A STROUD business has vowed to stay at the shopping centre after renewing their lease. 

The BBQ Society, has renewed its lease at the Five Valleys indoor market.

This comes in the same week that the family run business, which also has a branch in Gloucester, scooped an award for the best street food trader at the Gloucestershire Foodie Awards. 

Since November 2021, The BBQ Society has been serving a menu of locally sourced meats and loaded fries to shoppers. 

Owners Ben Williams and Sophie Tinsley started the business during the Covid-19 pandemic by selling their homemade BBQ sauce to friends and neighbours to supplement their income after being furloughed. 

Stroud News and Journal: Ben Williams who owns The BBQ Society with his partner Sophie Tinsley says they are excited aboutThe couple then developed a menu to complement their BBQ sauce and quickly built a strong following, leading them to run a takeaway business from their home kitchen. 

After opening their first kitchen in the Old England Match Factory in Gloucester, they expanded their business into Five Valleys three years ago. 

Since then, The BBQ Society has received numerous awards in addition to the Foodie Award received last week, including 'Best BBQ in Gloucester' by The Restaurant Guru 2023, 'Best BBQ in Gloucestershire' by Luxlife Magazine 2023, being a finalist in the Cotswold Food and Drink Awards 2022, and labelled one of the UK's best BBQ spots by I Magazine in 2022.

Ben said: “We’ve had an amazing journey so far, and we are grateful to all our customers.

"We can’t wait to continue serving the people of Stroud, and we are excited about our future here at the shopping centre.”

Foodies can find The BBQ Society within the food court of Five Valleys Shopping Centre, next to Non-Solo Pasta who also won an award for their signature Limoncello at the Gloucestershire Foodie Awards.

Centre Manager at Five Valleys shopping centre, Erica Malpass, said: “We’re delighted that BBQ Society have committed to staying at the centre, we know they are a firm favourite for our foodie visitors.

“I’d also like to congratulate all of our traders who have recently won awards for their craft, we know there’s a wealth of talent here in this artisan market and it’s great this is being regionally recognised.”