What Price Cheap Charcoal?

We stock Scottish BBQ Charcoal becuase we want to support local, ethical suppliers.

Did you know…

Charcoal is one of Europe’s top five products contributing towards global deforestation, along with beef, palm oil and soy.

Studies by The Earthworm Foundation show that much of the charcoal sold in Europe contains undeclared tropical hardwoods. This undocumented timber comes from virgin tropical forests. Hardwoods are slow-growing and are a central part of complex ecosytems. Their destruction has a huge impact on the biodiversity of these regions.

The UK imports around 85,000 tonnes of charcoal each year. Between 4-12 tonne of wood is required to produce 1 tonne of charcoal.

That’s a phenomenal rate of deforestation to provide us with cheap charcoal. The Earthworm Foundation also cites concerns about the use of charcoal to launder illegal timber harvesting and finance other illegal activities.

Our Scottish BBQ Charcoal is made by a community action group in Scotland, using sustainably managed wood. The wood is coppiced from local broadleaf woodlands. The charcoal is made using a retort kiln that resuses the gases produced through the burning process, making it the most environmentally-friendly and efficient way of making charcoal.

The whole process uses traditional skills and is done in small, sustainable batches, in a community. This means it’s not cheap but it is sustainable, made in Scotland and supports a valuable local community initiative.

By buying our Scottish BBQ Charcoal, you’re supporting a local producer, creating employment and building a local timber economy, maintaining a traditional method of production, and reducing your environmental impact.