Welcome to Smokin’ Oak Barbecue.

Let us introduce ourselves. We’re Matt and Heather—barbecue lovers, caterers, and creators based right here in the heart of the Waikato.

Our barbecue journey kicked off back in 2012, after getting hooked on shows like BBQ Pitmasters on the Food Television Network. We were keen to give it a go ourselves but couldn’t find a charcoal barbecue to buy—so we built our own out of an old 44-gallon drum! We thought we knew what we were doing… but looking back, a few brave friends and family were probably served up pretty average feeds in those early days.

We stuck with it though, and in 2017 entered our first ever barbecue comp—which led to six years of travelling the country competing in events. We kept improving as we went, achieving category and competition wins and eventually earning the title of 2022 National Reserve Grand Champions.

One of our proudest moments? Winning season two of TVNZ’s Cooks on Fire in 2023. What an experience that was!

We’re so fortunate to have experienced some of our best moments and met some of our best friends through barbecue. A fact that is definitely not lost on us.

And so Smokin’ Oak Barbecue came to life because we wanted to share our love for low and slow barbecue with more people. It’s been an awesome journey so far—and we’re just getting started.

So whatever you’re planning—weddings, work events, or just a good old feed—get in touch. We’d love to bring barbecue to you.