Mark Jenner

Founder, Barbecue and Grilling Expert

Expertise

Barbecue, Grilling, Smoking (cooking), Product Reviews, Food Safety

Education

Essex University

Mark Jenner

Highlights

  • Barbecuing and grilling since 2005.
  • Founded and written for FoodFireFriends since 2017.
  • Hands-on experience with almost every type of smoker and grill imaginable.
  • Currently owns and uses over 30 different smokers and grills for hands-on experience while creating content for this site.
  • Skilled BBQ product tester with years of experience across all types of smokers, grills, tools, and accessories.
  • Has developed and written up countless BBQ and grilling recipes.
  • Quoted in and mentioned in numerous publications across the web for his BBQ advice.

Experience

I am a barbecue addict who first got into it in 2005 when someone offered me a second-hand Weber Kettle charcoal grill at a knock-down price.

I’d recently moved into a rented, shared house with three good friends, one of them being my American friend, Michael. He knew his way around a grill, showed me how to smoke chicken and ribs, and soon convinced me to go halves with him for the price of a Weber Smokey Mountain.

I soon became obsessed and decided to learn everything I could about BBQ, grilling and smoking. I remember the first two books I bought: ‘The BBQ Bible,’ by Steven Raichlen,’ and ‘Peace, Love & Barbecue,’ by Mike Mills.’ Excellent books, and Michael and I worked our way through most of their recipes, and for me, a new love was born.

I’ve loved all forms of food and cooking since I was a young teenager anyway, and this was just the next step in my culinary journey. But BBQ is the one I enjoy and am now most passionate about.

Since those early days, I have bought and sold scores of different grills and smokers, eaten at dozens of smokehouses, and attended countless barbecue festivals and cookouts.

I was initially an electronic engineer by trade and then a technical specialist in the CCTV and security systems world. And I’ve always enjoyed writing, teaching, IT, programming, and the world of computers. So back in 2017, I decided I would start a website, and one in BBQ and grilling was a natural choice. And so FoodFireFriends was born.

Over the years, I’ve worked on the site slowly. But from humble beginnings, it has become a large and popular resource for many. And I’m now beginning to add team members to help me grow the site faster, to add more expertise and voices to this incredible resource.

These days I regularly contribute to this site as an author, the lead content strategist, and chief editor. I barbecue between 3 and 10 times weekly, satisfying my passion for creating great food from raw ingredients over live fire.

The main equipment I currently own and use is:

  • Three Kamado Joes (Junior, Classic I, and Big Joe III.)
  • A Weber Smokey Mountain.
  • A Masterbuilt Gravity Fed charcoal smoker.
  • A Camp Chef Woodwind pellet grill.
  • Two Z Grills pellet grills.
  • A Pit Barrel cooker.
  • Two Weber kettle grills (original and Mastertouch.)
  • A Napoleon Pro charcoal kettle grill.
  • A Weber Genesis gas grill.
  • A Masterbuilt 30 electric smoker.
  • A Kadai open fire cooking pit.
  • An Ooni Karu 16 pizza oven.
  • A handful of travel grills, including Weber Go-Anywhere and Smokey Joe portable charcoal grills, and a Napoleon TravelQ Pro285 gas grill.
  • A vast range of remote thermometers, temperature controllers, instant-read thermometers, and other BBQ tools and accessories.

I sometimes buy, use, review and sell on grills and smokers while always keeping at least one of each type for me to cook on and experiment with to help me create content for this site. And besides, I have a bit of a collector’s attitude; The right number of barbecues to own is always what I have + 1. I can never have enough or too many!

I am 45 years old, married with two children, and my hobbies include playing in a darts team, amateur golf, general fitness, and a bit of travel.

More From Mark Jenner

A Looft Lighter X isolated on black, next to text describing this article as a review.
Accessories

Looft Air Lighter X Review — Portable Cordless Electric Fire Starter

When your first product is one of the most innovative and straight-up coolest gadgets on the market, what do you do for an encore? That’s the problem Looft faced after the launch of the Looftlighter — now called the Looft Lighter I. How does the new Looft on the block measure up? We’ve got the answer below.

A MEATER Block isolated on black, next to text describing this article as a review.
Thermometers

Meater Block Review — I love it, But it’s Not Without Issues

The MEATER Block multiplies everything great about the single probe version by four! Well, the number of probes, at least. It’s wireless — truly no wires at all — Bluetooth enabled, Wi-Fi enabled, beautiful looking, and guides you through cooks effortlessly from an app.

A photo montage of 16 different bbq and grilling gifts.
Gifts & Books

50 of the Best Grilling Gifts and BBQ Gift Ideas for Meat Smokers in 2024

Any of your loved ones or relatives who like to cook outdoors would LOVE an item or three from this list of the best gifts for BBQ and grilling addicts. Be it Christmas, a birthday, Fathers or Mother's Day, whatever the event, if your special someone loves grilling, they’ll love what you find below.

A gift basket isolated against a blue background.
Gifts & Books

10 BBQ Gift Basket Ideas — For Christmas, Birthday, Father’s Day…

Who doesn’t love a gift basket? And who wouldn’t love one full of BBQ rubs, sauces, and outdoor cooking paraphernalia? Check out some of the best BBQ gift ideas for the deserving pitmaster in your life that are perfect presents for a birthday, Christmas, or any occasion.

Some of the best BBQ and grilling cookbooks piled on each other on a table.
Gifts & Books

The Best Grilling & BBQ Cookbooks Every Home Pitmaster Should Own

There’s a lot of free information on the web, but the experts still put their best knowledge into books. So if you want to master something and get the best-kept secrets, books are still where it’s at. Here are some of the best cookbooks on BBQ and grilling.

Grilling accessories, a Looftlighter and some kebab blades, next to a high quality, stainless steel grill.
Accessories

17 Best Grilling, BBQ, and Smoker Accessories in 2024

There are quite literally thousands of accessories marketed toward helping us with our grilling, BBQ, and smoking. But which are any good, and are we happy to recommend? Below we list a massive seventeen items that make outdoor cooking easier and more fun. Go grab a few!

A group of friends tailgating, grilling and drinking from red cups.
Grills

10 Best Tailgate Grills of 2024 — Reviews and Buying Guide

In this guide, we research the very best grills for tailgating. Charcoal grills, gas grills, large ones, small ones, some you can smoke on. There’s something for everyone. We review the top 8 contenders and deep dive into what you should consider when choosing, so you end up with the right pick.

Weber go anywhere tabletop grill on a stainless steel table.
Grills

8 Best Tabletop Grills of 2024 — Gas, Electric and Charcoal

Discover nine of the best tabletop grills that are small yet stable, will not damage the table beneath, perform brilliantly, and are highly recommended by us. We review grills running on charcoal, gas and electricity, detailing their features, their pros and cons, and help you choose the right one for you.

A man cooking on a charcoal grill.
Grills

13 Best Charcoal Grills of 2024 for all Needs and Budgets

This guide reviews the best charcoal grills with different price points, sizes, and features to find the top picks to suit most people. From Kettles and Kamados to portable grills and some capable of smoking, read on to explore our top picks.

Close up of a Kamado Joe fire bowl filled with lump charcoal and smoking wood.
Smokers

The Best Charcoal Smokers of 2024 — Buying Guide and Reviews

These are some of the very best charcoal smokers if you crave the authentic taste of charcoal with your BBQ. We’ve picked and reviewed these great models from all that exist for their great mix of performance and affordability, giving you what we like, what we don’t, and or overall verdicts.

A photo montage of six of the best Bluetooth thermometers side by side.
Thermometers

8 Best Bluetooth Thermometers of 2024 for BBQ and Grilling

Bluetooth thermometers allow you to monitor your cooks remotely using an app on your smartphone. This leaves you able to mingle with guests or monitor the cook with your feet up in front of the TV. Cool, huh? Check out the best ones on the market in our guide.

A photo montage of 9 of the best smoker thermometers available on the market today.
Thermometers

Best Smoker Thermometers of 2024 — Tested and Reviewed

Here are the best smoker thermometers available in 2022. A mix of digital, wireless, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled — and even one you can use during rotisserie cooking! There’s something here to suit everybody, with the best in a few categories for all your grilling and BBQ needs.

Bavette steak, crevettes, and broccoli being cooked on a kamado grill and smoker.
Smokers

11 Best Kamado Grills of 2024 — Expert Reviews and Buying Guide

Take a look at the best ceramic kamado grills on the market in our helpful guide full of reviews that looks at 8 different offerings at different price points and sizes. These grills are the Swiss army knives of outdoor cooking, can grill, bake, sear, roast, and more. You’re going to love ‘em!

A weber portable gas grill with side tables and lid open on a grass field.
Grills

The Best Portable Gas Grills and Travel Propane Barbecues for 2024

To enjoy fast lighting grilling on the go, without the mess of charcoal to deal with, choose one of the best portable gas grills in this guide. Below, we have the results from researching the top models on the market and recommend the top picks in a few categories to match different needs.

Racks of pork ribs cooking away in a BBQ smoker.
Smokers

Best Smokers of 2024, According to Experts and Enthusiasts

A roundup and review of the best smokers you can buy in 2022. We look at the top models in different styles and categories, at various price points, reviewing the top models available today. Could your next smoker be on this list?

A photo montage of 9 of the best wireless meat thermometers.
Thermometers

9 Best Wireless Meat Thermometers for Grills and BBQs in 2024

In this guide, we compare and review various wireless meat thermometers, looking at all the pros and cons, and value versus performance to find the best, and help you make the right choice for buying a thermometer for you. We even look at a truly wireless model perfect for rotisserie cooking!

Close up of a camping grill, with a blurred background of a family camping.
Grills

12 Best Camping Grills of 2024 — Gas, Charcoal and Wood Burning Options

The best camping grills are small, portable, pack away easily, but must have ample grilling space and be built to last and perform well. Here are our top choices from the dozens available today, with options for different fuels from gas, charcoal, and wood. Your next grill is almost certainly on this page!

Dry rub ingredients and pork ribs on a wooden cutting board.
Ingredients

20 Best BBQ Rubs For Sale Online in 2024

BBQ rubs allow you to add complex and different flavors to any meat you cook. But certain flavors are best with certain meats, and not all flavors suit all meats. So here are our favorites, sorted by meat type, with something that is bound to suit everyone.

A Z Grills 11002b pellet grill isolated on black, next to text describing this article as a review.
Smokers

Z Grills 11002B Review: Multitasker with Wi-Fi Connectivity

If I had a dollar (or peso or pound or florin) for every “game-changer” on the market, I wouldn’t be at my keyboard on a Saturday! Here’s a review of another so-called game-changing piece of kit — Z Grills’s first pellet grill with Wi-Fi. Hmmm… you know what? This one may live up to the hype!

beef wellington, asparagus and bone marrow.
Recipes

Basque Beef Wellington — Charcoal Seared then Wood Fire Oven Baked

Basque beef is retired dairy cows, left to graze wild for years in the Basque Country, developing incredible marbling and flavor. Quite unlike anything I’d eaten before. We charcoal grill Basque filet in this recipe before making it into a wellington, baked in a wood-fired oven.

Grilled, sliced hanger steak with chimichurri on a large wooden chopping board.
Recipes

Grilled Hanger Steak, With Flambadou Bone Marrow and ChimiChurri

Quickly seared hanger steak, basted with flaming bone marrow dripped from a red-hot flambadou, served with chimichurri. This recipe is simple, has a bit of theater, an incredibly satisfying, flame-grilled beefy taste, and is everything simple BBQ should be. Give it a go, you won’t be disappointed.

Smoking times and temperatures graphic as a featured image.
BBQ Theory

Smoking Times and Temperatures Chart — With BBQ Cooking Tips

A meat smoking times and temperatures chart for all the popular cuts of beef, pork, lamb, poultry and seafood. We show the range of temperatures to set your smoker and the target internal temp of all the different cuts of meat. Bookmark this page to use as a reference again and again!

The most popular beef cuts, written above an image of a cow showing all primals.
Ingredients

Beef Cuts Chart and Diagram, with Photos, Names, Recipes, and More

Learn all about the most popular beef cuts from our chart, diagram and write up, including popular and alternative names, where the cuts come from on the cow, preferred outdoor cooking methods, their costs relative to each other, and a fantastic recipe for each cut of beef that we’ve taken from around the web.

A Thermoworks Signals and billows isolated on black, next to text describing this article as a review.
Thermometers

Thermoworks Signals with Billows Review – Hands on Testing and Results

It’s a great day when I get my hands on some new grilling gear! I’m excited to try out my new ThermoWorks Signals BBQ Alarm Thermometer and put it through its paces. And I’ll share my results with you, so you know whether this is worth your money or if there’s a better choice for you.

A Fireboard 2 with Drive next to text describing this article as a review.
Thermometers

FireBoard 2 Review — With Drive Blower Temperature Controller

It’s not so scary picking up a low-cost bit of grilling gear on spec and trying it out. What are you out if it’s not so hot? When the MSRP is well into 3 figures, however (all of them left of the decimal point!), it’s less easy to talk yourself into it. No worries — I took the plunge for you and bought a brand new FireBoard 2 Drive with Blower. Here’s my no holds barred review.