Features / barbecue
Big Nath’s BBQ: Bristol’s barbecuing behemoths
On a recent morning, Nathan Ritchie and Kinsey Pelletier were both sitting on rocking chairs reminiscing about times past.
They could have been sitting outside a homestead in the great American wilderness but we were in Backwell and this was a short break from prep work ahead of trading at the Harbourside Street Food Market the following day.
Nath and Kins are the dynamic duo behind Big Nath’s BBQ, a business started during lockdown that has swiftly become one of Bristol’s favourite street food stalls and has also branched out into events and one-off collaborations.
is needed now More than ever
The duo also sell their own barbecue sauce made off-site to their own recipe now on its 20th different iteration. It won a gold award at the prestigious Taste of the West, “which was nice,” says Kins, modestly.
Now based out here in North Somerset, a larger space enables them not only to prepare more food but also to host barbecue school (or in their own words, ‘BBQ skool’) which is a beginners’ guide to smoking for up to 12 people where you can learn how to prep pulled pork, spatchcock chicken, pork belly burnt ends and barbecue sides.
In business terminology, it’s called diversifying the revenue stream and is crucial for a business like Big Nath’s BBQ, whose market stall days can either sell out on a sunny Saturday or be rained off.
On this particular sunny morning, prep day means all of the pickles and salads getting made, and the meat being prepped before being smoked overnight.
While Nath and Fergus Brazier – who has been working for Nath’s BBQ for two years – focus on the food, Kins works on the admin in a bijou caravan full of Lego models and a packed calendar of future events.
Big Nath’s BBQ are regulars at the Harbourside Market – photo: Martin Booth
A busy market day might see the Big Nath’s team serve up to 150 covers. The most popular dish is dirty fries, which Nath proudly says people have told him are the dirtiest dirty fries in Bristol.
“They are very dirty,” admits the softly-spoken barbecuing behemoth.
“And it’s the visual impact of them as well,” adds Kins. “Quite often, if someone sees those dirty fries go out and doesn’t know our food, they’ll want it.”
The dirty fries dish features hand-cut and double-fried fries, with Big Nath’s own secret seasoning on (“which we’re not going to tell you anything about even though people have tried to find out”), a layer of freshly made macaroni cheese, a layer of 16-hour pulled pork covered in their signature barbecue sauce, alongside pickled gherkins, pickled onions and a drizzle of American mustard over the top.
“I kind of just did it one day,” explains Nath. “I was bored when I was prepping and I had some pulled pork ready and had some mac and cheese ready. Just thought I’d chuck it all together and see what happens.”
When Big Nath’s first traded at markets, customers were given the opportunity to choose all of their meats and sides, but because of cost increases this became financially unsustainable.
So at the markets now, the menu has been stripped down to dirty fries, pulled pork buns and brisket buns, as well as the sides and a few specials which have recently included pastrami and reuben dirty fries.
This year, the plan for Big Nath’s is to concentrate on their new barbecue school but Nath lets slip that they have “a couple of bits” planned with the Bianchis Group team including a likely repeat of last year’s Thanksgiving celebrations with a main dish of smoked turkey.
A recent Big Nath’s BBQ special of reuben dirty fries – photo: Big Nath’s BBQ
Nath was a site manager in the construction industry before getting made redundant at the start of lockdown. At home and bored, “there wasn’t a lot to do apart from cook”.
Kins was still working as a psychiatric nurse so would come home to a three-course meal every day. “And I had the best packed lunches!” she laughs.
When Covid hit, the pair had only been dating for a few months.
Kins was travelling in India and Nath was soon due to meet her in Japan to continue travelling across Asia.
As countries started to close their borders, Kins managed to get one of the last flights back to the UK and worked in a learning disabilities unit in Cwmbran during the pandemic.
Kins grew up in Oxford but lived in Cardiff and “accidentally” moved into Nath’s house in Bedminster at the start of lockdown, with the couple now living in Easton.
Nath had never cooked professionally but always loved cooking and smoking. “The first meal Nath ever cooked for me was slow-cooked brisket,” Kins remembers.
The eponymous chef says that he just “absolutely loves the flavours” it is possible to create while barbecuing “and the fact that you can turn what used to be cheap cuts of meat into this amazing thing at the end. It’s about turning a bit of coal into a diamond. It takes time.”
During lockdown, Nath went down “YouTube wormholes” about barbecuing. Putting on a few barbecues for friends convinced him that he could turn his hobby into a career and when a fully-fitted dark kitchen in St Jude’s became available, Big Nath’s BBQ was born, setting up in January 2021 for takeaway and delivery-only.
“We had no idea what we were doing!” laughs Kins. But they persevered and sold out at their first stall in July 2021 at Finzels Reach Market.
“We sold out to the last sausage. I can remember the last guy buying a tray of smoked sausages!”
Kins was still working as a nurse as their burgeoning barbecue business slowly took over, often working as an agency nurse during the day and then working in the kitchen in the evening. The pair’s mums also helped in the early days.
All of the food served by Big Nath is smoked overnight -photo: Big Nath’s BBQ
Putting it delicately, Nath has always been a larger-than-average gentleman and used to play a lot of rugby growing up.
His position, unsurprisingly, was in the front row as a loosehead prop and he played to quite a high level for a junior team.
Rugby was even a potential career until he was badly injured at the age of just 17 so his playing days sadly had to come to a swift end.
Nath seems slightly abashed to be both the name and face of the brand. “To begin with, I called it Big Nath’s BBQ because I thought it was quite funny. But it’s cool. Except the very few times I’m not at a market, people do ask.”
Kins chimes in: “And if I have to hear the joke, ‘Are you Big Nath?’ one more time…”
What started as a passion project is now an “all-consuming” business that has brought together both Nath’s and Kins’ individual areas of expertise. Although Nath’s name is front and centre, it’s now very much a partnership.
“We play on each other’s strengths,” says Kins. “It isn’t easy. We quite often pull 70-, or 80-hour weeks. We’ve never hit cruise either.
“We have always been upping it, whether moving to a bigger space, doing different collaborations, doing a new event, or launching the barbecue school, there has always been something. But I do like organising and coordinating.”
“I’m extremely disorganised,” says Nath, still rocking. “Without Kins, I wouldn’t be able to do this.”
Kins has the last word: “And without you, I would have no meat to sell!”
Big Nath’s BBQ trades at Harbourside Market, Temple Quay Market, Finzels Reach Market and Tobacco Factory Market. They also run a monthly takeaway night from their unit in Backwell. On July 27, Nath will be taking part in a chef’s demo at Feast On on the Downs.
Main photo: Big Nath’s BBQ
Read next:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
