About Us

The Ross McDonald story

Weber's Australian story began in Adelaide in 1978 with Ross McDonald.

Ross saw something special in the Weber Kettle. At a time when Australians were accustomed to cooking on open, flat barbecues, the idea of putting the lid down and roasting, baking and barbecuing outdoors was something very different.

Rather than simply putting Weber barbecues on a shop floor and expecting people to understand them, Ross showed people what they could do.

He cooked. He demonstrated. He created the flavour in mouth experience.

And when customers bought their first Weber, he was known for helping them get started and showing them how to create a great meal on it.

It was an approach built around a simple idea: if someone's first experience cooking on a Weber was a great one, they would understand why the barbecue was different.

Word spread.

By the mid-1980s, the Weber Kettle had become a fixture in Australian backyards, and the way Australians thought about barbecue cooking was beginning to change.

Ross continued to contribute ideas to the Weber story, including innovations for charcoal cooking, but perhaps one of his most significant chapters came decades later.

When the original Weber Q arrived in the early 2000s, Ross immediately saw its potential. Compact, versatile and designed to cook with the lid down, it suited the way Australians and New Zealanders lived — whether cooking in the backyard, on a balcony, beside the caravan, at the beach or out in the bush.

The Weber Q went on to become an Australian barbecue icon.

That same belief Ross had back in 1978 still shapes Weber Australia and New Zealand today: great products matter but helping people get great results from them matters just as much.

Bringing people together around the barbecue

At Weber, we believe some of the best moments happen around great food.

A Sunday roast with the family, dinner outside on a summer evening, a barbecue at the beach, or a campsite cook after a day on the road. For generations, Weber has been helping people come together, cook with confidence and make more of the time they spend outdoors.

Our story began in Chicago in 1952, when George Stephen created the original kettle barbecue. His simple idea — putting a lid on the barbecue — transformed outdoor cooking and started a culture of innovation that continues at Weber today.

But the Weber story in Australia and New Zealand has a character all of its own.

Made for the way we cook

Since those early days in Adelaide, Weber has become part of outdoor cooking culture across Australia and New Zealand.

Our barbecues have changed, and the possibilities of outdoor cooking have expanded enormously, but our purpose remains remarkably similar.

We want to help people cook incredible food outdoors.

That means designing barbecues that perform, developing accessories that make more styles of cooking possible, creating recipes and advice that give people the confidence to try something new, and supporting Weber owners long after they take their barbecue home.

From the unmistakable kettle and the iconic Weber Q to today's gas, charcoal, electric, pellet, griddle and built-in barbecues, Weber continues to rethink what is possible when you cook outside.

Because ultimately, a Weber isn't just about the barbecue.

It's about what happens around it.

Born to barbecue

More than 70 years after George Stephen created the original kettle, we are still driven by the same curiosity that started it all.

How can we make outdoor cooking better?

How can we help people create incredible food?

And how can we bring more people together around the barbecue?

There is always something new to cook, something new to learn and another reason to fire up the barbecue.

Our table is open to everyone.

Find a Store Near You >

Weber Stores

A great barbecue experience starts well before you light the burners or charcoal.

Weber Stores were created to give customers somewhere they could experience the Weber brand properly — with knowledgeable people, hands-on advice and the opportunity to find the barbecue that's right for the way they cook.

The first Weber Store opened in Townsville in 2015, beginning a network that has since expanded across Australia and into New Zealand.

Today, Weber Stores bring together our range of barbecues, accessories and outdoor cooking expertise in one place. Customers can compare different models, discover new ways to cook, find the right accessories and talk with people who genuinely know Weber products.

Alongside our network of Weber Specialist Dealers and retail partners, they help us support barbecue owners in communities throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Whether you're buying your first barbecue, replacing a Weber that's been part of the family for years, or looking for the next addition to your outdoor cooking setup, our stores are there to help you get more from every cook.