FOCUS Magazine Interview with Chef Cedric, the talent behind the Hangry Wolf BBQ concept and deliciousness:

Hey Cedric, you don’t usually cook BBQ,  where did your passion for smoking meat come from?

As a kid I have always been attracted to the fire, the love of cooking on charcoal and wood, it all started when I was in my early teens and living in Uruguay, we used to eat assado a lot (Argentinian BBQ), I use to watch my dad building up the fire to create the perfect bead of lightning charcoal, and watching the meat cook slowly, to finally eat it with family and friends.

A few years back, I got the chance to work for James Viles from Biota dining at his pop up restaurant in Sydney, and there he was smoking beef hump. The taste of that beef was like something I wanted to archive, so slowly I started smoking different cuts of beef and pork, chickens and veggies. It was so much fun, I decided to buy my first big smoker!

 

You’re originally from France, How did you end up here on the Coffs Coast?

Being a chef, you get the chance to travel, and find work easily, and after working in Spain and England I decided to go to Australia. I arrived in Sydney in 2009, and it was love at first site. I worked in some great restaurants and catering agency. After 10 years of living in beautiful Sydney, my family and I decided to move to Bellingen, it reminds me a lot of the south of France where I’m from, with the beautiful river surrounding mountain and the lovely community.

 

You spent some time with world famous BBQers, who were they and how did that experience influence your work today?

At the time, when I first got my head into smoking meat before I bought my offset smoker, I was only smoking small cuts of meats on a Webber kettle. I wanted to see how the BBQ business is run, so I applied for a job at black bear BBQ in Sydney, they got me straight in. I did a few weekends there, but it wasn’t my main job so I didn’t stick around. I learned a few tricks, but trust me, there’s no recipe for it, its all about the time you spend next to the pit that makes you a good pit master, if I can call myself that … I do watch a lot of YouTube and spend quite bit of time on Instagram following the big names in the industry.

 

BBQing is growing rapidly here in Australia. What is it about this style of BBQ do you think has become so popular?

BBQ is popular, because it’s trendy. You see it everywhere, Netflix, social media, and it’s now accessible, anyone can give it a go, its like fishing. But its not until you give it a go that you realized how much work it takes to get it to perfection. That explain why people would take the time to wait in line to eat something that as been cooked for hours with love over fire. But Australians have always loved a good BBQ.

 

You spend a fair amount of time catering for locals here on the Coffs Coast and beyond, right?

My business took off during COVID-19, I was out of work for the first time in my life, and was a little lost to tell you the truth. But after a few weeks of planning and thinking, I made big decision, and decided to go on my own and start cooking for people in their house. That’s how I became ‘Private Chef Bellingen’. I now run a small catering business in Bellingen, it provides from casual to fine dining to backyard BBQ. I’m also the resident chef at Bellingen Riverside Cottages and a few high end retreats locally. I also run Hangry Wolf BBQ and catering, with the help of my wife. We do the local markets, and every Sunday is BBQ family day, we all do it. It’s a lot of fun, there always the regulars and friends that visit us, and of course everyone enjoys some great BBQ.

 

What are some of the processes for the meat you cook?

In fact, very little. The meat gets trimmed, seasoned, and cooked for hours, then rested. Slice and serve!! VOILA

 

What is your favourite meat to bbq?

OMG!!! This is difficult … My favorite on a lazy day as to be rib-eye steak over hot charcoal and wood, nice and rare. But in the smoking business, it has to be the brisket beef, just because they’re so complex, they’re all different, there’s so much to it. It’s a piece of meat that you treat with love.

 

Where can we find out more about Hangry Wolf BBQ?

Hangry Wolf BBQ is now open every Sunday from 3 pm in Bellingen at sourced and savage studio car park, and at Bellingen community market, Kempsey riverside market, also doing pop up at great hops brewery in Armidale. There are also appearances at other tasty events and stalls in Coffs Harbour.

But to find us or talk to us, we have Facebook and Instagram pages with all the contact details.