First and foremost, we’re friends. A friendship family of chosen ones.
We’ve travelled the world, cooked together (and for each other), sat up late under night skies full of stars and told tall tales of places we’ve been, people we’ve met, memories we’ve made and our plans to do more of all of these things.
But at the core of who we are, as individuals, friends and business partners, is our love for BBQ. And we’re not talking about the humble hardware store sausage sizzle here (even though we’ve all grabbed - and loved - a cheeky snag on our way through from time to time!), this is serious. We’re serious. We’re talking passionate obsession with BBQ from all over this beautiful planet of ours.
Each of us has taken a deep dive into the exhilarating and intoxicating world of BBQ. From laneways in Japan thick with smoke from hundreds of hibachis, open fire BBQs on balmy summer nights across Italy, the asados of Brazil, tandoors of Mumbai, the beautiful Balinese street vendors serving skewers all through the day and night. We’re not talking about a universe of flavour, it's a multiverse.
Years of travel, research, flavour profiling, tasting, testing, recipe creation (and recreation!) and mountains of memories has all lead to this moment. We are finally ready to share decades of happy hard work and dedication.
Explore. Experience. Enjoy.
MEET THE TEAM
THE FRIEND WHO COOKS - Matt, The Chef.
Matt Wilkinson is a name synonymous with flavour. Matt grew up the child of publican parents so a deep seated passion for food and a cheeky ale was inevitable. His earliest memories of BBQs were in the garage on rainy English summer days but even then, he was inspired by the theatre of it all - the unmistakable crack of burning wood, the heat, the sparks drifting into space around whatever lay on the grill that day. It was all just deliciously mesmerising. When it was time to stretch his legs and travel the world as young blokes often do, it was his love of BBQ - and beer - that lead him to some of the most incredible culinary experiences of his life. And here’s the best part: his background in cooking meant that whilst he was loving every delicious second in the moment (whether that was in Japan or Bali or Mumbai), he was clever enough to be able to recreate - almost exactly - the flavours when he got home. Through this remarkable skill, Matt has been able to revisit those defining moments of his travels and share them with family, friends and diners ever since. And what is life if not sharing everything we’ve learned and enjoyed with those we love?
THE FRIEND WHO GRILLS - Andrew, The Pit Master.
Famous for his countless Grand Championships, awards and trophies (won as part of his competition BBQ team “Natural Born Grillers”), Andrew is nothing short of an absolute icon in the BBQ world. Obsessed by all things smoke and fire, and off the back of another highly successful awards season, Andrew made the strategic decision in 2017 to launch a world first concept called The Que Club: restaurant, bar, cooking school and exclusive retail space with a focus on bringing the very best of BBQ to Australia. Whether you’re there to feast on the most outstanding BBQ dishes in Melbourne (must try dishes include the 'BBQ octopus and smoked pork belly’ or the ’tamarind Vegemite king prawns with spicy candied peanut crumb’) , or tooling up to prepare something epic at home, Andrew’s passion, creativity, innovation and boundless enthusiasm for sharing his knowledge - from recipes to equipment, cocktail matches to side dishes, tips, tricks and ultimate secrets to success - knows no bounds. If there was ever a guy to know exactly how to craft a future awarding winning BBQ rub, it's this guy.
THE FRIEND WE ALL NEED - Our Secret Weapon.
So, in exciting news, we have our very own spice mixing master. They have decades of specialised experience and equipment, unparalleled depth of knowledge and unrivalled skill. They’d prefer to remain anonymous (a celebrity lifestyle can be exhausting!) but we’re allowed to tell you that they’re unquestionably brilliant at what they do. And they’re all ours. Aren’t we lucky? And now you are too.