We started this business because of wood fired ovens, and until three years ago barbecue for me was the same as most people - waiting for the sun to come out to cook burgers and sausages, directly over cheap charcoal.

When we started selling charcoal and smoking chunks I decided it was time to master another form of fire cooking, and added a Weber Mastertouch to go alongside my very basic 15-year-old 47cm kettle.

The fundamental skills you need to unlock a whole new world of charcoal cooking are as follows:

• Learning to control the temperature of your barbecue
• Setting up heat zones within your barbecue for direct and indirect cooking
• Using the lid to create an oven-like cooking environment

In this video I walk you through the technical aspects as well as demonstrating them with a very simple cook of some thick-cut steaks.

I really hope this helps anyone looking to get more out of their barbecue, and I'll be back soon with more tips.