Grudge Match 3 and BBQ.

Coming soon, the race of the year: Grudge Match 3

See Brett Middleton's latest Grudge Match when a Subaru WRX and a Mitsubishi RalliArt Lancer go head to head at Wakefield Park.

If you love these iconic cars, drop over to our fiends at GM3.com.au and get instant access to a heap of performance information and see the full Grudge Match 3 video before it's officially launched on YouTube launch on October 1st.

GM3 can show you how to get more power out of your RalliArt Lancer than a factory EVO 10 or how to make your Subaru WRX just as quick as a k10 STi!

And whether you drive a Mitsubishi or Subaru, you can support your make and model with a cool accessory even Brett didn't think of....


a BBQ Branding Iron with WRX, MIT or any other 3 letters (eg STI, EVO or heavan forbid HDT) from the Charcool shop and get a 10% discount by entering the GM3 discount code during checkout.

Fast cars, cold beer and great BBQ. Boys heaven. Enjoy the ride.

5 Great Fathers Day BBQ Gifts for Australian Dads

Fathers Day in Australia is Sunday, September 6, 2009, and at Charcool we've got 5 great BBQ gift ideas for every budget.

Suggestion 1: A Cool BBQ Branding Iron from Texas Irons

Go on! Make his day with a quality, stainless steel BBQ Branding Iron from Texas Irons. He'll be the talk of the town telling his mates about his new toy.

Ideal for branding steak; chicken breasts; rissoles; bread rolls...everything straight from the hotplate.

Fast heating, simple to use and easy to clean!

A personalised BBQ branding iron from Charcool is an inexpensive and unique Father's Day for the BBQ fanatic in your life.

At less than $40, your Dad will make a great impression.

Suggestion 2: A Rockin Dad BBQ Tool Set

No doubt who this one is for!

Show Dad how much he rocks with this great Rockin' Dad Barbeque Tool Set from our friends at Texas Irons.

Thrill your "Grill-meister" with this quality, easy to handle, 3 piece spatula, fork and tongs set made from stainless steel and featuring the unique "Rockin' Dad" Old West brand.

He'll remember Fathers Day 2009 every time he flips a steak or picks up the snags.

Suggestion 3: A Fair Dinkum Drover's Cutting Board with his initials

Preparation is just as important as cooking technique and every chef should have a solid timber cutting board to get the show on the road.

This Aussie made board is big enough for most jobs around the home but compact enough to take along camping or on picnics. The Charcool's Drover's board is a great all rounder for the Best Dad in the World.

Made from 100% Australian Camphor Laurel timber and featuring 2 distinctive salvaged Red Gum handles for easy handling, this versatile board is perfect for carving, chopping, or for presentation as a antipasto platter or server.

Aussie Camphor Laurel is naturally anti-bacterial, smells great and the soft, medium density grain is kind to your knives!

To make Dad's new board a gift to remember, we will personalise it by branding his initial (up to 3) in the top right corner. He'll never forget the gift from 2009.

Suggestion 4: Buy him Sausage Bloke for company

Money can't buy you happiness but it can buy you company!

Sometimes it gets a bit lonely at the hotplate catering for the family while they're eating and enjoying themselves.

Nothing draws a crowd faster than a Charcool "Sausage Bloke" when you cook snags!

Dad Sausage Bloke

Made from food grade stainless steel, Dad's Sausage Bloke is a great novelty gift for the man who has everything!

Suggestion 5: Super Yacht Charter

Finally, if money is no object, shout Dad to a week of BBQ frivolity in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Indian Ocean or South Pacific aboard the super yacht, "Lauren L"

As his helicopter lands on the sun deck, he'll wonder where the $1,332,859.40 is coming from!

But with a Health and Beauty Centre; Media Room; Library; 2 dining areas (one seating 12 and the other 50 people); open bar areas, sun deck with Jacuzzi, four large tenders, internet access in each stateroom and a helicopter landing pad he'll quickly settle in.

The Lauren L usually charters at €770,000 per week plus all expenses (including gas bottles and heat beads) but mention Charcool and travel before the end of September and it's all yours for just $969,352.29!

Can I Get Swine Flu From Eating BBQ Pork?

Does the current media circus over Swine Flu mean that you need to give up "pigs lips" (sausages), pulled pork, ham and eggs or bacon cheeseburgers?

According to to the folk at the US Centre for Disease Control, human infection happens intermittently, with most cases occurring when patients have direct contact with pigs.

Human-to-human infections occasionally occur with virus transmitted through coughing, sneezing and coming in contact with a person or object with the virus.

However, people cannot become infected by eating pork or pork products. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit (72 degree centigrade) kills the virus as well as other bacteria, notes the CDC.

The BBQ Jew blog raises the interesting co-incidence that "swine flu was first identified in hogs in 1930, around the beginning of the Great Depression.

Now we are in the midst of another economic crisis and the swine flu is back in the news."

The current run rate for swine flu is more than 1600 cases in Mexico where the suspected death toll has climbed to 149.

There have been 40 cases in the US, where Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, said that there have been no deaths and only one hospitalization.

Besser said "The best way to keep the disease from spreading, he said, is by taking everyday precautions such as frequent handwashing, covering up coughs and sneezes and staying away from work or school if not feeling well."

Light Up Your BBQ!

How's this for a handy BBQ/camping accessory? Combination Salt and Pepper shakers with LED lights that double as lanterns.

What a formidable combination! Space saving, useful and sensible.

In our convergent times, many dual purpose items just don't pass the logic test. They remind me of the old joke about what you get if you cross a kangaroo with a sheep: a woolly jumper!

But these S&P shakers make a lot of sense. You are going to take both items camping or use them when you BBQ and eat outdoors at home so why not combine the two and save some space and money?

The lanterns are battery powered and have a handy hook for hanging. The spice shaker bottoms are refillable. They come in a set of 2 (one for salt, one for pepper) for $24.99.

via: Craziest Gadgets

Throw Another Human On The Grill

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) whose TV ad featuring naked veggies was deemed too steamy to screen during Superbowl XLIII, has turned up the heat with it's President Ingrid Newkirk willing her body to the organisation and stipulating that "the meat of my body, or a portion thereof, be used for a human barbecue".

PETA draws a lot of criticism for it's unabashed publicity seeking, with each campaign more wacky and sensational than the last. On the other hand, when you are up against some of the biggest advertising budgets and most powerful congressional lobbyists in the country, it's very unlikely that the meek will inherit anything much at all.

Although PETA is loathed by many conservatives in the US, especially in the South, where BBQ comes just after guns as a fundamental right, I don't see what's so incompatible with being a carnivore and believing in humane farming methods.

PETA also draws a lot of criticism for "objectifying women" in pursuit of animal rights (or self glory, depending on your view) and it is true that attractive women, usually scantily clad, feature prominently in many of their campaigns.

It seems to me that the reason this grates so much, is that this advertising staple looks so out of place when the object being advertised isn't a car or an up market consumer brand. When The Onion makes such an observation it's satire when PETA does it, it's exploitation.

All very interesting. Take some time to wonder around the PETA website and don't miss PETA TV. You may not agree with any or all of it, but it's worth a few minutes.

What the? $100k and no BBQ?

Ingenious, minimalist, cubist, plain, stark, austere - they all describe this "typically Japanese" portable home design.

Despite some tongue-in-cheek commentary from GadgetKing, in some way this just works, showing just how much space we really require for all the necessities -- just 3 square meters.

If you hooked it up with a Helios portable solar bbq you'd be pretty set for just about anything.

It's rather hard to tell how much under floor storage the Paco carries so 3 days with the kids and the inside would most likely resemble a dumpster. Maybe that's why they designed the hinged lid?

And at around $AUD100000 for the deluxe version, even after $21,000 first home owners grant, I think it will be a long way from cencept to commercial reality.

Via

If you cannot resist a peek inside, the home’s innovative roof flips up to reveal a modern interior. The movable roof is achieved by hydraulic cylinders, allowing you to sleep under a roof or under the stars without ever leaving the comfort of Paco House.

The Paco House is available in four basic plans.

Plan A features the kitchen, shower, shower curtains, bathroom, epoxy painted floor and ceiling lighting at a total price of 6,300,000 yen. Plan B boasts a kitchen, epoxy painted floor and ceiling lighting at a price of 5,250,000 yen. Plan C features the epoxy painted floor and ceiling lighting for 4,725,000 yen. Plan D is the home’s basic shell, which you can customize to your needs and interests, selling for 4,200,000 yen.

Grill a Bastard. Honest!

What's left of the Australian Democrats have come up with a cunning plan to make themselves relevant again following the loss of their last senate seat in the 2007 Australian federal elction

The Democrats have launched a new site: bastardwatch.com.au with a new twist on their old slogan of "Keep the bastards honest".

The Grill a Bastard game was launched on the Australia Day week end and involves scortching 5 sausage pollies (Kevin Rudd, Malcolm Turnbull, Julia Gillard, Stephen Conroy and Peter Garrett) on the grill by turning up the heat.

The Dems have announced that over twelve thousand visitors grilled the pollies over the Australia Day weekend.

Visitors were also invited to ‘nominate a bastard’ of their own. Predictably the "human press release" Kevin Rudd was nominated (24%) well ahead of other pollies for his support for the ban on gay marriage.

Stephen Conroy was nominated by 15% of players for his plans to censor and slow the internet while Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull barely registered (3%) with site users.

According to the Dems, a lot of people wanted to nominate the banks.

To nominate your own bastard click here. To date, no one has nominated charcool.com.au but you're welcome to draft us into the Bastard Hall of Fame

Try putting lipstick on this pig!

We've been meaning to post a piece on the Ozpig for some time and it has been remiss of us not to feature this truly Australian bbq innovation.

The Ozpig is a portable steel bbq come outdoor fireplace for camping or caravan use.

The original inspiration for the Ozpig's barrel body was a 9kg gas bottle but these days he comes purpose built with detachable legs, chimney, hot plate and diffuser.

This type of fireplace is generically called a choofer and a number of camping sites have pages dedicated to making one at home if you don't want to stump up the $240 for a professionally built one like Ozpig.

The Ozpig is perfect for cooking everything from a roast to muffins.

Your Ozpig comes with 2 warming plates, one for cooking and the second for warming and you can also purchase a diffuser.

Pivot the top plate away and add the diffuser on top of the flames. You now have the option of two warming areas while cooking on top of the diffuser. The diffuser is excellent for toasting bread & muffins. It can also be placed under your camp oven to reduce the heat (stewing).

Having 2 plates and a diffuser enables you to keep your kettle hot on one, your chili or stew hot on another while cooking on top of the diffuser.

With a look only a mother could love, the Ozpig is a great gift for all camping enthusiasts. Weighing approximately 17kgs, the Ozpig comes with it's own vinyl carry bag.

See it most major camping and caravan shows or visit the Ozpig site.

Must Try Harder to Get Along?

One can only imagine the sage words of advice from teachers and parents at Hurstbridge Primary school in Melbourne's outer north-east after security guards were hired to watch over a grade 1 barbecue and graduation ceremony.

Police were called to the school in Melbourne's north-east after parents allegedly threatened a teacher with physical and verbal assault.

The threats were made by supporters of the former principal, who was forced to stand down while the State Government investigated bullying accusations.

The investigation is still ongoing, and tensions have been mounting as several acting principals have passed through the school's halls and one person has been accused of stalking the former principal.

Hurstbridge’s acting principal said the actions of "a small number" of parents had caused the security guard’s presence at the bbq, and her main concern was for children's well-being.

"I want to stress that this is not about students' behaviour but about the actions of a small number of parents," she said.

Merry Christmas kids!

Sitting Pigeon at BBQ

A good chef knows how to improvise and this talented Russian BBQ-er had lady luck on his side when he was running out of tasty morsels to add to his barbeque.

Out of nowhere comes the makings of a tasty pigeon-kabob!

Personally, I like mine plucked, gutted and smothered in Anchor Bar Honey BBQ sauce but you can't look a gift horse in the mouth...

OMG, he wouldn't!!!!

Sausage Blokes Are Popping Up Everywhere this Christmas

Good news BBQ lovers!

Charcool's popular "Sausage Bloke" gadgets are popping up all over Australia this Christmas.

We've been having quite a run on these insanely popular BBQ novelties and have just received our Christmas stock.

Sometimes it gets a bit lonely when you shoulder the responsibility of catering for your mates while they're having a beer and singing Christmas carols.

But, nothing draws a crowd faster than a Charcool Sausage Bloke when you're cooking snags!

Selling for less than $20 and made from food grade stainless steel, your Sausage Bloke is a great Christmas gift, or is at least better company than most of the yobs you invited!

So, invite a Charcool Sausage Bloke to your next BBQ while you still can!

Nudist Sausage Sizzle Flops

With just 4 days to go to the US presidential election and midway through the worst financial crisis since the 1930's, spare a thought for the struggling Taranaki Naturalist's Club, south of Auckland, New Zealand.

Stuff.co.nz reports that the club's annual sausage sizzle and Membership drive BBQ was about as popular as a Lehman Brother's CDO.

Club president Arthur Eagle blamed the zero turnout on the rush of modern living and revealed that memberships at New Zealand's 21 Naturalist clubs were falling faster than the Kiwi dollar.

Taranaki's membership has dropped to just 60 hardy souls and the sausage "fizzle" was part of a nationwide drive for new members, specifically young families, that could allow the movement to survive.

The photo of Arthur and his "snags" made us think that perhaps the club should considering including a Charcool sausage bloke as part of it's new member welcome kit.

What do you think?

Go to Hell (Pizza)

Last week's story about the Heart Attach Grill has me more than usually interested in niche fast food concepts so I was delighted to come across the Kiwi pizza franchise Hell Pizza which has made the leap across the Tasman to Australia.

Featuring menu items named after the seven deadly sins; Mordor (pepperoni, bacon and chicken) and Brimstone (cajun chicken, salsa and sour cream) the chain has worked the satanic angle into all it's marketing even boasting 13 HELL (13 4355) for deliveries.

Hell Pizza is owned in Australia by Tartarus (place in the underworld even lower than Hades) and looks like it has chosen Queensland as the launch pad for it's Australian debut with 4 stores in operation around Brisbane.

Living up to it's edgy name, Hell Pizza are the bad boys of the pizza industry having been involved in controversial marketing campaigns in NZ such as

• a condom letterbox campaign for its "Lust" pizza;
• references to Hitler on a billboard;
• objectionable content in its Hell-o magazine and
• buying 24-year-old Walter Scott's soul for $NZ5001 after he advertised it on the auction website TradeMe.

Also drawing the ire back in NZ was an "insensitive" article in it's magazine about the death of Steve Irwin which should go down like a lead gargoyle in Queensland!

It seems you can't expect smooth sailing all the time, even in Hell.

In late 2006 Hell NZ was sold to Tasman Pacific Foods (TPF), the owners of the Burger King Franchise, for about $NZ15 million ($A12.56 million) and the original owners kept the international rights.

The sale also led to a major falling out with its advertising agency, Cinderella owned by Matt Blomfield, who said he had no confidence in the new conservative marketing and wanted to sell the 10 franchises he owns personally.

Falling back on the established tricks of his trade, Mr Blomfield recently placed one of his stores, valued at $830,000, on Trade Me, with a reserve of just $1.

Personally I can see Matt's point, with this leatest offering from new agency Colenso BBDO not having quite the edge of the earlier campaigns.

Still business is booming for the original founders of Hell, Callum Davies and Stuart McMullin, who are finalising master franchise agreements in Ireland, Canada and the UK to add to their evil empire.

Just an Idea We were Kicking Around

BBQ Bling is fast arriving at the conclusion that the boys at Beefeater, Australia's largest manufacturers of barbecues and BBQ accessories just don't like the look of stainless steel.

Following on from our post on Beefeater's gold plated BBQ, the product development team have now moved to decorating BBQs in the colours of your favourite footy club or in Aussie Green and Gold according to SmartHouse.

In what is described as a world first (but we doubt it), "BeefEater, has launched the Signature ‘Supporter Series' for sport die-hards who want a barbecue that will showcase their club or team loyalty – and their grilling skills.

"Backyard rivalries with mates and neighbours are expected to heat up now that Swans supporters can grill in red and white, Roosters loyalists can add a splash of blue and red to their backyard and Wallaby supporters can now fire up the green and gold" says the SmartHouse release

There was no sign of the Supporter Series when we checked the Beefeater web site but it is so badly designed you're lucky to find their logo. Beefeater may hate stainless steel but they lurve Java!

Barbeque Galore Finds a Buyer

MarketWatch reports that troubled US barbeque retailer, Barbeques Galore, Inc. has sold most of it's assets to Grand Hall Enterprises , the largest BBQ grill manufacturer in Taiwan.

The purchase price of about $15.0 million in cash and included at least 31 stores in Texas, California and Arizona and the right to designate additional stores within the next three months.

"Grand Hall has more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing barbeque grills, and we are delighted at the opportunity to acquire the only retail chain of barbeque grills in the United States," said William Home, chairman & CEO of Grand Hall.

If, like us at BBQ Bling, you've never heard of Grand Hall, here's what the company says about itself:

Grand Hall, established in 1976, is principally engaged in manufacturing gas grills, as well as related appliances and components. The Company's major products include barbeque gas grills, gas valves, indoor/outdoor heaters and gas water heaters.

The Company distributes its products in Asia, the United States, Australia, Europe and Africa. Grand Hall's securities are publicly traded on Taiwan's Over-the-Counter market.

Have a look at Grand Hall's Australian web site.

Records Fly in Buffalo Wing Orgy

More than 78,000 "wing-nuts" at the recent 7 th NATIONAL BUFFALO WING FESTIVAL gorged themselves on an impressive, 27 tons of chicken wings in just 2 days.

The record consumption of around 27 wings per head occurred at the Labor Day weekend event, held in the home of the Buffalo Wing: Buffalo, NY.

The eat-a-thon saw an 8% increase on last year’s hungry mob who only managed to chomp through a modest 25 tons.

Among this year’s highlights was the return of competitive eater Sonya Thomas of Alexandria, Virginia, who captured 1 st Place in the U.S. Chicken Wing Eating Championships.

Sonya consumed 165 wings in 12 minutes (4.23 pounds) but missed her world record of 173 wings established at last year’s festival.

Happily, Sonya left around 2,105,835 wings for the rest of the crowd.

In an ironic twist with a national marketing opportunity, KFC's first entry in the National Buffalo Wing Festival resulted in first place honours in the Traditional Barbecue Sauce category. The Colonel's Honey BBQ sauce topped all other Traditional Barbecue sauce entries. Ouch!!

Meanwhile, 22 year old Jennifer Starkey of Niagara Falls, NY, whose wings look pretty good to me too, was crowned Miss Buffalo Wing 2008.

Next year's event will be held on September 5 - 6, 2009, so there's plenty of time to get into training and bring Sonya down a peg or two.

Charcool stocks 3 flavours of the original Anchor Bar Buffalo Wing sauces that started it all back in 1964 so hungry Australians can get a taste of real Buffalo Wings at home.

Smoking BBQ Can Kill

It seems so obvious but we'll post it on BBQ Bling anyway. You never know how many potential entrants in the Darwin Awards are reading.

The Otago Times in New Zealand, reports the sad case of 2 South African born men who died and 1 who is seriously injured after taking their charcoal BBQ into their cabin while on a week end fishing trip.

Police said initial indications were that the two men died from carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of using the charcoal-burning portable barbecue in the cabin.

Ben Walker, who runs the motor camp, said it was "stupidity" to take the barbecue into their cabin to keep warm.

"If only I had seen them take the barbecue inside, things could have been different. I feel like crying, I just can't believe it," he told The Dominion Post.

Now, read this: the deaths are a tragic reminder of the risks of using any type of fuel burner in a confined space. Carbon monoxide displaces oxygen in the bloodstream and deprives the heart, brain and other vital organs of oxygen.

The trio were on a weekend fishing trip while their wives were at a baby shower for the seriously ill man's wife in Hamilton.

Bam, Bam on the Tam Tam

Shakespeare once said, "If music be the food of love; play on..." and you can with this niffty MP3 ready portable BBQ from Belgian BBQ manuafcturer, Barbecook.

The Tam Tam portable gas barbecue comes with integrated speakers and MP3 connection in the unit’s base and boasts stereo-quality sound. The music centre and can be powered by AC connection or batteries.

The Tam Tam features a temperature dial and retro-style dome cover and will be available in red and black. When it hits the market next year it is expected to have a recommended retail price of around $AUD150.

The Tam Tam is aimed at the youth market and is "something a lot of people can use when they go to the beach or have a barbecue at home,” according to Babecook.

Now if there was just someway to get it on Google Streetview!

Charcool Notebook Portable BBQ Winner Announced

An amazing 270 people entered the first Charcool Australia Fathers Day Contest to win a Notebook Portable BBQ.

Entries came from all over Australia and selecting the final winner was extremely difficult.

The entrants were to tell us what they would cook their Dad for Fathers Day on their Notebook BBQ.

Honourable mentions included:

This may sound extreme
But my Dad is quite mean
Mean with his time and money
What about a rat coated in honey?

and

Satayed steak, a snag or two
Charcooled chicken on BBQ!
Family and friends in celebration
Saluting Dad's across the nation

But there could only be one winner.

So on Sunday, David Leslie of Hamilton NSW, with his 9 siblings, their children and spouses, will huddle around their Dad's new portable BBQ to celebrate Fathers Day.

Congratulations, David.

BBQ With Curves

Who wouldn't want one of these? We at BBQ Bling will be the first ones with our hands up when Alistair Messon's curvy BBQ reaches production.

The BBQ is crafted out of glazed ceramic so you can leave it exposed to the elements without any damage to the appearance.

A highlight of unusual style is the modular table top/preparation bench that can be removed by unclipping it from the cooker.

According to The Design Blog, Messon intended to "come up with a cooking appliance that’s fun, practical and plays its role with grace!"

"Amazing Grace", Ali we reckon.