Christmas Eve, New Outdoor Kitchen Reveal

The fire isn’t lit, but the warmth is real: we’re sitting under a brand-new pergola on Christmas Eve, talking through how a messy garden corner turned into a clean, year‑round outdoor kitchen built for 365 cooking. We get practical about design—why the old workshop had to go, how a Somerset grill became the centrepiece, and the small layout shifts that made everything click. With transparent chat on budgets, drawings, and brand choices from the AOS Kitchens process, this is a candid blueprint for anyone planning a functional, beautiful cooking space.

Holiday cooking brings the plan to life. We map out a calm, mid‑afternoon feast by spreading tasks across multiple cookers: turkey with room to breathe, a brisket started early for a long rest, and a cola‑and‑rum glazed ham that caramelises into crowd‑pleasing lacquer. There’s cold‑smoked cheddar waiting for the cheese board and a breakfast ritual of pancakes on the griddle, bacon, maple syrup, and a brazen Irish coffee. It’s part menu, part timing playbook, packed with tips on airflow, buffers, rest times, and how to avoid the dreaded stall panic.

We also look back and forward. A quieter year pushed us to invest in learning—like a standout day at the Irish Egg cookery school—and to double down on what makes British barbecue special: flexible, fusion‑friendly, and fearless with flavour. Being interviewed by the Barbecue Radio Network sharpened our empathy for guests and renewed our pride in the UK scene. Looking to 2026, we’re aiming for 100 episodes, more on‑the‑road recordings, and bigger live‑fire ambitions: a Kadai fire bowl, rotisserie and hanging hooks, feather blade done right, maybe even a shared suckling pig. We’re bringing back Barbecue Bingo too, and you’ll pick the ingredients.

If you’re dreaming up your own outdoor kitchen, you’ll find honest advice on layout, workflow, storage, lighting, weatherproofing, and which appliances actually earn their space. If you’re cooking for Christmas, you’ll walk away with timing strategies that let you sit, sip, and enjoy your own meal. Join us, share your must‑have backyard upgrade, and tell us what you want to hear next. If you’re new here, tap follow, leave a quick review, and pass this on to a friend who lives for good food and a better setup.

Sponsored by AOS Kitchens
AOS Kitchens are a leading outdoor kitchen design and installation specialists based in Hampshire

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Transcript

Sponsor And Holiday Setup

Owen 0:00

Today's episode is brought to you by AOS Kitchens, the South's leading outdoor kitchen design and installation specialists. Welcome to another episode of the Meet and Greet Barbecue Podcast. It's Christmas Eve. We're sat out here having a nice little drink before the festivities kick off tomorrow. Good to have you here, Dan. In person. When was the last time we did a podcast in person?

Dan 0:33

Ooh, um probably we did one on a drive back from somewhere, didn't we? Was that after going to Sean's open day?

unknown 0:43

Yes.

Dan 0:45

That was it. Yeah, it's the last one we've done in person. I mean normally you're used to seeing us on Zoom, obviously. But um it's good to do it in person. Nice little setup. Maybe we'll get some more of these done in this sort of guide.

Owen 0:56

Well, I mean, what did it take? You 15, 20 minutes to get here?

Dan 1:00

Something like that. It's not hard. But I think we need to discuss the elephant in the room. What's this? What's all this? How was that experience?

Owen 1:10

Uh yeah, long.

Dan 1:12

Yeah.

Owen 1:13

Uh a good, good experience. Obviously, we've just I've just posted some pictures. Uh obviously, Jody came around and did an actual video tour of the kitchen. Um, so if you're watching this on YouTube, you can see that we're kind of sat out in my uh new outdoor kitchen. Um we're we're doing it a bit late tonight in terms of actually doing some cooking, otherwise the fire would be on behind us. But um, yeah, I mean it looks it looks pretty cool, right? For me, it's a life it's a life goal ticked.

Dan 1:44

I know mine's gonna be a few fair few years away if I'm lucky. Lucky before I retire, but you know, we'll see.

Owen 1:50

Yeah, definitely, definitely, yeah.

Dan 1:52

Um, I'd love you to talk us through kind of the thought process of how this was planned out, how it got going. I mean, obviously Jody's been integral to bits of that from AOS, but tell us about the journey of like I'm doing this, I want it to look like X, Y, and Z.

Design Choices And Budgeting

Layout Tweaks And Final Fit

Owen 2:08

Yeah, um so as you know, my setup before, right? I just had in my back garden was just kind of odd spaces here and there, just with a few barbecues kind of dotted around, and had a big workshop at the back, and that workshop was falling to pieces, the doors were starting to not close properly, and all that kind of stuff, and it was just housed full of my junk basically. So it was in effect dead space. Um that I wanted, you know, one of the reasons that we moved into a new, you know, I say a new house four years ago, uh, not long after we started the podcast, weirdly enough, um, that I wanted to get somewhere with a shack, right? I had proper, I say shack, this isn't a shack in terms of it's you know, it's a pergola, but I was getting proper Shack envy from so many people in the community that was just putting up these amazing spaces so that we cook 365, right? That's always been kind of what we do and how we follow, and the people that we follow and get inspired about. It's it's very much about that 365 cooking. So I just was work, I've been working towards a three a space where I can where I can do that. Obviously, there was only one person I was gonna call, yeah. Uh obviously Jody at AOS Kitchens, and as you would expect, he's kind of just made the process super easy in that uh well, he knows the type of equipment that I've got. Um, just explained that I wanted a nail-shaped kitchen, wanted to go under a pergolar, and he sorted out the pergolar for us as well. Um, and you know, we discussed kind of budgets and and what we had, and he was putting forward the brand that best fitted both with the style that I wanted and therefore the the the um budget that I had to do. Yeah, and it was a case of just talking through the space, um, taking some photos, showing him what I had, where things were gonna go, um, and then just put forward some drawings and some ideas, and we you know, we kind of spoke around that Somerset grill and how do we make it part of it.

Dan 4:09

It's a centrepiece, isn't it? Let's be honest.

Owen 4:11

Yeah, yeah, very much so. Um, and you know, we did have to, when the actual came it, we we had to sort of tweak out the layout. This wasn't actually the original layout, so the broil king was supposed to be going over here, that cupboard was supposed to be over there, but it just meant that it just it was a bit too just didn't quite flow in the way that it does now. So we just made that change. Um and yeah, and and that was it. I did have to wait a little while.

Dan 4:37

Best things though, exactly, exactly.

Owen 4:40

But incredibly fortunate to be in a position to get this. Um obviously it's not a cheap thing, uh, so it's very much it's like my baby. I'm I'm cleaning it out here more than I'm cleaning my kitchen indoors, which is driving my wife crazy.

Christmas Day Cooking Plan

Dan 4:58

But you know, Christmas is coming along, right? So, which is why we're here today, obviously. And Merry Christmas to anyone that's listening. If you've merry Christmas, signed this correctly and are listening on the big day, doing your own cook. What's your plans for utilising this on Christmas Day?

Owen 5:11

Yeah, so I've got family coming over tomorrow. Um, and I am going to be doing three meats. So I'm doing a turkey, I'm gonna be doing a brisket. Uh, I wasn't planning to do a brisket, but a family member that's come in doesn't only get to have it when they come here. So very much they put that order in. Uh, and then I'm going to be doing a ham as well. Um, so up, and of course, as you would expect, typically around Christmas, right, space is quite limited. Fortunate enough now that I can spread out across two kitchens in terms of prep time, although I don't I'll do most of it almost exclusively out here. So I plan I plan to be able to cook because what we can't see off camera is that there is also still a couple of other barbecues kind of out of the way. So um I've got plenty of equipment to be able to kind of cook everything. Yeah, you know. Uh so my plan is pretty much Christmas Day, wake up with the kids, they're not so little anymore, so I wouldn't expect to be up too early, but I'll probably be up the earliest just so I can get the brisket on.

Dan 6:16

After 6-6 am surely.

Dan’s Turkey And Mini Brisket Bet

Owen 6:18

If yeah, if that late. Um because we'll normally have like a mid-afternoon Christmas dinner. Um, and I'll, you know, I want to at least get an hour or two rest time from that brisket, so it'll probably be a bit earlier. Um, yeah, so up with the kids, you know, a few uh few bucks fizzes while uh while prepping and just get to cooking so that actually by the time we come to kind of the mid-afternoon, I'm done. Pack away and and drink myself into a slumber, basically. Nice. What about you?

Dan 6:50

So um I haven't told you this yet. I'm taking a bit of a risk on Christmas Day. So I've got um. Well, you're cooking. Yeah, we're done. Trick. Um so um I've got a large chicken breast. So we've got um chicken. Uh turkey, sorry. Yeah, turkey, not chicken. Turkey. Yeah, that classic uh festive bird. Um so I've got a large, a large turkey breast um for it's gonna be myself and my wife, and my father's coming over, and I've got the two children as well. Um, so I'm gonna be smoking that. But I've also picked up from John Davidson, I've not tried one of these before. It's either called a briskette or brisketta, but it's like a smaller version of a brisket. They reckon it'll smoke in three hours. Okay. Like I said.

Owen 7:34

I thought you were just mispronouncing brisketta.

Dan 7:37

No, no, no, no, no. It's like a mini version. Right. I think it's 800 grams.

Owen 7:42

Um what is it like the flat? Like a trimmed up flat.

Dan 7:45

Yeah, I believe. Again, I I didn't read too much into it. I was just like, originally I was gonna do a brisket because my daughter loves brisket, and I was gonna put it on overnight, but I was like, I don't know if I'll sleep well. If I think right, it's Christmas, I don't want to mess it up, and I'll be up and down. So I was like, I'll try this.

Owen 8:03

Yeah, plus um you will see Santa, right?

Dan 8:05

Yeah, exactly, right? Don't want to ruin the magic for everyone because you might not deliver the presents in one week. Yeah, exactly. Um yeah, I'm gonna probably put it on. I know it's just three hours, but probably six, just to make sure that you know, if it comes off at nine or ten, it's gonna be fine for twelve or one with resting time and things. I'd much prefer to give yourself a buffer. Yeah, exactly. It's exactly that, right? Because classically I'll go, oh, three hours, plus like one hour of resting, you know. If we want to eat at one or two, I'll just stick it on, and then you get to that time and it's still sitting at like 74, 75 or something, and you've got hours left. Whereas fingers crossed, it works great, and it also means that in the future I don't necessarily have to always get huge briskets to be cooking for what is three of us, well, four of us, you know. So we'll see fingers crossed. Um, a lot of the other stuff I'm gonna try and prep the day before, so it'll just be more in and out of either the oven or barbecues for like the trimmings and stuff as we go. But yeah, yeah, I'm interested and slightly nervous to see how it goes. I mean, I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure it's moisture in there. I'm sure though, if it's good good quality British beef, it'll be fine anyway.

Owen 9:19

Just treat it gentle.

Dan 9:20

Treat it gentle.

Breakfast Traditions And Drinks

Owen 9:22

So, what's the tradition? And it may not be barbecue related, but what's your tradition in terms of Christmas breakfast? So, what are you gonna be doing tomorrow morning?

Dan 9:30

So, Christmas breakfast, and what I'm gonna be doing is we always have pancakes. Pancakes? Pancakes, normally bacon, blackstone pancakes. Yeah, yeah, of course, of course, of course. Bacon and maple syrup, but um, I'll probably have mine this year with smoked salmon. Um, because in the past I've also had on the side smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, but the two dust not meet normally. Um, because it's Christmas, I'm on porky boy, I'm gonna have two breakfasts on the go. My other rule is I don't tend to have a non-alcoholic drink throughout Christmas. That's just something that I like to keep up. So it'll be bucks fizzing, of course. And then traditionally breakfast, I have uh Bailey's on Irish cream uh coffee. And then we're on our way, you know?

Speaker 2 10:15

Yeah.

Dan 10:15

Um I've got I'll borrow my daughter Stanley, so I've got cold beer on the go when I'm in and out barbecuing and everything to keep it the right temperature. Yeah, and there we go, you know. I I'm so looking forward to just a relaxing Christmas with the fact that like kitchen and everything's done, dining room stuff done. So after so much working on the house since we've been in there in the last 18 months, it's gonna feel more relaxed than last year. Um, and I do like having a lot of people over, but as there's less of us here this year, last year I cooked for I think nine of us. You know, just to be doing it for like five of us is gonna be so different. Yeah, as long as that meat comes out right.

Speaker 2 10:59

Yeah, fair enough.

Cold Smoking Cheese And Sides

Dan 11:00

Yeah, I haven't got around to working out if I want um if I'm gonna also do a ham or if I'm gonna get a pre-done ham just for slicing and around bits and pieces, but because I want to be a bit chilled, that's what's put me off actually making that purchase, you know, and so I have got a ham.

Speaker 2 11:19

Yeah.

Owen 11:19

Um I've been I appreciate I'm cooking it tomorrow, but I have been a bit uh undecided in terms of the recipe. However, um what I did recently say, it was a week or so ago, um, was Shropshire Lad had done like a coke and rum glaze. So uh and it was a you know a supermarket ham that he picked up just sort of straight out of the packet, um, and basically just put a I think he put a coffee rub on his uh indirect meter in obviously to get it 63, uh, and then he put a cast iron dish on the other side, poured a couple of cans of coke in on the direct side, and obviously just let it reduce down. Um as the as the ham was coming up to to to temperature, he then poured in the rum, but it started to obviously sugar crystallise, you know, go that kind of really caramelised and was just basting it and it looked absolutely immense. So just so happens that I do have some coke and I do have some rum. So I'm thinking that that that's gonna be my my attempt.

Dan 12:28

I think that rum will be good. So last year I did a um coke ham and it was very nice, but it's very sweet. I think the rum will just give it a big burn your nose. Oh yeah, burn your nose, that coke ham. Yeah. Um I should also clarify my dad's on his way across from Wales at the moment, um, and he has said he's picked some stuff up. So I'm not saying I don't know if I've got a ham or not. It might be coming down with him because he said he's got a few bits as a surprise, and it normally means meat, and it's whether or not I actually do it for Christmas or if I do it for books a day or afterwards. Um he's obsessed. I think it's he'll kill me for not knowing this. It's a services, I want to say Gloucester, but it might not be Gloucester, but they have like an aged meat counter there, and he said he's pre-ordered stuff from a services section. Uh like it's either Gloucester or it's another one, but they have like an aged meat section, a butcher there. Yeah, I'm sure people will be screaming at the at the podcast, but if it's not Gloucester, it's it's another one. Um, which yeah. We've had good meat from there before, so yeah, it'd be interesting to see what it comes up with. Fair enough.

Owen 13:38

It doesn't sound like something. I went to a service station and I picked up a ham. Oh, you know.

Dan 13:45

Back when I was in Wales, we get most of our meat.

Owen 13:48

Service station.

Dan 13:49

Back of the lorry, back of the floor.

Owen 13:50

And the flowers, any flowers.

Dan 13:52

All classically, you do see the um butchers on a van at some car boots and stuff now, don't you?

Owen 13:57

Uh that's true.

Dan 13:58

Yeah. But yeah, it's a bit different, isn't it? Christmas Eve.

Owen 14:00

Big plastic bag, mystery meat, 20 quid.

Dan 14:02

I also don't know how much I trust picking up meat on Christmas Eve on the way down.

Owen 14:09

Yeah.

Dan 14:09

Because if anything's wrong with that order, that ends up. But it's not my problem, that's someone else's problem, to be fair.

Owen 14:15

So I've literally sat behind you there. I've got the uh Pro Q uh cold cabinet, cold smoking cabinet. So again, uh I've got some cheese in there. Again, I'm not gonna smoke all the cheeses, but um definitely gonna get some one of the you know, the a cheddar or something, uh more of a hard or semi-hard, hard cheese in the smoker.

Dan 14:37

Kiggity.

Owen 14:38

Exactly, for uh Christmas Eve or Christ sorry, it's Christmas Eve today, Christmas Days Eve.

Dan 14:44

Yes.

Owen 14:45

Cheese board.

Dan 14:46

Yeah, you know, the the classic uh cuts, cheese.

Owen 14:51

Yeah, I'm not I'm not one for Christmas pudding generally. Give me a cheese board any day.

Dan 14:54

That's your wife's nickname for you now.

Sponsor Deep Dive

Owen 14:56

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Dan 15:32

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Owen 15:45

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Year In Review And Season Seven

Dan 15:59

So if you want to make yourself the envy of your friends and neighbours, get in touch with them today to arrange a consultation and take the first step in transforming your back garden into the most incredible entertainment space. Visit aoskitchens.co.uk. Having look at the last year. You know, we've gone through fits and start, been able to release as much uh content as we want and not, and we've kind of moved more towards every other week rather than every week when we've got seasons, but that's to stretch things out for everyone listening. What have been your highlights of this year?

Owen 16:34

Oh, er that's a really good one because from a content perspective, it feels like we've been pretty crap actually this year, in all fairness. Um I regret more that we've probably not released as much content, and I think really just because of what you know life that was going on, we didn't get out too much in terms of going out to events and seeing people.

Dan 17:01

Sizzlefest, we didn't go to Sizzle Fest this year.

Owen 17:03

Well no, but Ormi Topia, or you know, there was the um barbecue community cookout that's um was was, you know, there's quite a few events that we probably would next year and in other years, but we just didn't get around to it for for whatever reason. So um but I do think um what's good and it feels good to be back. I know that we've released a few episodes here and there this year, but I think you know, season seven, which has already launched, yeah. Um we're edging ever closer to a hundred episodes.

Dan 17:39

We are edging you, we are edging you. Always oh well, it's it's not November anymore, but we've got um some fantastic episodes coming as well, which are quite.

Events, Classes, And Learning

Owen 17:48

Yeah, so the one obviously the ones that have already come out are great. Um, and we've still got some bangers to come, right? Um sausages, well, yeah, well, yeah, no, they'll come on the grill tomorrow. Uh pigs and blankets. Um yeah, so I I think you know we've got we've got some some great ones to come. Um, so it's really good to get back into it. Um I think proper properly is, and I know that we again we released kind of a couple of sporadic episodes here and there, but it's good to get into a bit more consistency now. So uh I'm quite proud of that, and you know, the the first episode of 2026 is going to be an absolute banger with um DJ Barbecue.

Dan 18:26

Yeah, I know, right? Uh which is gonna be fantastic. We've been speaking to him. We just haven't been able to get the stars to alarm. Exactly, exactly. It's it's a good one. Um for me, I was really excited to speak to Kate Udriscoll. Um, I've been following her for years, I've seen her at a few events, um doing cooking and talking about the work that she does, kind of like in the cafe and the baking and stuff, and it was great to speak to someone that not only knows their stuff but also is there's that business mind behind it too, uh, and learning about how she's kind of moved into the presenting at the events as well, because it's a very different skill. Um, I also absolutely loved. I went down to the Irish Egg Sean's one of his barbecue classes and had a fantastic time, learn loads. If you're it's a bit late now to say for Christmas gift, but if you've got a load of money for Christmas and you're looking for something, I'd highly recommend looking into the Irish eggs cookery school. Um not only is it like the knowledge that Sean's got's fantastic, and the food you're gonna eat is great, but the venue is top, top notch. You know, it's rare to be given the chance to cook effectively in a mini orchard. And I absolutely loved it. I couldn't believe how quick the day went by. So I think I got there about half seven in the morning. I felt like I blinked. I spent a lot of the day topping up um some of the wood in some of the different barbecues, playing with some really heavy offset smokers, which is Great, right? And all of a sudden I blinked and it was half four and I had to get back to Everton from Norfolk quickly because I had to do like my wife was taking our daughter out somewhere and I had to take over the little one for bedtime. But I I cannot recommend it enough. You know, we did um pork ribs, um we did turkey, we also did a fantastic brisket, but then also um as well as doing end to go with the brisket. Uh if you remember the open day you did that fantastic dish that was like a sweet corn, oh yeah, like so so good, and just yeah, can't recommend it enough. I really enjoyed that day because as you said, we haven't got out as much as we like to this year, and that felt like a day that I actually was getting involved with other people too. So that was great.

Hitting 100 Episodes And 2026 Plans

Owen 20:58

I think we've said it a couple of times, and we have to get we, you know, we have to kind of practice what we preach, but I think 2026, we've got to make more of a conscious effort to get out to places, visit but you know, smoke houses, more on a restaurant scene. We've just got to do a bit more podcasts on the go. Yeah, um, you know, it's great we can do one here in person, like like we are tonight, but yeah, I do think going to places and uh and and actually doing it and trying to meet and and and actually perhaps talk with our guests in person. We've got the equipment to do it, we just we just haven't done it. So I want to go up north.

Dan 21:32

We keep talking about going up north. I think there's actually experiencing that scene properly in person.

Owen 21:38

Well, I think there's a few places to go, right? I think Alfresco Chapel, uh the guys there, um already been some of the most friendly people in the world as well.

Dan 21:47

The big show.

Owen 21:48

This is a big, you know, the barbecue community cookout that's happening. Um really excited with John, who's releasing the cookbook. Yeah, um, we're hoping to get John back on the podcast again to talk through that kind of process. I know we touched upon it when he first came on well, what, 18 months, something like that? Maybe two maybe two years ago. And it was just in, you know, it it was something that he he's been working towards for a very, very long time. So to see that come to fruition and um go on sale, and um, we hope to kind of catch up with John about that. So I think excuse me. One too many mince pies. Um I I I'm I'm excited for 2026. I think you know, from a personal perspective, I'm gonna I'm gonna be doing lots more cooking, lots more content. Um, I think from a podcast perspective, you know, we've got a very exciting year ahead. And I think when we get to that 100th episode, which I think was only with the with the cup, I think the three that we've already got coming out after this one, I think we're only six away. I think it'll be about that five or six episodes away. So I reckon as we go by by March, we'll probably be hitting, which will be our fifth year anniversary. If we can try entire hundred episodes in with five years of the podcast, I think, yeah, I think it'll be great.

Dan 23:14

I can't believe we've got five years of sitting here talking crap with you. I I don't know how you've survived. I know that I'm bouncing at the best of times.

Owen 23:25

Yeah, it's been a challenge.

Dan 23:27

We're getting there though. We're only just starting.

Owen 23:30

I think so.

Dan 23:31

Yeah.

Owen 23:32

So I think so.

Dan 23:33

We'll keep doing we'd love to hear more from you guys. Um, love to hear what you want to hear more of. If you've got any questions, we can do Q ⁇ A's and things like that.

Being Interviewed And UK BBQ Pride

Owen 23:42

Yeah, genuinely, I think it's important that we do get feedback, not for for for an ego perspective, but just actually what topics. Yeah, you know, I I think sometimes we're guilty of and I'm gonna say me, not not we, more so. I'm always worried that we're covering old ground and people are gonna get bored of the content, and it would be good to understand if there are things that we're not covering in the podcast, uh you know, around barbecue, wood fire cooking, gas cooking for that matter, um, you know, what people want to hear, or actually who they want to hear from, you know, are are there guests, and obviously we've had a fair few over the years, but are there people that we haven't perhaps con, you know, haven't perhaps connected with yet that uh people feel that they would love to hear from. Um so yeah. Um actually going back to I'm gonna go back, Dan, and I'll come back to you in terms of what um what you were kind of looking forward to. But one of the other things which was interesting, which we haven't actually spoken about yet on the podcast, really, or we haven't promoted it in any way in terms of our socials, and we probably should have, but we got interviewed recently. Um so that hasn't happened very often. Um so we we were approached by the barbecue radio network in the US, uh, which apparently is one of the biggest barbecue network radio shows. Um yeah, we were on the shoe was on the other foot, which was very interesting to go into a we I suppose we can empathize more now with our when we say to everyone, oh don't worry, just come on, it's gonna be an informal chat, and then we just fire a load of questions at people. Um being on the other side of that and not knowing what's coming up and trying to articulate yourself in a in a great way.

Dan 25:36

Um also um And I did a weird I did I did a weird little rant. Yeah, yeah. I hope it's inoffensive, but howdy to the new American listeners.

Owen 25:43

Um Cheers. I'm sure it's fine. Oh, because she said howdy. Yeah, I'm sure that's fine.

Dan 25:49

Yeah, yeah, it was a joke of thanks. Oh, okay.

Owen 25:52

Yeeha.

Dan 25:53

Yeeha.

Owen 25:53

Uh awkward. Uh but yeah, so um if you haven't listened to it, I mean we will put we'll put it out on the on the socials as well. But um if you go onto it's on Spotify and and Apple and things like that, but if you search up Barbecue Radio Network, uh there is an episode with me and Dan being interviewed, uh talking about us as a podcast, but also just sort of British barbecue. And um, again, I think we were very passionate about the quality of British barbecue and how it's not just cooking a brisket, cooking pork butts and ribs and all that kind of stuff. That actually we're far we're very versatile. I think I said fusion, fusion, yeah. Fusion cooking, I think was the thing that I said.

Dan 26:42

But and also discussed cooking for the royal family.

Owen 26:45

Yes, yeah. As an opening interview, getting asked how how which is the most senior level of royal that you've cooked for was uh which is was an interesting opener.

Dan 26:56

I mean, it took all all of my will to not go. Well, Andrew quite like that thing, actually.

Authenticity, Editing, And Format

Owen 27:04

Too soon. Too soon.

Dan 27:07

But um, like you said, it was really interesting getting interviewed by someone else and not knowing what the questions. I mean, you've probably gathered that we're not that that planned out um in how we take our conversations, we want it to be natural. But I've not written a note down in five years. No, I I I write quite a lot of notes down because I edited them while you I think that's probably why I I there's lots of ums and stuff.

Owen 27:32

If you that's well what I do a lot, that's probably because I haven't prepped anything. I literally turn on and plug in and then go, I probably should think of some questions and just do it off the fly.

Dan 27:43

Boring behind the curtain. If you go back to the first series, I don't know, long episodes, long episodes, you know, we're all in the pandemic, we all half cut. Yeah, exactly. But I spent ages going back and editing out almost every other or every um cough and things, and as we went on, I thought, well, actually, to me that feels less natural than a general conversation, so I try and leave them in. You know, if we talk about something really boring that no one's gonna care about, then I'll cut that out, although you guys might disagree with that. But um the general ums, ahs, etc. I I think it's like we've said multiple times about Instagram and cooking, it's better to be authentic, and I think if you can tell then that it's real, right? Rather than to listening to something that Owen and I've just picked our favourite bits from and having that narrative that maybe that's not what someone came on to talk about. So we try and keep it as natural as possible there.

Owen 28:41

So with the big big day tomorrow, Santa's on his way over. What is the one thing that you would irrelevant of cost?

Dan 28:51

Yeah.

Owen 28:51

If a if you could have something to open on Christmas Day, what would it be tomorrow?

Dream Gear And 2026 Cooks

Dan 28:55

I would love uh Kodai fire ball. I mean we've talked about it a lot, right? But um, I like the fact that it's like a fire pit, but then you can put up like the big um tripod over it and be cooking stuff. I'd love to cook a curry on one, like in the hanging bowl. I just think that would be fun and funky. Plus, I I need a fire pit in in the house to be able to enjoy that garden for longer when it's not cold. Well, I'm still out there, but the family are less keen to be out there, you know. That would be that would be top of my list, but I'm maybe that's not a fair way to put it, but I don't know how to articulate it. I'm less got like a long list of barbecues in my mind, like you have, and I'm very envious of what you've got around you. But uh in my head, I'm like, if I've got I've got the blackstone, I've got the egg, I've got monolith, um, and if I could have that app I feel like I'd be happy with all of that, and then it would just be focusing on accessories and wood and different charcoal and meat and things. Yeah, I didn't mean barbecue specific, I just meant for anything. No, that's that's still what I want though. That's still top of my list. I think as you get older, maybe we become harder to buy for. Or for Santa to decide what to make for us as well. So, you know, if you've got stuck, your family are giving you gifts, Santa are getting you gifts, it's hard to know what to get us as we age. Um, what about yourself though?

Owen 30:23

Uh some accessories for the Somerset grow.

Dan 30:25

Oh, it doesn't have to be barbecue by the way.

Owen 30:27

No, it's either beer, barbecue, or rugby, so one of the two. Um but no, just just some uh accessories to go with the Somerset. Um the rotatory. Yeah, and and the chapter where I can you know almost do smash burgers and stuff on that. Meat hooks, so you can just you know hook a load of meat up and just dangle through over the live fire. Yeah, that that's that that's definitely what I'm interested in.

Dan 30:52

Is there any cooks you haven't done that you've got planned for next year? Either first or even if it's something you've done before that's been a while. If you've got something on your list of stuff you want to cook next year.

Owen 31:06

I don't know. I mean I haven't done a thing. I haven't done the feather blade for a long, long time. That was on my list. That would be quite good.

Dan 31:15

Um I love the idea, but I know that we're very unlikely to do it to do like a full suckling pig.

Owen 31:22

Yeah, I think we'd probably do that together, right? Yeah, yeah, that's true. That would be a that would be.

Dan 31:25

I can't be trusted for that for myself, Christ.

Barbecue Bingo And Solo Episodes

Owen 31:27

No, that would that would be good. I think what I think what we should do, um and and maybe we do a pole, actually. Um how tall? How tall is the pole gonna be?

Dan 31:43

Is it? Jesus Christ.

Owen 31:47

It's very big. Yeah. Four metres. Uh the mail metres. The mail meters, yeah. Um so what I was thinking, well, maybe we do a poll and um we get people to vote on some of the barbecue bingo ingredients of of previous episodes, and maybe we get the top five, and we do a little barbecue bingo series where we're cooking some of those weird and wonderful uh or not so weird and wonderful ingredients, uh, and maybe we do a kind of joint joint effort to do that.

Dan 32:25

Um also oh when we see people in person, we get told that people like some of the episodes with the two of us. So we've tried to do a few more of those this year, but I think both of us feel not awkward doing it, but we we like talking to other people, right? So I think that we always hesitate around that.

Owen 32:42

I think it's more because they're it feels like they're the experts.

Dan 32:46

Yes, exactly that. Maybe that's imposter syndrome, or maybe that's fact, probably not fact.

Owen 32:50

Probably fact. But um, I'd love to hear if all the gear and no idea.

Dan 32:54

Yeah, yeah, exactly, right? Is it is that just the people that we've spoken to that feel that way and they are fanning our ego? Or do people actually want to hear more stuff from the two of us, you know?

Owen 33:04

I don't know. I think we'll continue to do it regardless.

Dan 33:07

Yeah, yeah.

Wrap Up And Holiday Cheers

Owen 33:08

Um when we need to fill up that aren't we have so when we realise that oh crap, someone's cancelled, or oh crap, we don't have enough content, yeah. We'll we'll do some and then scramble together. Well, look, we should probably get get uh get going, get ready for Santa to come down the chimney and get the grills ready for tomorrow morning. So Merry Christmas, mate.

Dan 33:34

Merry Christmas. Cheers. Merry Christmas to all of you.

Owen 33:36

Merry Christmas, guys.

Dan 33:47

Today's episode of the Meet and Greek Barbecue Podcast is brought to you by AOS Outdoor Kitchens. They are the South's leading outdoor kitchen design and installation specialists.