ABOUT BIG TREE
A maker, some wood, and a kiln.
Big Tree Charcoal is a small, hands-on business near Perth, founded and run by Andrew Hodgkinson.
MEET ANDREW
Ecology meets
a practical craft.
My background is in ecology and working as a ranger. Big Tree brings that experience together with charcoal making: turning wood from local management work into something useful.
The name comes from Perthshire’s “Big Tree Country”. The business remains small enough that you can speak directly to the person making your charcoal.
Alongside charcoal production, our work has included planting around 11,000 trees across 1,300 metres of hedgerow.
Get in touch with AndrewWHERE THE WOOD COMES FROM
Birch, willow
and local work.
Our wood is mainly birch, with some willow, from woodland-management and conservation work around Methven Moss. That connection matters: the charcoal has a source we can explain.
Woodland management is specific to its place and purpose. We do not treat cutting trees as a benefit in itself; the conservation work comes first, and charcoal gives the resulting wood a use.
How the charcoal is made
- Prepare the wood and load the retort kiln.
- Heat it with a restricted oxygen supply to turn wood into charcoal.
- Allow the batch to cool before opening and handling.
- Sort and pack the charcoal. Hardwood fines are also used in our soil-improver blend.
FROM ONE MATERIAL
Cooking, drawing, growing.
The barbecue range, willow artists’ charcoal and biochar soil improver each have their own purpose. Follow the labels and use the right product for the job: soil improver contains manure and must never be used as cooking fuel.
Explore the three ranges