British Charcoal is made from sustainably managed woodlands using traditional management techniques including coppicing and thinning. Coppicing involves cutting broadleaf trees which are then regrown for in a number of years. This not only prolongs the life of the tree but also enables a continuous source of firewood and charcoal.

The charcoal is made using a traditional steel ring kiln these types of kilns were used extensively throughout the UK at the start of the Industrial Revolution.

The production of our charcoal uses no additives and is fully sustainable, by buying British charcoal you are supporting your local woodsman and the sustainable management of local woodland. It also makes you’re your food taste nicer!

Fat Raven  Charcoal 2.25 Kg Bag £10.00

Woodland manager Chris Silverwood’s Fat Raven Charcoal business is really just a sideline for the work he does in the forest here in West Somerset. The charcoal really is Rolls Royce stuff, and it should be - Chris has been carbonising lumps of English hardwood for over 30 years. 

you’ll find that most British charcoal is a lot higher grade than the imported stuff, partly because it comes from hardwood grown in properly managed woodlands. Chris uses a variety of timber, depending on what he's been coppicing or thinning out. So there’s oak, ash, silver birch, and beech.

Slad Farm Charcoal   5kg Bag £22.00

We make restaurant quality sustainably produced lump wood charcoal from coppicing our woodland at Woolaston Slad . A Slad is the local name for a wooded valley. The woodland forms about a third of our small holding.

Coppicing involves cutting the larger branches of certain species of tree in rotation which then regrow vigorously over a period of around 10 years. It is the way a lot of woodland used to be managed and creates a wealth of different habitats for woodland plants and animals. Most of the wood we use is hazel.

Our charcoal is made in an Exeter Retort. This works by having an inner chamber containing the wood and an outer one which creates the heat to pyrolyze the wood. Once the temperature rises the wood gases released are cycled round and burnt to continue the burn. This reduces the greenhouse gas emission from the process.

This method of production leaves almost pure carbon. The charcoal burns very cleanly and lights extremely easily You will find it gets hot enough to cook on quickly and creates plenty of heat so the amount used will be much less per barbecue than imported charcoal. There are no added chemicals.

The charcoal is made at home so the ‘charcoal miles’ per bag is almost 0. The product is sold in strong paper sacks so its also plastic-free.