Whilst running kitchens and restaurants across the UK the journey as more of a hobby with BBQ began around 2012 in the midst of opening a restaurant in Scotland – the same year Lee was introduced by a friend & mentor to the storytelling & BBQ love of Anthony Bourdain.

Years passed, many kitchens & restaurants later we discovered through DNA tracing that Henry’s great grandad (Lee’s Grandfather) was, in life, an American US Army Veteran and later a sheriff from near the border of Texas & Louisiana.  We put everything into this project.  The life changing discovery of our roots galvanised the love of true BBQ and reignited the Bourdain philosophy of BBQ being THE cuisine able to unite families and feed souls completely. We found ourselves taking over a shell of a building and turning it into a smokehouse – still being rebuilt in parts – we named our roadhouse on the M55 near Blackpool after or son – Henry – the boy who changed everything for our bustling family of seven kids.

At Henry’s we do it the hard way: 12–18 hours over real logs — mesquite for bold earthiness, cherry for sweetness, apple for fruity notes, and post oak for mellow balance. No set-and-forget gadgets or frozen pre-smoked pretenders — just limited batches, battling British weather through the night, chasing perfection every single day.

Early 2025 we suffered a family loss which has made the ‘Why’ more powerful.  We understand too acutely the importance of family, empty chairs at tables and the fragility of life.  We’re uniting families over plates that tell tales of endurance and connection.  That’s the mission.  We’re more than passionate about it.  In a world of shortcuts, we deliver the real deal: shared meals that foster unity with a raw, obsessive vibe. Whether you’re local to Preston or travelling (as many do) for the best smoked brisket in Lancashire & some of the only meat smoked in a UK family owned restaurant on real offsets, there’s always a seat at our table.  You’re more than welcome here.

Pilgrimages to the US have begun and you can follow our story by connecting online. We’re recently back from Austin and Lockhart, Texas, where we met and worked with pitmasters, talked bbq with Aaron Franklin and spent time Norma Jean Black at Black’s Original BBQ – The Queen of BBQ! A time so special they even posted it as an across the pond shoutout to Lee on their socials and included it on their own website – A true pinch me moment for sure!.

Stay with us, follow us, we’re bringing even more from Texas and the deep south home to Lancashire.  Plenty more to come – we’re blessed having you here this far.

As Anthony Bourdain said: “Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start.”

Join us for authentic Texas BBQ in Northern England – book your table today and taste the legacy!