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The End of an Era: What Barbeques Galore's Closure Means for Sydney's BBQ Lovers
The End of an Era: What Barbeques Galore's Closure Means for Sydney's BBQ Lovers
It's hard to write this without a bit of a heavy heart. Barbeques Galore, a name that's been part of Australian backyards since 1977, is closing its doors. After entering voluntary administration back in February, the company spent months trying to find a buyer or put together a recapitalisation deal. A rescue plan was on the table as recently as May, with creditors weighing up a Deed of Company Arrangement that would have kept the business going under Gordon Brothers. In the end, the parties just couldn't agree on commercial trading terms with suppliers, and the deal fell over.
From 16 June, the 62 company-owned stores will begin winding down, while the 27 franchise-owned stores work through their own transitional arrangements (and in a few cases, look set to keep trading independently). Around 500 jobs are affected, and while it's some comfort that employees are being paid out their full redundancy and entitlements, it's still a tough day for a lot of people who've spent years, in some cases decades, working under that banner.
It's worth saying clearly: this is a story of a much bigger pattern we've all been watching play out across Australian retail. Godfreys, Rockmans, Katies, Rivers — long-standing, well-loved names that have all struggled under the same combination of cost-of-living pressure, rising overheads and a tougher trading environment. Deloitte has been forecasting slower discretionary spending right through to the end of this year, and with real wages down and consumer confidence sitting at historic lows, it's not hard to see why even brands with deep customer loyalty are finding it hard to hang on. Barbeques Galore was a genuine fixture of the Australian backyard for almost fifty years, and its closure deserves to be acknowledged as exactly that loss, rather than picked apart for blame.
If you're a Barbeques Galore customer, a couple of practical things to act on now
If you're holding a gift card, don't sit on it — reports indicate gift cards will only be honoured until 30 June 2026, and after that there's no guarantee they'll be redeemable. If you've got an outstanding order, get in touch with the administrators or customer support directly for an update rather than waiting it out.
Where to go next
The good news is that one major chain closing doesn't mean Sydney's BBQ options have dried up. There are still specialist, independently run retailers stocking the same calibre of grills, smokers and rotisseries, often with a level of product knowledge and personal service that's hard to match once a big chain is winding down.
We're one of them. The BBQ Store has been operating out of Prestons in Sydney's south-west since 2010, and over that time we've built our name importing and distributing rotisserie barbecues, smokers and outdoor cooking equipment — including being the exclusive Australian distributor for Cyprus Grill, Dizzy Lamb, and myGRILL, alongside a full range from Gozney, BeefEater, Napoleon, Gasmate, Hark and Traeger. We carry one of the largest ranges of spit motors and rotisserie accessories in the country, which is genuinely a specialty of ours rather than an afterthought.
What customers tend to mention most in our reviews isn't the range, though — it's the service. We're a privately owned, family-run business, and our team (including our owner Gabriel, who still gets on the phone with customers himself) prides itself on being reachable and straightforward to deal with, whether that's helping you choose between two BBQs, sorting a freight quote on a bulky item, or just talking through how to get the most out of a BBQ or Smoker setup.
You can visit our Prestons showroom Monday to Friday 9am–5pm or Saturday 9am–4pm (we're closed Sundays), or shop the full range online at www.thebbqstore.com.au, where everything from gas, charcoal and electric barbecues through to smokers, pizza ovens, accessories, rubs and spare parts is available with a shipping calculator at checkout and buy-now-pay-later options for eligible shoppers. For anything bulky, our team can talk you through freight and delivery — most BBQs, smokers and outdoor kitchens are kerbside delivery items, so it pays to have a chat with us first if access is tricky.
If you've been a Barbeques Galore customer for years, we understand it's a strange and slightly sad transition. We'd be glad to help you find your next BBQ, smoker or rotisserie, and to keep that same backyard cooking culture going strong.
