Barbecue it like Beckham: The 'lamb man' who taught David Beckham about fire cooking

This interview is part of a series on David Beckham's countryside champions, as featured in the October 22, 2025 edition of Country Life. Read part 1 with stockman Trevor Kirk, part 2 with milliner Barnaby Horn and part 3 with gardener Poppy Okotcha.

'Cooking is nothing if not theatrical and there is also something primal about it. It’s a method our ancestors would have used hundreds of thousands of years ago. It wasn’t on my radar, however, during the years I worked in a government policy role, feeling constrained and often staring out of the office window wishing that I was somewhere else.

'I met my wife, Ana Ortiz, 20 years ago. She hails from the Galapagos Islands, but also has relatives in Ecuador and, when visiting, I was awestruck by the barbecues they host, which are huge social occasions. Numerous relatives would turn up, everyone helping to cook, whether that involved a pig, a wild goat, or fish and lobster.

'Something about the simple barbecue designs also appealed to me. However, 10 years later, when in the UK and looking for a plain ‘crucifix’ on which to secure a whole lamb over a fire, I realised that there wasn’t such a piece of kit available, so I asked a friend with a workshop to make a prototype. When others expressed an interest in it, I realised I may have stumbled on a business idea and Fire Made was born.

'Nowadays, all of our barbecues and the assorted accessories are made in a small workshop in Wincanton in Somerset, where our Portico 100 and 150, which have layered grill systems and hanging frames, have become our bestsellers. In fact, sometimes I’ll take one of our Portico Grills, or perhaps our Asado catering system, when I barbecue for the Beckhams. Sir David loves fire cooking and he invites me back about five times a year, calling me the ‘lamb man’ for obvious reasons, as I’ll generally cook a lamb, or sometimes a suckling pig or a cut of beef. He discovered me via a specialist butcher in 2019 and I’ve been cooking for the family alfresco ever since.

'In 2018, Ana and I launched a fire-cooking events business, catering for the likes of private parties, weddings and corporate events. Our commercial kitchen is in Westcombe’s foodie heaven, next door to the likes of Westcombe Dairy, Landrace Milling and Brickell’s Ice Cream. From there, we also run experience days, during which people can discover the joys of fire cooking.

'For me, there hasn’t been a dull moment since 2015 and that first prototype — and I no longer spend my time staring wistfully out of windows.'

See more about Tom’s work at the Fire Made website.

This feature originally appeared in the October 22, 2025 issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.