If you use a lot of charcoal, or are fed up with the often poor quality briquettes from the supermarket or garage, then you might be looking for a dedicated charcoal supplier. Here’s what you’ll need to think about to help you choose the right one.

The type of charcoal you want
There’s no point in getting a good deal if it’s the wrong sort of charcoal, and not right for your needs. You’ll be looking for lumpwood for BBQs, and restaurant charcoal if you’re in the catering business.

Quality
There is usually a noticeable difference in the quality between the standard briquettes that you find in a garage or supermarket, and those that are sold by charcoal suppliers. If charcoal is important to you and your restaurant, or you think that all charcoal is pretty much the same, then you’ll definitely want to try a better charcoal.

Reputation
You’ll want to choose a charcoal supplier with a good reputation, that has customers similar to you, whether domestic or trade, and that understands your requirements. Perhaps you’ll choose someone that your friends or other people in your industry use, or a supplier that has been trading for several years.

Availability
If you need charcoal for your restaurant, or maybe you just want to make sure that you can have a barbeque at a moments notice, then you’ll want to make sure that you can get your charcoal when you need it.

Price
Price will be a big factor, and buying your charcoal in bulk is likely to save you a lot of money. The more bags of charcoal you buy, the less it will cost per bag. Also, buy buying in bulk and having it delivered you won’t have to worry about getting your car or van dirty, and the hassle of loading and unloading it too.

Delivery times
You’ll want to make sure that the supplier you choose can deliver your charcoal when you need it. There’s no point in getting a great deal of the best charcoal, if they can’t deliver it for weeks.

Delivery vehicles
Depending on your location, you may have particular requirements for the delivery company in terms of the vehicle they use to deliver your charcoal. If you’re a busy restaurant in the town centre, then having several tonnes of charcoal delivered in a huge 18 tonne lorry might block traffic, so you might need to mention that you’ll need a much smaller lorry or van.

Ease of ordering
Being able to order online will be useful, especially if you run a restaurant and need to be able to order outside normal working hours. You’ll definitely want to make sure that there’s a phone number though, so that you can speak to someone if you need to.

Help when you need it
You’ll also want to make sure that your supplier understands your personal or business. Perhaps you sometimes have to order a lot of charcoal at short notice, or that they’ll need to be able to deliver at certain times of the day when you’re available.

Save time and money
When you order charcoal in bulk from the right suppler, you’ll be able to concentrate on running your business, or get on with the more important things you need to do. You won’t have to remember to go to the supermarket or garage on hot days when you fancy a BBQ. Your chefs won’t moan that you’ve run out of charcoal and can’t so cook the dishes that your diners want.

Now that you know what to look for, you’ll be able to choose the right charcoal supplier, get the best charcoal, and save time and money. What more could you want?