About Us
we wanted to open a burger bar, so in the spring of 2O14 we went to london to visit good burger bars for inspiration. first up was patty & bun just off oxford st. they were good, very good, “hmm, we need to be that good to be special” i thought. we then went onto pitt cue just up the road in carnaby street. a tiny basement restaurant serving fantastic BBQ food. the setting was hipster & grungy, the kitchen was spotless and the food was awesome. i changed my mind. BBQ is where it’s at, not a one-trick pony like a burger!
so the team and i went back to cambridge and came up with SMOKEWORKS; real BBQ food in an american style, but with influences from all over the world. that was our first inspiration
then we found the quirky little site on FREE SCHOOL LANE which lent itself perfectly to our concept. the food we knew we could nail, but what about the design… what could we do that would set us apart and get the customer interacting with the restaurant. then the lightbulb moment, literally, was the “switch”. no trying to get a waiters attention with a raised hand or british reserve. if you wanted something, anything, turn the switch, lights come on and the team swoop on you! a bit gimmicky? yeah sure, but it works perfectly and people loved it. a gloriously analogue solution in a digital world. so SMOKEWORKS was born and we have been trying to paint cambridge orange ever since!
MAX – SMOKEWORKS MD
Who's who
Max
Founder, MD & General Dogsbody!
3O years in the industry has led me to SMOKEWORKS. i love great service and buzzing atmospheres in bars and restaurants. add to that mix; great food, interesting drinks and fun people and you’ve got the ingredients (excuse the pun) for a cracking experience!
there are a few words that have become key principles for us at SMOKEWORKS, and they are; BBQ, BEER, BOURBON, FUN, SLOW COOKED. FAST, TECHNOLOGY – new and old (ie the switch) and MUSIC. everything we do has to live up to these principles. if it don’t fit, then it ain’t getting in!
i’m hands-on and always getting involved… or in the way depending on your point of view, and you’ll find me on site every day. while a Londoner by birth, i’ve lived and worked in cambridge for the last 21 years. when I’m not talking about SMOKEWORKS I’m talking about scalextric, and one day I’ll get both my passions combined. watch this space!
Tomas
GENERAL MANAGER, SMOKEWORKS
TOMAS is the general manager at SMOKEWORKS, bringing over 17 years of hospitality experience and a passion for creating unforgettable guest experiences.
As the driving force behind the venue, Tomas oversees everything from day-to-day operations to delivering exceptional events, making sure every guest leaves with a story worth telling. If there’s a challenge to tackle or an event to bring to life, you’ll want him in your corner.
When he’s not leading the team at SMOKEWORKS, you’ll probably find him lost in a good book, deep into a movie marathon… or somehow managing to do both at once!
Ivan
Pitmaster, SMOKEWORKS
IVAN joins us from MESSINA in the northeast of SICILY where he studied the culinary arts for 5 years before moving to the UK in 2O17
“after moving to the UK I thought I was looking for somewhere to develop my experience in fine dining, but instead I ended up falling in love with SMOKEWORKS. the feeling I get when I see ribs coming out of our smoker after being simply rubbed and smoked for 4-5 hours is truly unbelievable!
teamwork is also a key part of working here at SMOKEWORKS, and having such great colleagues around me not only helps me be creative and happy but also motivates me to be my best every day!”