Reds True BBQ Leeds - My thoughts

[RED]

Hi All,

It’s the boys from Red's here to throw in a viewpoint...

Thought we'd stand back and watch how this topic unfolded. Firstly, thanks for the support in your comments guys. John, we also lack significant amounts of kip! ;o)

Developing a new restaurant venture in this economic climate and in a relatively unknown food style does take cojonas. Giant, hairy ones, thankfully we have 6 between us. Going from backyard BBQ for your family with your favourite bullet to serving over 45,000 customers in 3 months and 15 tonnes of meat every month is quite the leap. We do smoke our meat, using Cookshack FEC 300 smokers and hickory/apple wood pellets which we import from the US. The pellets we use are cleaned of the usual black, creosote characteristics you've probably become accustomed to. We just returned from another US trip (one of many we did before, during and after setting up reds, who wouldn't right?) where we spent some time in the Carolina's, Memphis and Austin. Their BBQ isn't as smoky as you think either. The UK palate simply isn't used to the heavy smoke profile you keep referring to, so we built our proposition around our customers here, locally, you might call it bland, we call is fit for market and as you can tell, that market is responding well. The council isn't too hot on black smoke plooming out of chimneys any more either, so it's a good fit. I should also add that the one thing we walked away from this recent BBQ pilgrimage, was that our grub stands up really well against even the oldest and ingrained BBQ joints throughout our trip. Don't get me wrong, we still have some work to do though, but we're 3 months old and making huge steps forward every day.

We knew the UK BBQ "Experts" would have something to say about what and how we were doing things but in the main they seem to be overwhelmingly behind us. Again, we still have a lot to learn and a lot to offer, at some point we might try with something smokier and stronger but as it stands at the moment we have to concentrate on serving the hungry punters queuing for what we have to offer.

We appreciate that it's hard to please everyone, and I'm sorry we didn't please you. Toby, John, Tiny, you are most welcome any time at Red's!

Cheers
Scott, James and Clint
Red's

[MrBlue]

Scott - The A team theme tune still makes me smile!! Well done to all of you for making the restaurant happen!

[aris]

Open one in the London area

[keith157]

Split the distance, make it Hertfordshire

[Tiny]

Redz,
It is many years since I visited the North, will be up in Yorkshire for a blind cricket match next Summer so will try and fit a venture in. Enbious of you in that you have had the cahoonas to go for it, folk at work who have tasted some of my dodgy grub have wondered why there are not more bbq resteraunts out there, would love to do it but am lacking testicular fortitude........

Ignore the London and hertfordshire requests, they already have bbq resteraunts. Portsmouth should be your next venture, gunwharf quays, you would be beating them away with a stick.......


Well done and carry on!
Tiny

[keith157]

Redz,
It is many years since I visited the North, will be up in Yorkshire for a blind cricket match next Summer so will try and fit a venture in. Enbious of you in that you have had the cahoonas to go for it, folk at work who have tasted some of my dodgy grub have wondered why there are not more bbq resteraunts out there, would love to do it but am lacking testicular fortitude........

Ignore the London and hertfordshire requests, they already have bbq resteraunts. Portsmouth should be your next venture, gunwharf quays, you would be beating them away with a stick.......


Well done and carry on!
Tiny

Tiny, where in Hertfordshire is our BBQ restaurant?????

[Pecker]

Scott, James and Clint, thanks for the response.

I haven't visited you yet, though you're on my list of thingsto do.

Whilst I love barbecue, I also am not keen on over-powering smoke. I'm a strong believer in balancing flavours in a dish - and that's in any form of cookery - and even just more than a little smoke can overpower the flavour of a meat, leaving nothing to compete with the smoke unless you make an overpoweringly strong/sweet/hot sauce, which in turn further smothers out any meat flavour.

I tend to find that US tastes in general (not just barbecue, and not just food) is for the big, the bold and the brash, rather than the subtle and measured - though to be fair, that's what we love about 'em!

At the end of the day you have to make money to survive, and if you produce a product that's at odds with the take of most Loiners' tastes, you're going to struggle.

Good luck, and see you soon.

Steve W

[thelawnet]

So lets give these chaps a chance, was it a fair plate of food for a fair price? Seems that with folk voting with their feet and there wallets doesnt seem like they are doing much wrong.

I can't agree with this at all. I've for example lived in Indonesia and visit as many Indonesian restaurants as possible, and if they aren't authentic I will say so, likewise to a lesser degree with Thai. It doesn't matter to me if they are busy.

I've been to Mexico and like the food there (and also in the US). There are some busy 'Mexican' places in the UK which are really really bad. It doesn't mean anything.

<Food snob and proud>

That said, the restaurant in Leeds might be fantastic, no idea.

[Toby]

Going on recent feedback its hitting the spot, I think their biggest problem is actually fitting people in!

[Tiny]

Thelawnet.
I stand by what I said, was it a fair plate of food for a fair price? if yes, then well done them. The attitude you seem to project is that it isnt "proper", I doubt most residents of India would recognise the contents of our "indian" resteraunts, but there are many that serve up a decent meal for a fair price.

If you visit a resteraunt and dont like there offerring then you can tell the world on sites like trip advisor, often the damaging reviews are made because it is easier to be rude and insulting from the anonymity of your keyboard than actually discuss what is wrong with staff and the management team. It irks me that in most cases restaurants are trying to give a decent meal and service and it is all too easy to decry this with harsh anonymous words.

On this thread the original chap didnt like it, fair play but this doesnt mean that the restaurant is terrible. I think the "it isnt PROPER bbq" is neither here nor there these guys are serving bbq and it seems the good people of Leeds are queueing to get it, hope they make a fortune and open a branch near here soon.
Cheers
Tiny