We love it so much, we’ve built our brand around the charcoal and barbecue essentials that make grilling so satisfying.
We believe that good barbecue is a delicate balancing act.
You want to enjoy the full flavor of the meat, spices and smoke any one taste overpowering another. Accomplishing this balance requires the highest graded local meats, superior spices and sauces, and the simplest cooking fuel available: all-natural lump charcoal.
OUR STORY IN THE WORDS OF JONATHAN HESLOP, OWNER
It all started with a helicopter flight.
Fifteen years ago, while at the controls of a helicopter, I flew over charcoal kilns hidden deep in the Mark Twain Forest. Intrigued, I marked the spot on my GPS and decided to come back someday to find this elusive place. After a long trek, I successfully found the old kilns that dotted the hills and once powered the Missouri charcoal industry, nearly 200 years ago. Then and there, I made it my mission to bring great charcoal back to St. Louis for my friends and family. That’s how the Rockwood story began.
Grill Responsibly.
Rockwood makes the purest form of charcoal available. And we follow strict environmental and ethical guidelines in the manufacturing of all our products.
Trees harvested conscientiously.
Rockwood makes the purest form of charcoal available. And we follow strict environmental and ethical guidelines in the manufacturing of all our products.
A low-emission plant.
Rockwood uses a production plant that is inspected and governed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency. All smoke produced by our kilns is ducted to an afterburner and propane fired to upwards of 2000 degrees F. This burns any particulate out of the smoke, greatly reducing emissions.
Natural packaging.
Our Kraft paper bags are recyclable, made from natural wood pulp. The soy-based inks used on the bags are landfill-safe and will not produce harmful fumes if burned. Our bags can be crumpled up and placed in the bottom of a chimney starter or campfire.
No waste allowed.
As our charcoal and hardwoods are processed and bagged, the smaller pieces, or fines, that fall through the grating are collected and sold as agricultural soil amendments, animal feed additives or biochar. We don’t waste or discard anything in the manufacturing process. Plus, if you burn your bag and compost the ashes, you can also produce zero waste as you use our product.
A shorter drive.
By building our warehouse in the central U.S. (St. Louis, Missouri), we’ve minimized delivery times and fuel usage. To find the most efficient routes, we use GPS and combine our customer deliveries. This reduces our carbon footprint and keeps our drivers happy. (In case you were wondering, our storage warehouse has achieved ISO 9000:2008 and has received an A.I.B. Superior Rating for food storage.)
“Whether you have a traditional charcoal grill, a ceramic kamado, or a custom smoker, we know that once you try Rockwood, you’ll never need to try anything else.”
Jonathan Heslop, Owner