As excitement builds for this year’s St Ives Food & Drink Festival, we caught up with Ben Forte to talk all things fire cooking, why BBQ is far more versatile than people think, and why Kamado Joe is thrilled to be part of the festival’s live fire-pit chef demonstrations.
Ben, when most people think of BBQs, they think burgers and sausages in the summer. How has BBQ cooking evolved?
I think people are finally realising that BBQ isn’t just about grilling a few burgers as quickly as possible and hoping for sunshine. Live-fire cooking has evolved massively over the last few years. People are using BBQs as outdoor kitchens now for roasting, smoking, baking, slow cooking, even making desserts.
What’s exciting is that people are becoming more curious. They want to understand flavour, charcoal, smoke, temperature control and different cooking styles from around the world. The versatility of modern ceramic grills like Kamado Joe has opened that up because you can cook low and slow for 12 hours or hit steakhouse temperatures for searing all on the same grill. And then back for an al fresco fry-up the next morning.
What ingredient do people seriously underestimate on the BBQ?
Vegetables, without question.
People are always surprised at what happens to vegetables over fire – the sweetness you get from caramelisation, the smokiness, the texture. Something as simple as cabbage, leeks, beetroot or even lettuce can become incredibly cooked properly over charcoal. There’s something about live fire that strips cooking back to basics and really lets ingredients shine.
Do you think cooking outdoors changes the way people eat and socialise?
Absolutely. Cooking outdoors naturally slows people down. You’re not hidden away in the kitchen – everyone gathers around the fire, conversations happen more naturally, people share food as it’s ready.
There’s a real theatre to live-fire cooking as well. You can smell it, hear it, watch it happen. It becomes part of the social experience rather than just preparing dinner. I think that’s why people connect with it so strongly.
What kinds of dishes surprise people when cooked on a BBQ?
Pizza is always a big one. People don’t expect a BBQ to hit those kinds of temperatures, but with the right setup you can produce incredible pizzas with proper blistered crusts.
Seafood surprises people too – scallops, octopus and mussels cooked over fire are unbelievable. And desserts always catch people off guard. Smoked fruit, grilled peaches, even brownies or baked puddings cooked in a ceramic grill can be amazing.
What’s one BBQ technique every home cook should learn?
Temperature control.
Once you understand fire management and airflow, everything changes. A lot of people think BBQ is difficult because they’re constantly fighting the heat, but once you learn how to control your grill properly, cooking becomes far more relaxed and consistent.
You don’t need loads of gadgets – just patience, good charcoal and an understanding of how your fire behaves.
Kamado Joe has supplied grills for the festival’s fire pit chef demos this year. Why was it important to be involved?
St Ives Food & Drink Festival is exactly the kind of event Kamado Joe loves being part of because it celebrates proper food, great produce and real cooking experiences.
Live-fire cooking is all about bringing people together and the festival creates that atmosphere brilliantly. The chef demos are a great way to show people just how versatile these grills are and hopefully inspire them to try something different at home.
There’s also such a strong connection between outdoor cooking and coastal food culture, so it feels like a very natural fit for us.
What are you most looking forward to at St Ives Food & Drink Festival?
Honestly, the atmosphere as much as anything. You’ve got incredible food, brilliant chefs, live-fire cooking right on the beach and people who are genuinely passionate about eating well and cooking outdoors.
I’m also looking forward to seeing what the chefs create on the grills because everyone approaches fire cooking differently. You always come away inspired after watching talented people cook over flame.
What’s your advice for people wanting to level up their BBQ game this summer?
Start simple and cook more often. People sometimes overcomplicate BBQ because they think they need expensive cuts of meat or loads of equipment, but the best way to improve is just to spend time cooking over fire. Experiment with smoke and challenge yourself to cook anything you’d put in the oven in the barbecue instead.
Most importantly, stop thinking of the BBQ as something you only use three weekends a year. Once you start treating it like a proper cooking tool, everything changes.
If people leave the festival inspired to cook one thing over fire this summer, what should it be?
A whole chicken cooked over charcoal. It sounds simple, but when it’s done properly over charcoal it’s hard to beat – crispy skin, juicy meat, a little smokiness from the charcoal. The thick ceramic of the kamado makes it super succulent and juicy. It’s the kind of dish that really shows what outdoor cooking is all about because you don’t need complicated ingredients, just good fire and a bit of patience.
