Everything we know about buying, choosing and using wood pellets. Written to be useful whether or not you buy from us — including the occasions where the honest answer is that something else suits you better.
Choosing a pellet
Hardwood vs softwood pellets: which should you buy?
The core trade-off is density against price. Softwood is cheaper per tonne and often the better buy for heating; hardwood carries more energy per pellet. For smoking and substrate, softwood is not a cheaper option — it is not an option. Includes a full comparison table and the bark and binders question most suppliers avoid.
Oak vs beech smoking pellets: which to use
Oak for red meat and long cooks, beech for fish, cheese and anything delicate. Flavour profiles, specific pairings, when to blend instead — and why pellet cleanliness matters considerably more than which species you picked.
Pricing
Wood pellet prices UK: what a tonne actually costs
What you pay across every buying route, from garden centre bags to bulk softwood. How to normalise quotes so you are comparing like with like, why retail bags cost you twice, and the 5% vs 20% VAT difference that can make one supplier look 14% cheaper than an identical one.
Mushroom cultivation
Hardwood pellets for mushroom substrate
Why HWFP became the standard hardwood supplement, hydration ratios, the species it suits, storage, and the economics of buying a pallet against bags.
Masters Mix substrate: a practical guide
What the formulation is and why it outperforms plain hardwood, how our 60:40 ratio differs from the published 50:50 and what that means in practice, hydration to field capacity, and a blunt section on why this must be sterilised rather than pasteurised.
Smoking and barbecue
Oak and beech pellets for BBQ and smoking
What makes a good smoking pellet, flavour profiles, suggested pairings by meat, appliance compatibility, and why buying by the tonne makes sense for a commercial kitchen.
Heating
Wood pellets for biomass heating
Hardwood against softwood for boilers and stoves, why you must check your appliance’s fuel specification before switching, storage, and a note on Ready to Burn certification for domestic use in England.
Ordering and delivery
Delivery information
Lead times, which postcodes the standard rate covers, what kerbside delivery actually means, access requirements for a tail-lift vehicle, and what to check before you sign for a pallet.
Bulk and recurring orders
What changes above four pallets, who it is worth asking about, and exactly what to include so we can quote you quickly.
Something not covered?
Email hello@wholesalepellets.co.uk. If it is a question worth answering once, it is probably worth answering here — several of these guides exist because someone asked.