A couple from Bristol are bringing their home cooking to the city through a new Texas-style barbecue takeaway. Ben and Ree Payne have launched Payne's BBQ in Brislington, and are hoping to dispel the myth that a barbecue is just for summer.
London has long tapped into the US barbecue scene through restaurants like Bodeans and Smoke Stack. Although Bristol has a handful of spitfire and low-and-slow food outlets, it’s yet to take off on a grander scale than in the capital. Launching earlier this year, Payne's BBQ focuses on a homecooked style you'd typically find in the US, specialising in whole ribs, pulled pork and brisket.
Ben, who is 30, purchased a smoker to recreate the outdoor cooking that is a common way of life in regions across the US, popularised in Texas, Memphis, Carolina and Kansas City. Barbeques are considered more seasonal in the UK, whereas in the US, they cook on closed pits where the weather doesn’t make a difference.
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“It’s the same for me, I’ll cook my turkeys on the barbecue on Christmas day because it’s a great way to cook. When you cook meat slowly and you give it time to rest it’s an absolute game changer," Ben said.
“What we do as a barbecue over here is so far behind. Burgers and sausages are so far away from what it could be. That’s what I fell in love with, the American lifestyle of how they do it. It’s an event and people queue up for this sort of stuff in America."
Sourcing meat from Woods family butchers in Shirehampton, ribs and pulled pork tend to be the most popular items on Ben’s menu as people recognise them, with an option to purchase a whole rack of ribs for family meals or events. Brisket is one of Ben’s specialities, which is cooked and rested for 16-20 hours.
“Use your butcher! We’re going to lose them if we don’t keep using them for these kinds of things.” Ben added that there are so many benefits to buying meat locally where it’s often cheaper and you can source exactly the right amount of meat.
The couple hopes that Payne's BBQ will encourage people to change their mentality in Bristol. "A lot of people haven’t eaten great ribs. I love seeing people try my food for the first time, they often say they’ve never eaten anything like that before.”
Ben, who works in the railway industry full-time, has always lived in Brislington. Working in his spare time with his wife, they were driven to start their own business by the strong support for independents in the south Bristol neighbourhood - home to decades-old local businesses.
“Sandy Park has loads of local businesses who are all quite big on keeping it local. It seemed a good chance for us to do it," Ben said. His nan was his main cooking influence, who worked as a chef her whole life, and helped her cook for big buffets and other events in Bristol.
Ben hopes the visit the US for the first time to expand his breadth of knowledge of outdoor cooking. The couple also wants to explore events and catering services later on in the year.
Payne’s BBQ is open just for preorders for Saturday takeaway - collection only - currently where customers must book in advance so Ben knows exactly what to prepare for the weekend. Orders tend to close two days before service, with last orders for Saturday falling on Thursday each week.
For pre-orders, head to the Payne's BBQ page. Follow on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram for updates. The next dates for takeaway are: Friday, April 28 and Friday, May 5, 2023.
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