Reds True Barbecue
Red's True Barbecue is a privately held UK chain of four American-style smokehouse restaurants — founded in Leeds in 2012, with three sites co-located in BrewDog bars — plus a CPG retail line of BBQ sauces and frozen burgers in major UK supermarkets, serving casual diners nationwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Reds True Barbecue does
Red's True Barbecue is a privately held UK-based American-style barbecue restaurant chain founded in September 2012 in Leeds, operating a current footprint of four restaurants — the original Call Lane flagship in Leeds and three co-located food concepts inside BrewDog bars in Hull, Huddersfield, and Bradford — alongside a consumer packaged goods (CPG) retail business. The restaurants use custom Oklahoma-manufactured 300-pound-capacity smokers, hickory and apple wood, a custom wood-burning BBQ pit at each site, and 24-hour on-site smoking operations to deliver brisket smoked for no less than 18 hours, burnt ends triple-smoked, ribs for eight hours, and chicken for three hours, with all meats cooked fresh daily and never reheated. The menu, branded 'The Good Book', spans brisket, ribs, pulled pork, burgers, sausages, and dedicated vegan options, supplemented by weekday 'Lunch Worship' value menus, weekend brunch, and seasonal Christmas Feast and group-catering offerings.
The company operates under a multi-channel go-to-market: dine-in across the four UK restaurant sites, delivery via Deliveroo from Leeds and Bradford, gift cards (the 'Gift of Meat') sold in denominations of £10 to £200, and a True Believer Rewards loyalty programme. Pricing spans £7.50 (Express Lunch pit dog and fries) to £15.95 (BBQ Blowout, two courses and a drink), with bottomless-drink weekday lunch menus at £9.95 elsewhere and £10.95 at Shoreditch-equivalent positioning. Beyond restaurants, Red's has built a parallel retail arm of five proprietary BBQ sauces and a frozen 'Almighty' burger and sausage range stocked in Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Ocado, and Booths.
The company employs close to 400 people across the UK and has built brand authority through international competitive barbecue, most notably a 4th place finish out of 252 teams at the 2018 World's Championship Bar-B-Que in Houston — Red's being the only UK smokehouse group ever to compete on the world stage. Three of the four active sites are co-located with BrewDog, embedding Red's inside established craft-beer bars with 28-30 draught lines. The customer base is overwhelmingly consumer (B2C), with no enterprise software customers and no disclosed external funding.
Reds True Barbecue firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Reds True Barbecue
- Legal name
- Red's True Barbecue
- Website
- https://truebarbecue.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Red's True Barbecue is a privately held UK chain of four American-style smokehouse restaurants — founded in Leeds in 2012, with three sites co-located in BrewDog bars — plus a CPG retail line of BBQ sauces and frozen burgers in major UK supermarkets, serving casual diners nationwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Reds True Barbecue industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Smokehouse Casual Dining Restaurants
- NAICS
- Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets (722514)
- SIC
- Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013)
- akta.pro primary industry
- BBQ & Smokehouse Fast Casual (THAFABAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- BBQ Sauce & Marinades Manufacturing (AFAKADAH), Sausage & Ground Pork Manufacturing (Fresh & Cooked) (AFANABAF), Beef Further Processing (Cooked, Cured, Smoked, Deli, Sausage) (AFANAAAE)
Keywords
Where Reds True Barbecue is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Reds True Barbecue business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Dine-In Restaurant Sales: Revenue from on-site dining across multiple UK restaurant locations, with a fast-casual first-come-first-served model. Operating lunch worship menus (weekdays 12pm-4pm), brunch (weekends 9am-12pm), and full dinner service. Limited advanced bookings for groups of 8+.
- Supermarket Retail Products: Five barbecue sauces and a frozen burger/sausage range ('Almighty' line) sold through Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Ocado, and Booths. Frozen range includes three burgers and two sausages. Products also available via the online store.
- Delivery & Takeaway: Delivery orders fulfilled via Deliveroo from Leeds and Bradford locations. Takeaway and delivery supported at Hull via BrewDog's platform. In-restaurant takeaway also available.
- Gift Cards: Red's True Barbecue gift cards ('Gift of Meat') sold online in denominations from £10 to £200, and physically at all restaurant locations. Valid for 12 months from purchase.
- Christmas & Event Catering: Christmas Feast group bookings and Christmas Buffet offerings sold via inquiry forms and DesignMyNight. Includes dedicated vegetarian options.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lunch Worship - Weekday lunch menu (12pm-4pm, Mon-Fri) with bottomless soft drink or beer/wine |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Express Lunch - Pit Dog with fries, Mon-Fri 12pm-4pm |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Brisket Sliders - Half rack of brisket with pit beans and a pint |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | BBQ Blowout - Two courses and a drink |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards - Available in denominations from £10 to £200 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Christmas Feast Menu - Group booking for Christmas dining events |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels12 records
Reds True Barbecue product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Red's True Barbecue operates a chain of UK barbecue smokehouse restaurants serving slow-smoked meats (brisket, ribs, pulled pork, burnt ends, burgers) using custom Oklahoma-manufactured 300-lb smokers and a wood-burning BBQ pit. The company also retails five proprietary BBQ sauces and a frozen 'Almighty' range of burgers and sausages through major UK supermarkets and its online store, with delivery available via Deliveroo.
Product overview
Red's True Barbecue operates a chain of UK-based barbecue smokehouse restaurants alongside a consumer packaged goods (CPG) retail business. The core offering is the dine-in restaurant experience featuring slow-smoked meats, with The Good Book menu serving as the branded food and drinks catalogue. The company has expanded into retail with five BBQ sauces sold through major UK supermarkets (Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Ocado, Booths) and a frozen 'Almighty' range of premium burgers and sausages available at Tesco. Additional products include gift cards and the True Believer Rewards loyalty programme. Seasonal offerings include Christmas Feast menus and special event menus.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Smokehouse Restaurant (Dine-In) Fast-casual dine-in smokehouse restaurant serving slow-smoked meats (brisket, ribs, pulled pork, burnt ends, burgers) across multiple UK locations; first-come-first-served seating with bookings for groups of 8+.
- Retail BBQ Sauces Range Five proprietary BBQ sauces produced by Red's, available in UK supermarkets (Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Ocado, Booths) and online, for home use.
- Almighty Frozen Burgers and Sausages Premium frozen BBQ burger and sausage range inspired by Southern US BBQ, sold in Tesco frozen aisles and online.
- Gift Cards ('Gift of Meat') Pre-loaded gift cards from £10 to £200, valid 12 months from purchase; available as email gift cards online or physical cards at all restaurant locations.
- Christmas Feast Menu and Christmas Buffet Seasonal group Christmas dining offering including a sit-down Christmas Feast and a Christmas Buffet option, with dedicated vegetarian alternatives; booked via inquiry forms or DesignMyNight.
- True Believer Rewards Loyalty Programme Loyalty programme rewarding repeat customers with points and benefits for dining at Red's UK restaurants.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4th place overall out of 252 teams at the World's Championship Bar-B-Que in Houston, Texas — beating every Invitational winner
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Reds True Barbecue
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Reds True Barbecue technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Reds True Barbecue partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- BrewDogcoreRed's True Barbecue operates its smokehouse food concept within BrewDog bars in Hull, Huddersfield, and Bradford. BrewDog handles the beer (28-30 draught lines) while Red's provides the BBQ food menu. These are Red's fourth and subsequent BrewDog co-location food concepts. Hull location is at Princes Quay floating shopping centre; Huddersfield is near the university; Bradford is centrally located near City Hall and the Alhambra Theatre.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Reds True Barbecue competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Honest Burgers: UK fast-casual restaurant chain with regional footprint and committed sourcing narrative; directly comparable on format, scale (~400 employees class), and CPG-adjacent retail ambitions.
- Bodean's BBQ: UK-based American-style BBQ smokehouse restaurant group with multiple London sites, founded around the same era; the closest direct comp to Red's for authentic low-and-slow BBQ in the UK.
- Smokehouse: London-based BBQ restaurant brand by the Smoke & Bones team offering slow-smoked meats and BBQ comfort food, directly comparable concept in the UK BBQ segment.
- The Ribman: Independent London-based BBQ operator famous for slow-smoked ribs and brisket, comparable to Red's as a UK-only authentic American-style BBQ specialist.
Broad incumbents
- Nando's: Largest UK fast-casual flame-grilled chain with national footprint, CPG retail (sauces at major grocers), and clear brand authority — useful benchmark for unit economics, retail expansion, and brand-led growth in the UK fast-casual category.
- Five Guys: US-rooted fast-casual chain with deep UK presence and strong brand differentiation; comparable on premium-positioned UK fast-casual operations and menu-anchored positioning.
Emerging players
- Smoke & Bones: UK-based BBQ brand active in events and restaurant activations; comparable as a competitor with crossover into food events/catering and brand-led BBQ positioning.
- Wingstop: US-born fast-casual chicken brand expanding in the UK with strong unit economics and brand-led marketing; comparable on UK fast-casual expansion playbook and limited-service adjacent positioning.
Others
- BrewDog: Strategic venue partner hosting Red's food concepts at Hull, Huddersfield, and Bradford; relevant as the partnership counterparty whose commercial position directly affects Red's current expansion model.
- Wright's Food Group: UK-based prepared-food and BBQ product manufacturer serving grocery and foodservice; adjacent peer for production, sourcing scale, and UK BBQ CPG distribution dynamics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Reds True Barbecue social profiles
Digital presenceReds True Barbecue financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Reds True Barbecue leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Reds True Barbecue funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Reds True Barbecue M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Reds True Barbecue
What does Reds True Barbecue do?
Red's True Barbecue operates a chain of UK barbecue smokehouse restaurants serving slow-smoked meats (brisket, ribs, pulled pork, burnt ends, burgers) using custom Oklahoma-manufactured 300-lb smokers and a wood-burning BBQ pit. The company also retails five proprietary BBQ sauces and a frozen 'Almighty' range of burgers and sausages through major UK supermarkets and its online store, with delivery available via Deliveroo.
Is Reds True Barbecue a public or private company?
Reds True Barbecue is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Reds True Barbecue founded?
Reds True Barbecue was founded in 2012. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Reds True Barbecue based?
Reds True Barbecue is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Reds True Barbecue make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Dine-In Restaurant Sales are the primary driver. The others are supermarket Retail Products, delivery & Takeaway, gift Cards and christmas & Event Catering.
Who are Reds True Barbecue's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Honest Burgers, Bodean's BBQ, Smokehouse and The Ribman. Broad incumbents are Nando's and Five Guys. Emerging players are Smoke & Bones and Wingstop. Others are BrewDog and Wright's Food Group.
Does Reds True Barbecue have an API?
No public API is recorded for Reds True Barbecue.
What industry is Reds True Barbecue in?
Reds True Barbecue's product category is Smokehouse Casual Dining Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFABAH, BBQ & Smokehouse Fast Casual, with a secondary code of AFAKADAH, BBQ Sauce & Marinades Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 722514 and its SIC code is 2013.