There was a time when getting properly into American barbecue in Britain meant a lot of hunting.

Find a recipe. Discover half the ingredients were American. Work out whether the rub would even ship here. Decide whether paying international postage for paprika and garlic powder was evidence of commitment or a cry for help.

Angus & Oink has made that whole business considerably easier.

The Aberdeenshire company started because founders Scott and Malissa Fraser came home from travelling through the Americas missing the food they had eaten there — smoked brisket in Texas, tacos in Mexico, hot chicken in Nashville and plenty more besides.

So they started making the flavours themselves.

What began in a home kitchen and an empty cowshed has grown into a British barbecue business producing serious volumes of seasoning, selling through supermarkets and exporting abroad.

For the reader, though, the useful bit is much simpler:

you can try this stuff without making barbecue your second job.

Tesco now carries Angus & Oink seasonings including Kansas BBQ, Hella Nashty, Texas Steak and others, while Morrisons stocks parts of the range too.

That means the first step into American-style barbecue can cost a few quid and happen during the weekly shop.

And the flavours are not just names picked because they sound good on a packet.

Angus & Oink has competed at the American Royal in Kansas, one of the big barbecue events in the US, against hundreds of teams. Its Kansas seasoning comes with that experience behind it.

Hella Nashty came from a trip to Nashville and a memorable encounter with proper hot chicken.

There is something satisfying about that journey.

Eat the thing in America. Come home to Scotland. Work out how to make it. Put it on a British supermarket shelf.

And if you get properly into it, Angus & Oink goes deeper.

Its online shop also carries American barbecue names including Meat Church, Blues Hog, Killer Hogs and Franklin Barbecue.

So the same place that sells you an easy first rub can also become a route into the brands you keep seeing American pitmasters use.

There’s even a British competition scene waiting if the obsession gets out of hand.

Angus & Oink has backed UK barbecue competitions where teams cook head-to-head, including events open to newcomers.

Which means the path is there if you want it.

Start with a packet from Tesco.

End up arguing about bark, smoke rings and brisket temperatures in a field somewhere.

Barbecue has travelled well.

ANGUS & OINK — USEFUL LINKS & GOOD TO KNOW

Good to know: supermarket ranges, individual products, prices and competition dates can change. Check Angus & Oink and the relevant retailer or event organiser before making a special trip.