Did you know -

The quality of the charcoal you use is essential.

Not all charcoal is the same. There is a vast difference in quality. Most of us are familiar with buying charcoal for the BBQ in the summer from our local supermarket or garage. The price might look good but is the fuel as good?

If it's imported, it may well have chemicals added to stop it from catching fire in transit, and it might even originate from a rainforest. Charcoal is a surprisingly unregulated commodity.

And these added chemicals in some imported charcoals and in most briquettes are the origin of that old adage of waiting for the coals to go white before cooking. This is because those added chemicals need to burn away first. Most of us can conjure up the memory of the acrid smoke fumes which die out once the coals turn white. Throw in a bit of lighter fuel to get things started, and you are a long way from the restaurant flavours we long to create at home.

But this is far from the whole story. If you choose the right charcoal, it's very, very different. No chemicals, no fumes, no waiting. Just the alchemy of fantastic flavour and aroma. Charcoal imparts flavour. That's where the flavour magic lies. Think of charcoal as an ingredient.