Description
These softwood BBQ pellets come on a pallet holding about a tonne of grill fuel. Softwood lights quickly and burns hot, so this fuel is aimed at fast, high-heat cooking such as searing, grilling burgers and steaks, and getting a grill up to temperature in a hurry. It’s a different fuel from hardwood cooking pellets, and we’ll be straight with you about where it fits and where it doesn’t.
Read the section on smoking before you order. If long, slow smoking is what you mostly do, hardwood is the better choice and we’d rather send you that.
On this page
Pallet at a glance
| Product | Softwood BBQ pellets |
| Wood type | Softwood |
| Quantity | About 1 tonne on one pallet |
| Packing | Bagged and wrapped on the pallet |
| Burn | Quick ignition, hot flame |
| Best for | High-heat grilling and searing |
| SKU | SW-BBQ-1T |
Ask us for the bag size and species details of the current batch if you need them for your menu or your records.
How softwood BBQ pellets cook
Softwood has less density and more natural resin than hardwood. In a pellet grill that shows up as a fast start and a lively, hot fire. You reach searing temperature quickly, which is handy when you’re cooking to order or feeding a queue.
The smoke flavour is lighter than you’d get from oak, hickory or fruitwood. For quick cooks that’s often fine, because at high heat there isn’t much time for smoke to build up anyway. What matters there is heat, and softwood BBQ pellets deliver it.
A word on smoking with softwood
Many pitmasters avoid softwood for long smoking sessions. Resinous woods can give a sharp, bitter taste over hours of low-temperature cooking, and plenty of grill makers recommend hardwood for that kind of cook. We agree with that advice.
So our honest recommendation is this:
- For brisket, pulled pork, ribs and anything low and slow, use our hardwood BBQ pellets.
- For searing, direct grilling and fast cooks, softwood BBQ pellets work well and heat up quickly.
- Check your grill’s manual. If it names a fuel type, follow it, especially while the grill is under warranty.
Some cooks keep both and switch depending on the job. A pallet of each is a good setup for a busy kitchen or catering business.
High-heat cooking guide
Softwood BBQ pellets come into their own at the top end of the dial. As a rough guide for a pellet grill:
| Cook | Typical setting | Tip |
| Steaks, chops | 230°C and up | Preheat fully before the meat goes on |
| Burgers, sausages | 200–230°C | Turn once or twice, don’t press them |
| Flatbreads, pizza | 260°C or the grill’s maximum | Use a stone or steel and let it heat through |
| Vegetables, skewers | 200°C | Oil lightly and keep them moving |
Use a probe thermometer for meat rather than trusting the grill’s display, and cook to safe internal temperatures.
For food businesses
Street food stalls, event caterers and pub kitchens often need fast heat more than deep smoke. Service is quick, customers are waiting, and a grill that recovers temperature fast after the lid opens is worth a lot. That’s the setting where softwood BBQ pellets make the most sense.
Buying by the pallet also keeps your fuel consistent. One batch over a season means your timings don’t change every time a new delivery turns up. If you’d like regular pallets through the season, tell us your rough usage and we’ll plan around it.
Using them well
Whatever pellets you use, the same habits keep a grill running smoothly:
- Store bags in the dry and close them after use
- Don’t leave pellets in the hopper outdoors between cooks
- Clean ash out of the fire pot regularly so the fire gets enough air
- Pour from the top of the bag and leave the dust behind
- Never soak pellets in water
Do not use heating pellets in a grill. Heating fuel such as our softwood heating pellets is sold for stoves and boilers, not for cooking food.
Storing the pallet
Keep softwood BBQ pellets under a roof and off the ground, with the wrap on until you start using it. A garage, store room or dry outbuilding is ideal. Damp is the problem: pellets that get wet swell and break up, and then they jam the auger. Stored properly, a pallet keeps well for months.
We keep our stock in a dry, humidity-controlled warehouse and wrap every pallet before dispatch.
Ordering and delivery
Add the pallet to your basket and check out. We check the order, confirm the delivery cost for your address, prepare the pallet from dry storage and send it by road. We deliver worldwide, and freight depends on your location and how many pallets you order. If access to your site is awkward, put it in the order notes or get in touch through our contact page.
Softwood BBQ pellets: questions
Are softwood BBQ pellets safe to cook with?
They’re sold as grill fuel. For long, low-temperature smoking we still recommend hardwood, for flavour reasons as much as anything. If you have a specific concern about your grill, check its manual or ask us before buying.
Will they work in any pellet grill?
Most pellet grills take standard cooking pellets. Check the manual for fuel guidance before you order a full pallet.
How many cooks will a pallet give me?
It depends on the grill and how hot you run it. A pellet grill on a high setting can use roughly one to two kilograms an hour, so a tonne of softwood BBQ pellets covers a lot of service. A busy food stall will get through it much faster than a family grilling at weekends.
Can I mix softwood and hardwood in the hopper?
Some cooks do, using softwood for a quick start and hardwood for flavour. It’s worth testing on a small cook first.
Where are the other pellet products?
See the softwood pellets category, the softwood pellets guide, or the full shop. For general reading on how pellet cookers work, see the pellet grill article.
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