The invention enables chefs to drink, chat and cook
Wednesday August 20,2008
ENGINEER spots a market gap, says MAISHA FROST...
A hands-free barbecue, developed by a British entrepreneur, that times the cooking to perfection is building a sizzling reputation from Scarborough to Sydney.
According to inventor Ed Wray, the rotisserie-like design of his BarbeSkew signals the end of one drawback of barbecue cuisine. “Forget kebabs or cutlets charred to a cinder on the outside but raw in the middle,” he promises.
“Now chefs can have a drink, chat and cook with no worries.”
Wray has combined elements of the traditional barbecue with a spit roast. The food rotates automatically above smouldering charcoal on skewers powered by a battery unit.
He also canvassed consumers about other improvements they would like and incorporated those as well. As a result, the BarbeSkew features an easy-to-clean, removable, charcoal tray that can also be raised or lowered by a handle.
“The handle was the most frequently asked for addition because chefs want more heat control,” says Wray.
“The research made me realise how little barbecue innovation there has been, the focus is on style, not function.”
Wray’s unit has nine small and three large skewers. Chrome cages can fit on to them, ensuring the food is cooked evenly.
He is now working with a freelance design partner on new versions of the £299 original. A smaller, budget model for £149 and a larger gas-powered version for £399 will be launched at trade shows in early autumn.
BarbeSkew is stocked by Harrods and Wyevale Garden Centres and sells in Germany, Lebanon, Cyprus, Australia and soon Turkey.
So far, Wray has favoured a strategy of investing in trade shows and approaching retailers directly. “John Lewis has indicated interest now I have made modifications, such as sustainable wood handles on the skewers,” he adds.
Just 11 months after the first product roll-out, Wray is confident of a £200,000 turnover. This is his first enterprise and he gave up a hefty salary as a production manager at GlaxoSmithKline to do it.
He also funded the £150,000 investment — primarily spent on product development, intellectual protection and safety accreditation.
“I cashed in my Glaxo share allocation, this is a big deal,” says the 40-year-old engineer from Brighton, whose impressive achievement has been underlined by beating hundreds of others to become a regional finalist in 2008’s HSBC Start-Up Stars competition for Britain’s brightest young businesses.
The idea surfaced when he tried food cooked on a friends’ barbecue that had a revolving skewer. He was impressed by the flavour and texture but was told the unit came from the Mediterranean and was impossible to find here.
“I saw an opening and put together a business test to see if the idea would sink or swim,” he says. “As it turns out, people who were never attracted by a traditional barbecue are buying the BarbeSkew, it is creating new market share. The main buyers are 24- to 54-year-olds.”
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