It all started with a stolen tin ballot box.
BeSmoke founder Huw Griffiths had always had a penchant for BBQ, which was what prompted him to swipe that old tin ballot box that lay abandoned at the seafront in Hove.
He quickly converted it into a small smoker and began experimenting with bulbs of garlic, before progressing to spices and potatoes which he shared with friends.
Feedback was good and he was very soon selling his produce at local farmers’ markets.
But it wasn’t entirely smooth sailing. Like any business just starting up, the first few years centred on finding one’s feet - and taking a few stumbles along the way.
“So I burned down my first factory,” Griffiths admitted, caveating with the fact that it was much less dramatic than it sounds.
“The lesson learned here is don’t build smoking chambers out of timber and notoriously flammable material!” He laughed.
Fast forward several years and Griffiths has since developed the business into the well-honed and respected manufacturer it is today.
It was totally trial and error. I had no books, I had no YouTube, I had no internet.
Huw Griffiths, founder, Be Smoke
Yet, as it’s scaled, BeSmoke has held onto its ‘DIY’ mantra, building everything it does and developing its own processes proudly.
As Griffiths explains in the episode, there wasn’t really much guidance to lean on in the early days. But he trusted his gut, threw himself in, and embraced luck when it found him.
Now a global leader in smoked food, the company has filed more than 50 patents worldwide and developed breakthrough technologies such as PureTech, which removes 95% of harmful PAHs from smoke.
You can listen to the episode via the player above or on any of the usual platforms - Spotify, Google Play, iTunes, etc.
