Member Spotlight: Smokey Joe’s

From the first time he stepped into a bustling kitchen at the age of ten, Joe’s love of cooking has been as much about adrenaline and curiosity as it has about flavour. Early mornings surrounded by simmering stock pots, the guiding presence of his grandparents, and the excitement of discovering a space where he truly belonged shaped the foundation of his culinary journey. Over the years, working in kitchens across the UK and Australia, running his own pub, and refining his craft in Michelin-starred environments, Joe has built a cooking style that blends French technique, British tradition, and bold Asian influences.

Now, with Smokey Joe’s BBQ, he brings that same passion to live-fire, low-and-slow cooking – creating big, bold flavours with a focus on experiences as much as meals. In this Q&A, Joe shares the stories, lessons, and inspirations behind his food, his philosophy on hospitality, and what keeps him endlessly fascinated by fire, smoke, and flavour.

You were in the kitchen from a young age. What do you remember most about those early days cooking at 10 years old?

I remember feeling fear, excitement, adrenaline, the smell walking into the kitchen at 8 am and the stock pots that had been simmering for the last 36 hours and the trepidation that I had to skim and strain all the stocks and then also clean them out after. I also remember my late grandparents, who were still heavily involved in the restaurant. My grandmother Pamela running front of house with a rod of iron but also a lovely smile to the customers that behaved themselves and how effortlessly everything just seemed to happen. I remember my grandfather in service in the kitchen slicing smoked salmon and cooking on the chargrill and him swearing which I had actually never heard him do before. I remember being excited that I had found somewhere that felt comfortable and like I fitted in from the very first day.

When did you realise cooking wasn’t just a skill, but something you wanted to build your life around?

I think I knew fairly quickly that I had a huge amount to learn and it was going to be an uphill challenge however I think I knew within a few hours of being on the kitchen on that very first day.

How did working in different kitchens across the UK and Australia influence your approach to food?

Knowledge absolutely. and picking up techniques and discipline and realising that actually like many other things in life this wasn’t going to be something I just learnt and did, that it would be something that would continue to grow and adapt throughout my career.

I think I cherry picked the different styles of cuisine that spoke to me and the style of foods that I enjoyed cooking and packaged them all up.

I think I started to realise after being in the industry for a number of years that there were cross overs in techniques of all styles of cooking. Just because they have different names and slight variations the foundations that underpins all cooking in my opinion is French cuisine which is what ive built my style upon and adapted over the years.

You’ve worked everywhere from rosette-level kitchens to Michelin-starred environments, what lessons stayed with you the most?

Keeping going and not giving up. Just try every single day to do a little better than the day before. Strive for excellence in everything you do and know that every single mistake that you make ultimately will help you further push towards your goal whatever that may be. I think my biggest lessons have been learnt through mistakes rather than my successes and I can say there have been many mistakes along the way.

How did running your own pub and restaurant for five years change your perspective as a chef?

I realised very quickly the things that Id not even taken into consideration in the past with previous employers such as the financial pressures, the constant staffing pressures. Its not just about the food you serve or the level of service you provide. There are so many other layers to it that most people will never see. The buck fully and finally stopped with me. When you have 40 staff that can be a very insular and pressured place to be. Especially when you haven’t got a business partner. Upon reflection, at the start of the journey opening and creating my own pub and restaurant I certainly felt the pressure of this and it sometimes came across in the way I would communicate with my team which was pretty tough sometimes. I learnt and have continued to learn that sometimes you get more with honey than you do with vinegar.

At what point did your cooking style start to really feel like your own?

In Australia, I worked in a well known steak and seafood restaurant close to the opera house which I started as soon as I landed. I was working there as sous chef and I started to mix some pan Asian techniques in with French underpinning of cooking. After this I really started to come into my own with my own style of cooking.

How would you describe the balance between British, European, and Asian influences in your food?

I think it would describe my style as modern British and by that I mean Britain is such an amazing melting pot of cultures and cuisines. Its hard not to take different ideas and concepts and mix them up a little bit.

What made 2024 feel like the right time to start a new chapter with Smokey Joe’s BBQ?

After I closed my own pub, I had several months of not feeling fantastic. I wasn’t sure if I would go back into hospitality at all at one stage. I then started to get that itch that is never leaving me and started cooking more at home again and experimenting with ideas  and started experimenting with different smoking techniques on a little offset smoker that was pretty horrendous. Over many many long nights of smoking I reflected on what I truly loved about cooking, the people, the passion, the excitement. All those moments that drew me in in the early years are once again prominent in my mind.

After this I had planned to go and travel the world private yacht cheffing however I then met my then girlfriend, now wife, and as I always say to anyone who asks, she **ucked it all up haha. I knew pretty quickly that I could not be away for 6 months of the year and be away from Lucy which got me thinking what can I do to incorporate my skills, my passions and also stay in England.

Why live fire and low-and-slow cooking – what draws you to that style?

There is something very primitive about cooking on live fire. Its almost cathartic. The opportunity to work outside on a daily basis is magical to me and also having the interaction with customers and guests that you don’t usually have inside a kitchen.

How does Smokey Joe’s BBQ reflect who you are as a chef?

I think its unapologetically big, bold, beautiful and personality. What were doing is not complicated however there is a lot of different processes and certain techniques that go into everything that we do so there is very little area to hide. When I was younger it was all about putting lots of different things on a plate and now its very much about putting less things on that are full of flavour leaving you wanting more.

What does cooking over real fire allow you to express that a traditional kitchen doesn’t?

There is an unpredictable to fire and I think leaning into the fact that im not incontrol and accepting fundamentally that I have to control it the best I can with the knowledge I have gives me a sense of peace.

How do you approach building flavour when working with smoke, fire, and time?

I think the starting blocks is process, consistency, recipe rubs and seasoning, dry and wet marinades and understanding how long each process will take and building a bit of a road map to how your smoke is going to look. We focus heavily on only using Oak for our low and slow smoking. This gives a distinctive smokey taste and the best flavour in our opinion.

What excites you most about combining big Asian and European flavours with BBQ?

The possibilities are pretty endless whether its pairing a slow and slow beef cheek with a beautiful nam jim sauce which beautifully cuts through the fat of the smokey, sweet, meaty beef cheek or its cooking a lamb shoulder for 14 hours on the pit and then pairing that with a beautiful romesco sauce you king of unchained and free and the flavour combinations that can be paired with meat and also vegetables.

Is there a dish that best sums up what Smokey Joe’s BBQ is about?

I would say our smokey Joes Platter is really where its all at in terms of describing what smokey joes is all about. Theres a little bit of everything which includes, brisket, hot links, peach iced tea pork belly bites (interstellar inspired), spare ribs, shotgun shells, stuffed Jalapeno poppers with a variation of sides that we change weekly.

You talk about creating “big experiences” – what does that mean to you in practice?

We like to go the extra mile for our guests. This may mean some private parties have some surpises along the way, bespoke tastings when booking a special event or if you visit us at a public event there are usually a few little treats on the smoker ready for customers to try.

How do you adapt what you do for intimate home events versus large-scale catering?

Its very much like my cooking style which is a fusion of cuisines and cultures. The underpinning foundation is the same, lucy and myself have the knowledge and experience to create what we feel hospitality is all about and that’s our guests feeling seen, being nurtured, well fed and appreciated. My experience in kitchens that served 30 people a night or 400 people a night then allows us to scale either way.

What reactions from guests tell you you’ve done your job right?

Quite often people come and tell us after they’ve eaten our food, a cheeky smile, people watching what were doing while their eating their food, people are often fascinated by the smoker, people coming to ask questions.

Why do you think live-fire cooking connects so strongly with people?

Because its so primitive. I don’t know a person that doesn’t like looking at an open flame with the way it flickers in the wind and the way smoke carries in the open air amongst a crowd of people. Its almost a sensory overload and I think its something that’s in all of that wants to be able to cook on open fire. Or is that just me??

What values sit at the heart of Smokey Joe’s BBQ?

Kindness, Respect, Creativity, Growth and Inclusion

What do you want people to remember after experiencing one of your events?

Flavour, its all about the flavour. We like to create an environment where people feel calm & happy where they can relax and enjoy some time with others. We like it to be prepared and organised to ensure on the day there are no moments of worry or uncertainty. All of our staff are bubbly, chatty and love to talk to others which I think brings a sense of inclusion to all guests that visit.

How do you see Smokey Joe’s BBQ evolving over the next few years?

Ultimately we are striving to get multiple set ups out on the road. We are currently in the process of finishing our second van and also looking at a second smoker to keep up with demand.

We would love to one day have a fixed premises in the countryside with multiple pits in a fixed location where our guests can see all the cooking still. We would love indoor and outdoor areas where families are able to come and enjoy our big, beautiful Texas style BBQ.

What still excites you most about getting behind the grill?

Every day is slightly different. No 2 pieces of meat are the same. Learning each and every day still.

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