Hickory's Smokehouse
Private
IndustryCasual dining
Founded2010
Num locations38
Key peopleNeil McDonnell
OwnerGreene King
Websitehttp://hickorys.co.uk/

Hickory's Smokehouse is a British BBQ smokehouse restaurant group founded in 2010 in Chester in the North West of England. It has since expanded to 38 sites across the United Kingdom.

Their menu is known for its Southern-inspired dishes and features burgers, corn dogs, Memphis-style back ribs, and smoked brisket.[1]

Each restaurant features an 'Ole Hickory' smoker, imported from Missouri.[2][3]

History

Hickory's Smokehouse was founded in 2010 with the original site in Chester by Neil McDonnell[4] who took inspiration from a road trip through America, visiting Texas, South Carolina, and Tennessee.[1]

In 2016, the group's location in Wall Heath, a Grade II-listed former nightclub suffered from damage to its roof after an electrical fault caused a fire.[5]

Greene King

In 2022, the pub group Greene King acquired Hickory's Smokehouse, investing £25 million into the chain.[6] The previous investors, Piper, who had supported the company since 2014 with an investment of £6 million,[7] exited their investment.[4]

Charity

The restaurant group supports a number of charities including Cash for Kids.[8]

References

  1. ^ "'Unreal' BBQ chain owned by UK pub to open 10 new restaurants in 2025". Metro. 2025-04-23. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
  2. ^ Media, Finelight. "Hickory’s Smokehouse". foodchainmagazine.com. Archived 2026-01-12 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
  3. ^ "The Story So Far: Hickory’s Smokehouse Shrewsbury Journey". www.myshrewsbury.co.uk. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
  4. ^ Robinson, Jon (2023-02-01). "Hickory's Smokehouse surged into profit ahead of acquisition by Greene King". Business Live. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
  5. ^ "Wall Heath Hickory's Smokehouse restaurant fire began accidentally". BBC News. 2016-09-02. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
  6. ^ Saker-Clark, Henry (2025-04-20). "Greene King-backed Hickory’s to open 10 restaurants a year". The Standard. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
  7. ^ Caines, Matthew (2018-01-22). "How American dream became a perfect recipe for restaurateur". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
  8. ^ "Wirral restaurant help smash fundraising target for children's charity". Wirral Globe. 2023-09-05. Retrieved 2026-03-24.