Red’s True Barbecue hits the road with new Meat by Mail service

Independent barbecue smokehouse chain Red’s True Barbecue has launched a new “Meat by Mail” BBQ delivery service to give hungry food fans chance to get their fix at home.

Using DPD’s next day nationwide delivery service means that Red’s extensive range of smoked meats, BBQ sides and craft beer can now be ordered online and shipped directly to the customer’s door. From Wednesday, October 7, Red’s twice weekly deliveries will ensure hungry meat lovers have just what they need for the weekend ahead. The virtual smokehouse has already been launched with the website sizzling hot with incoming orders.

Red’s, which has a much-loved restaurant in Call Lane, Leeds, set up this new service in response to demand from customers which rocketed during the recent Covid-19 lockdown and restrictions.

James Douglas, Red’s True Barbecue co-founder, said: “There’s always been huge public pressure for Red’s to do mail-order and this pressure really stepped up when BBQ fans couldn’t get their usual meat fix as a result of all our sites being closed during lockdown.”

“Now felt like the right time to grant people’s wishes and get this off the ground. It’s been hard work getting it all set up, but it’ll absolutely be worth the wait! We’ve already received a huge volume of orders from established Red’s fans and a lot from new believers too. Our pitmasters can’t wait to get the first orders shipped out.”

“Now BBQ fans can take comfort in the fact that they can enjoy a restaurant-quality meal at any time of night – whatever curfews and restrictions we might face - as they can keep their Red’s meal chilled until whatever time they’re ready to tuck in.”

Using DPD’s next day delivery service means Red’s can now get their classics like 12-hour Chopped Pork, 16-hour Slow Smoked Brisket, Crispy Pork Belly, Pit Beans, Mac & Cheese and the infamous Red’s Feast out to food fans anywhere in the UK. Home diners receive their lovingly-prepared BBQ meal chilled and only have to reheat it in the oven, under a grill, in a pan of boiling water or even in a microwave.

Co-founder Scott Munro added: “What we do at Red’s isn’t easy, so smoking our famous meats to perfection and then mailing them to someone ready to be eaten was always going to be a challenge. We’ve made some slight changes to the way we smoke our brisket, pulled pork, ribs and chicken to ensure that when our customers receive their Meat by Mail boxes, they’re chilled and ready to be finished.

“We’ve done everything we can to make it super easy for folks to unwrap it and eat it. There’s no specialist equipment required either, everything can be done with what’s already in your kitchen. Basically, it’s smoked by Red’s and finished by you; it couldn’t be easier! All orders are sent chilled, so anything they don’t eat straight away can be frozen for another day!”

The Red’s team began to explore the postal delivery concept during the lockdown when all restaurants were forced to close. They offered a number of “blue light” takeaway events – with a free Red’s meal delivered to frontline workers for every paid order made by customers. But at that stage deliveries had to be made by James and Scott themselves.

Red’s True Barbecue originally opened in Leeds in 2012 and currently operates five restaurants across the North.