Beech Charcoal

Beech charcoal is produced from the Queen of the woods, the Beech tree.

• A very dense, heavy wood that is often used for furniture making.
• Can grow very large, with specimens reaching 45m high.
• Large dome-like canopies let through little light, and so Beech woodlands do not usually have a significant understory.
• Beech nuts or mast are a popular food for woodland mammals, and can even be used to make ersatz coffee.
• Grey squirrels are particularly fond of the bark of Beech trees, and will often strip this from trees around 30-40 years old, causing parts of the crown to die off.
• Usually found on free draining land, such as the chalk of the North Wessex Downs where Slate Hill Charcoal is based.
• Beech is one of the few species to have medullary rays or pith rays, which are visible moving from the centre of the tree to the bark perpendicular to the growth rings. It is these that fracture during the conversion process, therefore allowing more airflow through the beech charcoal and more heat controllability.
• Beech trees are notorious for shedding boughs, and can be dangerous to walk underneath in winds.
• Beech charcoal is great for low and slow cooking meat joints, and the ability to quickly increase the heat makes searing easy.

See what the Woodland Trust has to say about Beech Trees.