Emily’s recipe for success with Wild & Fired BBQ School

The owner of an award-winning County Londonderry handcrafted sauce and artisan rub company has spoken of the moment she knew she had to fight back from one of life’s cruel blows to give her children the future she had dreamed of.

While living in Dublin, Philadelphia-born Emily McCorkell’s life changed forever when she returned home one evening after a yoga session to discover her husband, Norman unconscious and suffering from an epileptic seizure.

That fateful evening was the start of a highly stressful year which saw the family lose their home as neither Emily nor Norman could work due to his medical condition.

For six months the family moved around the city sleeping on friends’ sofas or house-sitting before they eventually returned to Northern Ireland and Londonderry.

Emily said: “We had rented out our home in Derry when we moved to Dublin, but our tenants then moved out meaning we could return home.

“But our situation hadn’t changed. I wasn’t working and Norman couldn’t work as he continued with medical tests in an effort to get his seizures under control. Ultimately, we lost our home in Derry, too.”

After experimenting with extreme lifestyle changes and medication, Norman, and the medical team, were able to get his epilepsy under control.

Emily said: “It was at this stage that I began stress cooking – I was craving the comfort foods of my childhood growing up in the US.

“Food is the ultimate nourishment for both the body and soul, and I turned to cooking to help me at this time. But I made more than we could possibly eat so I began giving it away.

“My mates suggested there may be a business opportunity, but I dismissed this right away – they’re my friends, they’re supposed to say nice things about my cooking. I never in a million years thought I could start my own business.

“But I heard about a slow food festival taking place, so with a £5,000 innovation voucher from Invest NI I developed two family sauce recipes, scaled them up and debuted them at the event.

“We sold out. I was completely caught off guard – here were perfect strangers coming up to me and buying my sauces simply because they tasted good.

“It was at this moment that Norman and I knew we had a choice of living on benefits and not being able to give our children the futures we wanted for them, or we could fight back.

“We threw everything we had into starting our business, Lo & Slo and in July 2017 we opened a food truck selling brisket and pulled pork along with our own sauces. We found a real food community and we loved attending different events to sell our products.

“In January 2020 we sold the truck as we had outgrown it but then lockdown struck and we feared everything we had fought for over the previous years would be lost.

“But as we emerged from lockdown we refused to lie down and ended up building our own food truck and developing more products.”

After graduating from Tourism NI's experience development programme, Emily took her next business step with the launch of Wild and Fired BBQ School at Brook Hall Estate and Gardens.

The Wild & Fired BBQ School takes place once a month at the historic Brook Hall Estate and Gardens on the edge of Londonderry with the team taking guests through the art of preparing a wood-fired meal.

On arrival, participants are given a guided tour of the walled garden at Brook Hall. From there the snacks begin before instructors give demonstrations inviting guests to get hands-on with the cooking process.

As you immerse yourself in the experience, you'll not only learn to build and manage your own fire but also gain a deeper appreciation for the quality and flavour of locally sourced ingredients.

Emily said: “Brook Hall is just a stunning location for the BBQ School. It is also a place steeped in history as this is where King James II encamped his troops in 1689 and also built the boom across the River Foyle for the siege of Derry.

“We work closely with the estate’s manager, David Gilliland and its indicative of the excellent working relationships so many food producers and tourism experience providers enjoy throughout the city.

“For the past two years I have been Co-Chair of the LegenDerry Food Network, which sees producers, growers, chefs, brewers and restauranteurs come together to promote our wonderful city.

“There is a real sense of togetherness, and we are all so supportive of each other. For example, when the Wild & Fired BBQ School is over, we encourage our guests to journey into the city and enjoy places like the Walled City Brewery.

“The city is a real hotbed of people doing amazing things in the tourism and hospitality experience sectors. These people are ensuring Derry is firmly on the bucket list of foodies from all over the world who are flocking to Northern Ireland.”

For more about Lo & Slo, visit www.lo-slo.co.uk. For more information on what’s on, or to plan your next giant adventure in Northern Ireland, visit www.discovernorthernireland.com.