The boss

Jody Grimmer, managing director, LeisureGrow

The business

LeisureGrow is the parent business of Grillstream, Casa Mia, LG Outdoor, NOMA lighting, and Petface – established in 1999 and manufacturing innovative products for homes and gardens.

Grillsteam first went into production in 2011 with an anti-flare-up system and is now one of the largest British BBQ brands, supplying high-end retailers, garden centres and dedicated BBQ stores.

As well as the wider business strategy, I’m heavily involved in product development, working with my category team to develop high-tech BBQ systems such as the hybrid (gas and charcoal) technology and SmartGrill connected to your mobile device.

The influence

I always loved to barbecue with my father when I was growing up, and working with dedicated BBQ professionals through Grillstream has certainly helped me to hone my own outdoor cooking skills. I’m no expert, but I often find myself grabbing the tongs at friends’ BBQ parties!

The equipment

At home I use the Grillstream Gourmet 6 Burner Hybrid. This barbecue has so much flexibility, meaning that I can barbecue just about anything – whether it’s a quick lunch for my sons, cooking marinated chicken wings, with the confidence that Grillstream will cook this perfectly, or preparing something more adventurous for friends; mixing charcoal and gas, depending on what’s on the menu.

The meal

Memphis BBQ Soup, including chicken breast, garlic powder, red onion, coriander, mozzarella, sweetcorn, red kidney beans, ripened tomatoes, chicken stock, parsley and Memphis BBQ sauce, cooked on the Grillstream.

The next big thing

Smash grills will certainly be a big thing for cooking outdoors in 2024. To ensure Grillstream is a market leader and innovator, we’ve developed our own unique SmashGrill system for next year. We’ve also seen some great names rising in the UK BBQ world who we are proud to be working with, such as Jack Rowbottom and Alfie King.