Western Morning News (Saturday)
Alfie, 12, cooks up a storm on the barbecue scene
CHILDREN are often ordered – with good reason – not to play with fire. But one 12-year-old has shown that with the right guidance using flames to cook delicious food is one way to make a name for yourself.
Alfie King, from Peter’s Marland, in Torridge, Devon, bought his first smoker for his 12th birthday last year and is now gaining a reputation as a rising star in the barbecue community.
Alfie honed his cookery skills by helping his dad during the second Covid lockdown after testing recipes invented by other top chefs at the barbecue coals.
Alfie said he now prepares most of his meals using his barbecues – whatever the weather or season. “What people don’t realise about barbecuing is the number of flavour combinations you can do,” he said. “I love being outdoors and the combination of being outside and cooking makes it really enjoyable for me.
“I often come out here to cook on my own because as much fun as it is cooking with other people, it’s great to have that space to yourself. There was a storm earlier this year and I was just sat on the slabs cooking gammon.
“The one thing I do like is when I’m out barbecuing is I don’t need a screen in sight. I can focus on monitors and temperature checks and leave my phone indoors.”
The 12-year-old’s dedication to the art of barbecue has not gone unnoticed. When he started, Alfie created social media accounts to share his food online, and has since gained a following of over 1.7k food lovers and barbecue enthusiasts. He has seen support from other experienced figures in barbecue, such as Marcus Bawdon who runs the UK BBQ School, Cullompton, and has a worldwide reputation as a king of the coals.
Alfie has also become an ambassador for a number of barbecue brands, including Pit Barrel, Barbecue Stew and Grillstream, and has received complimentary equipment from using their products. He has also taken to the road to demonstrate and improve his skills – cooking on-stage during the international barbequing festival Sizzlefest in September 2021.
Alfie said “I quite enjoy social media because it means I’m able to tell the public what we like most days of the week and how much more you can do with barbecuing. That’s the thing I’m trying to get across to people – it’s not just sausages you can cook. I’ve baked bread and cakes using the barbecue.
“I was really happy when I had 200 followers, but now have about 1,600. It has been a bit of a shock. The neighbours have been really supportive as well – we quite regularly have loads of smoke coming from our garden and they have never complained about it.”
Alfie’s dad and fellow barbecue enthusiast Dave King said: “I love cooking with him and I think he has overtaken me now. When you look back at his Instagram it is amazing how much he’s learned in such a short time. We’re really proud of him.
“When Alfie started his Instagram page, it was just to show people what
‘The neighbours have been really supportive – we have loads of smoke in the garden’ ALFIE KING
he was doing. I never thought in a million years it would go the way it has.
“The barbecue community on social media are just brilliant. If somebody posts something, they’ll always be willing to tell you the ingredients they used, how they did it and they’ll always give you hints and tricks. It’s a real community.”
According to the National BBQ Week website, the UK is the leading BBQ nation in Europe, hosting 150m barbecues a year. Between 2019 and 2021, the number of BBQs in UK households grew by 40% as a result of the Covid pandemic.
While much of Alfie’s following has been gained online, he is now taking his food and knowledge to the public. From Easter Sunday, Alfie will be barbecuing for the public at Yarde Orchard Cafe, on the Tarka Trail. He will also be giving a barbecue demonstration at Heart Smoke and Soul, Holsworthy, on June 10.