Our Story

Hi there! I’m Renea Caroline, owner and operator of The BBQ Yard. Welcome to the Home of the How to BBQ Workshops!

In 2010 I moved to California to help run a family fire wood business. The company mainly provided firewood for weekend camping, beach bon fires, residential bulk wood delivery, and restaurants who used hardwood for cooking in their Santa Maria Grills and wood fired pizza ovens. As the Office Manager my role was logistics and customer service for the company store front. Unfortunately, the owner of the company was battling Leukemia and was unable to be at the yard as much as he would like. He trusted me to take on more responsibility and become more hands on in his absence. So, my responsibilities and my role began to evolve. 

One tiny problem. I had little to no experience in the industry, little to no knowledge of firewood and definitely zero things barbeque. In true Renea style {for those of you who don’t know me I not only love learning new things but thrive off of new challenges!} I dove in and decided to simply learn what I didn’t know.  

{not so simply though!} 

Little did I know how this journey would change not only my role in the company, but my entire life. 

I purchased on outdoor fire pit and began to teach myself how to properly build a fire. I learned the difference between soft wood, hard wood and how to make my own kindling. I learned where natural fat wood fire starters come from, and on and on and on. Soon I felt confident to talk shop {er….wood!} with our customers! 

Through my customer interactions, I noticed a shift in their demand. The series ‘Pit Masters’, a show that followed barbeque cooks as they competed for cash and prizes in barbeque cooking competitions, had become widely popular. This seemed to have sparked something in our customers. They wanted to learn the HOW!

And I was in. 

I challenged myself to learn the different characteristics of over 10 different firewoods and over 15 different cooking woods {Alder, Apple, Grape, Hickory, Peach, Pecan…to name a few}. 

And then…. I gutted my gas grill- removing all the components inside. I loaded up with charcoal and our cooking wood chunks. Guys, I had NO idea what I was doing. I started a charcoal pile not knowing the amount of heat I needed to maintain it, let alone how much heat to actually ignite the chunks. Wouldn’t you know..I had such a small coal base and put such large chunks on that I completely put the fire OUT. epic.fail! But I kept at it. I really wanted to learn the dynamics of charcoal vs. gas, but I also wanted to truly understand how air flow, wood flavor, and various cuts of meat and seasoning affected the end result. {And….of course, how not to put out the fire?}

For the next 6 months I did some sort of trial and error. But, not just at my grill. Picture this: Me at the butcher shop. “What type of ribs would you like?” {Cue, deer in headlights.} “There are more than one type? Well…what are my choices?” When he came back with “pork ribs? Beef ribs? St. Louis Style? Spare ribs? Plate ribs?!?!...” Ya’ll, I was even more intimidated buying the meat than I was gutting my gas grill to cook it. Again, I kept at it and wanted to learn more!

Enter:  Smokin’ Hot Saturdays. We created an event where I would personally sample and blind taste test. We guessed what woods, seasonings and various smokers were used, but also which ones were most favored, all with no idea what variables were in play. It was a fun and interactive way to make our customers a part of the learning process too! When they visited the store, I aimed to give them a challenge, something new to try, and a push to experiment outside of their comfort zone. 

Ultimately, I wanted to expand their love for the art of BBQ too! 

I was fortunate to build relationships with local pit masters and began to support various BBQ competitions in the area. In 2014 I entered my first competition with a long-time customer, turned friend. I was in charge of the chicken and brisket; he was in charge of the pork. I was on my way to becoming a pit master!

Through it all, I reflected on all my hard work. And, it was- HARD work. There was a lot of youtube videos, a lot of trial and errors, a lot of failures and a lot of crossing my fingers in hopes that I didn’t have to order a pizza. Altogether, this fueled my desire to create an affordable and hands on venue where people could come learn the lessons I had learned {without all the epic pitfalls and funny stories!} My desire to teach basic barbecue skills and encourage the community to learn the art of outdoor cooking blossomed into The BBQ Yard.

In addition to running the business, our family has started competing together- taking on the challenge of mastering all 4 meat categories. Our son, Daniel Son competed in his first competition when he was 2 years old and he WON 1st place…. in the 6-10 year age group! I like to say, "If Daniel Son can….. ANYONE can!” And, I truly do believe with all my heart that ANYONE can! 

My heart’s desire is to create a culture where confidence is built, and bonds are made. Watching your peers as they try something new, take on a challenge, learn and eventually spread the BBQ passion with others, is amazing. 

I hope to be the source of answers for the beginner backyarder, and the coach and mentor for the bbq competitor. I want to be the team builder, the teacher, and the friend who cheers you on in hopes that you learn, grow and develop in this art of outdoor cooking, but also -and more importantly- in this journey called LIFE! 

Because, friends, we’re all in this together! 

"We can all have the same meat, the same smokers, the same variables but each person’s masterpiece will be different because of where we come from and the amount of love each person puts into their art."

-Renea Caroline