Why Are We Still Having to Say This?

Earlier this week, The Independent published a major investigation into the charcoal we use on our barbecues titled "The dark side of your barbecue charcoal - from carcinogens to deforestation and child labour": where it comes from, how it is produced, and the hidden environmental and human costs behind a cheap bag of imported fuel.

Our founder, Jim Bettle, was interviewed for the piece.

We were glad to see a national newspaper shining a serious light on the issue. But as we read it, a familiar feeling crept in - a depressing sense of déjà vu. Because we have been here before.

The Same Questions, Eleven Years Later

Back in 2015, The Independent ran a similar investigation into imported charcoal, exposing the grim conditions faced by workers producing charcoal in Namibia for the European market. Read that Article here →

We wrote about it at the time. We questioned the massive scale of imports into Britain, challenged the lack of transparency, and pointed to a common-sense alternative right on our doorstep: charcoal crafted from sustainably managed British woodlands.

That was over a decade ago.

Since then, we haven't stopped talking about it. We’ve written countless articles on carbon footprints, deforestation, and woodland management. We've spoken to journalists, met with government ministers, and contributed to official reports.

Yet here we are, still asking the exact same questions.

Why Does It Still Need Saying?

At its core, charcoal is a remarkably simple product. You should be able to look at a bag on a supermarket shelf and answer one straightforward question:

Where did this wood actually come from?

Yet finding that answer is surprisingly difficult. Charcoal often travels thousands of miles, stripped of any identifying information about its woodland of origin, tree species, or even the country where it was harvested.

It is a glaring blind spot in modern sustainability:

• We care about where our meat and vegetables come from.

• We care about the ethical timber in our furniture and flooring.

• Yet we light a barbecue underneath it all without a second thought for the fuel burning it.

  
  

We’ll Keep Saying It Until We Don’t Have To

After nearly thirty years of making charcoal, there is a risk of sounding like a broken record.

We know the mantra well by now:

• Buy British charcoal.

• Ask your retailer where their wood originates.

• Support managed British woodlands.

• Never assume a product is sustainable just because the packaging claims it is.

  
  

We don’t repeat these things to push a marketing slogan. We repeat them because the underlying problem has not gone away. British woodlands still desperately need management. Coppicing and thinning still produce exceptional timber. And Britain still imports an astonishing volume of anonymous charcoal from overseas.

Looking Forward

There are finally signs of progress. Wider awareness of imported deforestation is pushing governments toward stricter due-diligence legislation, and we genuinely hope that leads to change.

We look forward to a day when consumers won’t need to read an investigative report just to know what’s in their barbecue.

Until then? We’ll keep championing local, traceable British charcoal.

Always ask where your charcoal comes from.

And perhaps one day, we won't need to ask it anymore.

Read More: Jim Bettle spoke to The Independent for their August 2026 investigation into the environmental and human impact of barbecue charcoal. Read the full article here →