Tarka-Char

Tarka-Char Producer of top quality BBQ charcoal, bioChar & woodland products in the Taw Valley, North Devon.

Even though we’ve been coppicing for years I still get a little nervous when we cut a broadleaf tree down. This hazel wa...
04/04/2023

Even though we’ve been coppicing for years I still get a little nervous when we cut a broadleaf tree down. This hazel was cut just a few weeks ago and already the little red shoots are showing! Love the hand shaped root too ❤️ Nature is pretty amazing.

The base for the small cabin is now complete! When it was finished we checked how square and parallel the legs were to e...
21/09/2022

The base for the small cabin is now complete! When it was finished we checked how square and parallel the legs were to each other . . . measuring and comparing the two diagonals (to check if square) just over 20 ft we were out by 6mm!! So super chuffed with that.
Large cabin is half finished and so far it’s all level and square despite having 3.5 metre tall legs at the front and a very steep slope to contend with.

21/09/2022

The base for the small cabin is now complete! When it was finished we checked how square and parallel the legs were to each other . . . measuring and comparing the two diagonals (to check if square) just over 20 ft we were out by 6mm!! So super chuffed with that.
Large cabin is half finished and so far it’s all level and square despite having 3.5 metre tall legs at the front and a very steep slope to contend with.

16/09/2022

Final film of 4 - Bagging Up.
Bagging up our premium BBQ charcoal ready for our lucky customers!
This winter during felling season we’ll put a short film together of the harvesting process.

05/09/2022

Film 3 of 4 of our BBQ charcoal process. After the burn we grade our charcoal over 12 mm (to remove the dust) and 25mm to remove the smaller pieces lifting us with beautiful chunky charcoal!

29/08/2022

Film 2 of 4. The Burn.
We use soft wood shells ( left over from milling planks from our Japanese Larch and Douglas Fir ) plus small skinny stuff as the fuel wood for the fire. The Hardwood in the barrels doesn’t touch the fire so in reality the wood is more cooked than burned. Once the wood in the barrels gets up to about 400 - 450C it will start to release wood gas. The gas then becomes the fuel for the pyrolysis process.

22/08/2022

1 of 4 short films that shows our process of producing top quality BBQ charcoal. The films were shot during the heatwave(!!) and was our last burn of the season. This film shows the wood processing and loading of barrels.

For our two eco-cabin we wanted to keep the concrete needed to an absolute minimum. For the ‘larger’ cabin we were able ...
17/08/2022

For our two eco-cabin we wanted to keep the concrete needed to an absolute minimum. For the ‘larger’ cabin we were able to use ground screws and had hoped to do the same for the smaller one but the ground proved to be too stoney. Instead we have dug 8 small pad foundations. Over the last two days we have filled them, added 200mm double walled pipe, rebar, topped up with concrete and added a bolt. A super large (and expensive) bracket will then attach the pad to the leg of the cabin. Wood for the legs and under structure turns up today! So, hopefully have some photos of that next week to share.

Our eye has been off the ‘build-the-eco-cabins’ ball for a while. But barrels all stacked away, charcoal bags ready for ...
16/08/2022

Our eye has been off the ‘build-the-eco-cabins’ ball for a while. But barrels all stacked away, charcoal bags ready for delivery . . . so back to the cabin site. . . now completely overgrown! Next job strim site then start in the foundations for the tiny cabin.

10/08/2022

Got up early to avoid the heat. Last bags of charcoal graded and bagged for this season! Making charcoal in a heat wave isn’t much fun, thank goodness for the barn.🤩

The last of our timber store for this years charcoal being processed. So glad we have an airy barn to work in with the h...
19/07/2022

The last of our timber store for this years charcoal being processed. So glad we have an airy barn to work in with the high temperatures we’ve all been experiencing. 24 steel drums all filled with split wood, mainly ash with a bit of seasoned oak and cherry, ready for the retort.

I have been holding off posting these photos, there should have been more to accompany them but things have been delayed...
30/05/2022

I have been holding off posting these photos, there should have been more to accompany them but things have been delayed. Twice! These are the ground screws for the foundations of the cabins, 5 foot long, 80mm diameter, 26 of them. They should be in the ground. They are not. This week maybe . . . .

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Barnstaple
EX379DD

Telephone

+447799175198

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