For Scott and Malissa Fraser BBQ brings people together in a way few other things do. It slows you down, gets you outside, and turns cooking into a shared experience rather than a chore.
It was this love of cooking outside, coupled with their years of travelling across the Americas, that inspired their sauce and rub business. Angus & Oink began in Scott and Malissa’s garden shed in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, in 2014 with little more than £1,000.
The pair started out by blending rubs in tiny batches, hand-labelling everything and packing boxes on the living-room floor. It was chaotic and exhausting, but there was a lot of heart in it.
‘We officially kicked things off in 2014, after spending years travelling, eating, entering barbecue competitions and discovering flavours from all over the world,’ Scott said.
‘We’d come home from trips buzzing with ideas, only to realise that the seasonings and sauces we loved abroad just didn’t exist in the UK.
‘At some point we stopped saying “someone should make this” and decided we’d be the ones to do it.
‘Our name is a playful nod to the world of BBQ, but also to the idea of bringing different influences together.
‘Angus represents the Scottish side of our story, while Oink represents the pork-loving BBQ culture that inspired so many of our recipes. It felt fun, memorable and true to who we are.
Scott and Malissa Fraser started the business in 2014.
‘At the beginning we were blending rubs in tiny batches, hand-labelling everything and packing boxes on the living-room floor.
‘Social media played a huge role early on as BBQ enthusiasts discovered us, shared photos of their cooks and suddenly orders started snowballing.
‘We reinvested every penny back into equipment, ingredients, and found an amazing team to help realise the dream of making it something bigger than a side-hustle.
‘Beyond our beloved barbecue community, Angus & Oink is now just as loved by home cooks, students, busy parents, fitness enthusiasts looking to add flavour to their protein – we love seeing people cook fearlessly and have fun dinners at home with our seasonings.’
From a handful of blends to more than 80 products, they are now a multi-million pound business producing hundreds of tonnes of seasonings a year – a far cry from their shed.
But Scott says their exponential growth has been completely organic, driven by the community who love cooking, sharing, and pushing themselves to try new things.
The pair started out by blending rubs in tiny batches, hand-labelling everything and packing boxes on the living-room floor.
‘We’re now producing hundreds of tonnes of seasonings a year that are now on the supermarket shelves too,’ he said.
‘Some of our collaborations also fly off the shelves because people love using the seasonings created with well-known pitmasters and BBQ teams.
‘It’s a long way from mixing small tubs in the shed, and it still amazes us when we stop to think about the scale.
‘We never thought we’d grow into a multi-million pound business.
‘We hoped it would support our family, but we never imagined it would become what it is today.
‘The growth has been completely organic, driven by the community who love cooking, sharing, and pushing themselves to try new things.
‘There’s something deeply satisfying about mastering fire, smoke and flavour when you BBQ.
Scott says there’s something deeply satisfying about mastering BBQ.
‘The rise of outdoor cooking is huge. People want experiences, not just meals and outdoor cooking gives you that sense of ceremony, creativity, and connection.’
Hobey Chilli, Dirty Cow, Feather Duster, and Texas Steak are their best sellers but they have also branched out into spirits.
Ryelander is their new rebellious dram that sits between Scotch and Bourbon. Distilled in Scotland by an American distiller and matured for seven years in virgin oak, Scott says it captures his and his wife’s love of bold flavour and craftsmanship.
‘Ryelander is our new limited-edition rye spirit made with Andrew Smith of Little Brown Dog Spirits,’ Scott said.
‘It’s a rebellious dram that sits between Scotch and Bourbon.
‘It captures our love of bold flavour and craftsmanship, and with only 2,000 bottles available, it’s something genuinely unique for anyone who enjoys a rye with real character.
‘It’s fun, experimental and taps into that original spirit of curiosity that made us start the business in the first place.’
Read more Producer’s Corner here.
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