Stormbringer @eoin Yeah I also noticed the price hike on the BGE store - must be Brexit! Have you tried the green olive  charcoal yet? 
  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    Will do with my next cook, maybe the one after. I've been on the same bag of BGE charcoal since before I took delivery ... yes, the MM really is that charcoal efficient. :D

    I noticed that the firelighters went from £5 to £7. Glad I bought ten packs before the price hike. When they run out I'll look at using a weedburner to light the coals.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------


  • Wheely
    Wheely Posts: 13
    I noticed the £25 price on the BGE charcoal and made the switch to Green Olive. First cook using it was yesterday and wasn't disappointed. 
    XL and MM in the UK, M in France
  • Eoin
    Eoin Posts: 4,304
    edited March 2017
    TheToast said:
    @Stormbringer @eoin Yeah I also noticed the price hike on the BGE store - must be Brexit! Have you tried the green olive  charcoal yet? 
    Used more than half of it. It seems good, big chunks of wood, but there is some dust and crap at the bottom of the bag, some more than others. Handling damage, I suppose. I did get a bit of a paraffin taste twice, maybe the odd chunk in there not quite right?

    How are you finding it @TheToast?
  • TheToast
    TheToast Posts: 376
    @eoin I've been using it for a year now and like it. I've had an Egg just over a year and tried a few brands before finding Green Olive. I agree, about 15% tends to be dust and very small bits. And I've found the odd stone. But tastes a lot better than common brands like Big K I find and burns a long time. 

    @Stormbringer I normally just use a folded piece of kitchen paper with a splash of veg oil as my fire starter - works well. 
  • Eoin
    Eoin Posts: 4,304
    TheToast said:
    @eoin I've been using it for a year now and like it. I've had an Egg just over a year and tried a few brands before finding Green Olive. I agree, about 15% tends to be dust and very small bits. And I've found the odd stone. But tastes a lot better than common brands like Big K I find and burns a long time. 

    @Stormbringer I normally just use a folded piece of kitchen paper with a splash of veg oil as my fire starter - works well. 
    That's my lighting method. I keep a jam jar of pre soaked paper towels next to the egg ready to go.
  • Stormbringer
    Stormbringer Posts: 2,007
    Good tips.

    Tried the new lump tonight. Decent sized chunks, took longer to get going than BGE lump but once going kept heat for longer and didn't burn down quite as much. No paraffin notes, just truffle oil on the chips. :)
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Cooking and blogging with a Large and Minimax in deepest, darkest England-shire
    | My food blog ... BGE and other stuff ... http://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------