The BBQ Company
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersCobham, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The BBQ Company does
The BBQ Company is a Surrey, UK-based BBQ cooking school founded in 2022 by co-owners Hector and Pat, two South African pitmasters. It delivers hands-on, small-group barbecue classes (capped at 12 participants) at the Cedar Nursery venue in Cobham, Surrey, teaching techniques including Kamado grilling, low-and-slow smoking, Brazilian Churrasco, premium-cut butchery, burger preparation, and Christmas BBQ cooking. The core curriculum runs 4-6 hours and includes all food, equipment, and materials; a butchery partnership with Paul Simmons of Simmons Family Butchers underpins the steak masterclass, and the company uses Kamado Joe ceramic grills as its primary cooking platform.
The business operates a direct-to-consumer model with revenue from scheduled on-site classes, gift vouchers (12-month validity, extendable for a £10 admin fee), corporate team-building events, and private in-home classes. Bookings are taken through a FareHarbor embed on the company website, with awareness driven primarily by Instagram, supported by YouTube, an email newsletter, and a recipe blog. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; customers book and pay per seat on a pay-as-you-go basis.
The company is privately held, founder-owned, and operates exclusively in the United Kingdom with no external investment or parent entity. The 17-person team supports a multi-class schedule spanning core classes (Kamado and Grilling, Low N Slow) and occasional specialty masterclasses. There is no proprietary technology product, no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, and no data flywheel — the offering is fundamentally a human-expert-led experience business dependent on the founders' culinary credentials.
The BBQ Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The BBQ Company
- Legal name
- THE BBQ COMPANY
- Website
- https://thebbqcompany.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The BBQ Company industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cooking Classes
- NAICS
- Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets (722514)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cooking Classes & Chef-Led Workshops (THAJAGAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Culinary Skills Workshops (Baking, Regional Cooking, Food Prep Skills) (THAJAKAE)
Keywords
Where The BBQ Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cobham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The BBQ Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- In-Person Cooking Classes: Revenue from scheduled cooking classes including Kamado & Grilling Masterclass, Low N Slow, Butchery & Steak Masterclass, Brazilian BBQ Masterclass, Ultimate Burger Masterclass, and Christmas BBQ Masterclass. Classes run 4-6 hours and are booked in advance.
- Gift Vouchers: E-vouchers sold as gifts with 12-month expiry. Vouchers can be redeemed for any class and extended for £10 admin fee after expiration.
- Corporate Classes: Team-building events for corporate groups offered as private hands-on BBQ masterclass experiences.
- Private Events: Private BBQ classes conducted at customer homes, providing personalized in-home cooking experiences.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard cooking class booking |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
The BBQ Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The BBQ Company runs hands-on barbecue and outdoor cooking classes at a dedicated venue (Kitchen in the Garden at Cedar Nursery, Cobham, Surrey), with a maximum of 12 participants per session lasting 4–6 hours. Offerings span core Kamado/grilling and low-and-slow smoking masterclasses plus occasional specialty classes (Butchery & Steak, Brazilian Churrasco, Ultimate Burger, Christmas BBQ), and are supplemented by gift vouchers, private in-home classes, and corporate team-building events.
Product overview
The BBQ Company is a Surrey-based BBQ cooking school offering hands-on barbecue cooking classes for all skill levels. The company provides core classes including Kamado and Grilling Masterclass and Low N Slow smoking techniques, alongside occasional specialty classes such as Butchery and Steak Masterclass, Brazilian BBQ Masterclass, Ultimate Burger Masterclass, and Christmas BBQ Masterclass. Additional offerings include corporate team-building events, private classes at customers' homes, and gift vouchers. Classes are held at Cedar Nursery in Cobham, Surrey, with a maximum of 12 participants per class, running 4-6 hours with all food, equipment, and aprons provided.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Small group classes with maximum 12 participants ensure personalized attention
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The BBQ Company
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The BBQ Company technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The BBQ Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Simmons Family Butchers (Paul Simmons)coreExpert butcher Paul Simmons from Simmons Family Butchers partners with The BBQ Company for Butchery & Steak Masterclass, providing professional butchery tuition and expertise. He demonstrates traditional butchery skills and premium cut preparation during hands-on classes.
- Kamado Joe UKminorMentioned in social media hashtag presence (#KamadoJoeUK). The company uses Kamado Joe grills (Kamado Joe Classic 3 with Slo Roller) for cooking classes and recipes. Represents brand alignment and shared customer base.
- Cedar NurserycoreVenue partner hosting The BBQ Company's cooking classes at 'The Kitchen in the Garden' location. Provides facilities, parking, and operates as the primary class venue.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The BBQ Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Big Green Egg UK: Big Green Egg UK runs hands-on kamado-style cooking experiences and demonstrations, directly comparable to The BBQ Company's Kamado & Grilling Masterclass. Both use premium ceramic grills as the centerpiece of the class experience.
- Cookery School at Little Portland Street: A central London hands-on cookery school offering themed classes, chef demonstrations, and corporate events. Closely matches The BBQ Company's small-group experiential class format across multiple cuisines.
- Leiths School of Food and Wine: A well-established London cooking school offering recreational and professional cookery courses. Operates a similar experiential, class-based business model to The BBQ Company, though with broader culinary curricula and a longer track record.
- Borough Market Cookery School: A London cookery school tied to Borough Market offering hands-on classes. Comparable UK consumer cooking-class format targeting food enthusiasts, with strong London location footfall.
- Weber Grill Academy: Weber's Grill Academy offers in-person BBQ and grilling masterclasses run by grill experts. It is a direct competitor in the BBQ cooking class category, although operating globally rather than locally.
- The Avenue Cookery School: A London-based hands-on cookery school offering a wide range of themed cooking classes. Comparable UK-based cooking-school format with multi-class curricula targeting consumer and corporate audiences.
Emerging players
- The Smoke House UK: UK-based BBQ and smoking focused food brand offering classes, products, and catering. Comparable UK BBQ-focused niche with overlap in audience but a different operating mix (more product, less pure cookery school).
Broad incumbents
- Smokestak: A London-based live-fire BBQ restaurant brand. Shares the UK live-fire BBQ consumer audience and category positioning but monetizes through restaurant service rather than classes.
- Jamie Oliver Cookery School: A high-profile branded cookery school offering hands-on classes and experiences. Operates as a larger incumbent in the same experiential cooking-class category, with stronger brand recognition and broader menus.
- Pitt Cue Co: A UK BBQ-focused restaurant and catering brand. Operates in the broader live-fire BBQ category but as a food-service business rather than a cooking school; comparable audience and category authority.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The BBQ Company social profiles
Digital presenceThe BBQ Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The BBQ Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The BBQ Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The BBQ Company 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 The BBQ Company
What does The BBQ Company do?
The BBQ Company runs hands-on barbecue and outdoor cooking classes at a dedicated venue (Kitchen in the Garden at Cedar Nursery, Cobham, Surrey), with a maximum of 12 participants per session lasting 4–6 hours. Offerings span core Kamado/grilling and low-and-slow smoking masterclasses plus occasional specialty classes (Butchery & Steak, Brazilian Churrasco, Ultimate Burger, Christmas BBQ), and are supplemented by gift vouchers, private in-home classes, and corporate team-building events.
Is The BBQ Company a public or private company?
The BBQ Company is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The BBQ Company founded?
The BBQ Company was founded in 2022. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The BBQ Company based?
The BBQ Company is headquartered in Cobham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The BBQ Company make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. In-Person Cooking Classes are the primary driver. The others are gift Vouchers, corporate Classes and private Events.
Who are The BBQ Company's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Big Green Egg UK, Cookery School at Little Portland Street, Leiths School of Food and Wine, Borough Market Cookery School, Weber Grill Academy and The Avenue Cookery School. The Smoke House UK is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Smokestak, Jamie Oliver Cookery School and Pitt Cue Co.
Does The BBQ Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for The BBQ Company.
What industry is The BBQ Company in?
The BBQ Company's product category is Cooking Classes. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJAGAI, Cooking Classes & Chef-Led Workshops, with a secondary code of THAJAKAE, Culinary Skills Workshops (Baking, Regional Cooking, Food Prep Skills). Its NAICS code is 722514 and its SIC code is 5810.