Environmental Responsibility

Our Charcoal

We have built our own high quality charcoal retorts so that all Sussex Charcoal production is handled on-site – and quality control can be assured.
 

These retorts are emission free once the temperature reaches the gassing point of the wood feed stock which is within the retorts.

Buying British

The result – superior British made charcoal that lights quickly and burns hot, reaching cooking temperature in just 15 minutes – so you don’t have to stand around for hours, patiently waiting for your barbecue to "heat through".
 

But there’s more to what we do than satiating the appetites of barbecue lovers and helping gardeners – as much as we derive great satisfaction from this. There are also significant environmental benefits which underpin the Sussex Charcoal operation. Because we source all our wood from local coppiced woodland, this means that these natural habitats can be responsibly replenished and sustained and kept in great condition for wildlife.
 

Presently, only a very small amount of wood used for barbecue charcoal derives from British woodlands. We want to encourage this practice – because the more wood sourced in Britain, the better the care will be for our 40,000 ha of ancient woodland.
 

And here’s the thing. British woodlands make better charcoal because British trees used in the process are typically less dense than those for imported coal.
 

So for a great British barbecue and the best results in the garden, it makes sense to buy from Sussex Charcoal!