Retailers can sell disposable barbecues again after the government withdraws its summer ban

Retailers can supply disposable barbecues again. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) confirmed that the statutory guidelines it brought in on 14 August, which banned their supply, were withdrawn on 22 October 2026. Its updated page says "businesses are no longer prohibited from supplying disposable BBQs", provided the products still meet the relevant product safety requirements. For most retailers, the change will make little difference to this year's sales, because barbecue season is over. What matters more is what the summer showed about how much power regulators have over a product category.

How the ban worked

When the British Retail Consortium (BRC) announced the ban in August, it said: "Disposable barbecues have been the cause of a number of serious wildfires across the country". Under the General Product Safety Regulations, the government judged that in the drought and heatwave conditions at the time, the products "cannot be considered a safe product in light of the current conditions in the UK under GPSR". Retailers were told the products "should not be made available for supply either in store or online at the current time." Enforcement was serious. The BRC said the authorities "have powers to enforce the GPSR and there are sanctions, including criminal sanctions" for anyone who did not comply. There was also no exit date. The BRC said "the ban is intended to be temporary, but no end date has yet been set".

Why it was lifted

OPSS said the government "has engaged with relevant experts and stakeholders", "including the National Fire Chiefs Council and the Met Office". The BRC said the change came "Following engagement with stakeholders as well as a letter sent to OPSS by the BRC". That tells us what the BRC asked for, not why the government decided as it did. OPSS has not published its reasons beyond that engagement.

Safety duties stay the same

Being allowed to sell the products again does not remove the safety burden. OPSS said: "Withdrawal of the guidelines does not change the need for people to exercise appropriate caution." It advises customers to follow the manufacturer's instructions and take account of local conditions and fire safety advice. The BRC also said "appropriate safety messaging around the responsible use of disposable barbecues remains important."

What retail leaders should take from it

The ban was in force for 69 days, just under ten weeks, from 14 August to 22 October, with no end date while it ran. A heatwave could bring the same powers back next summer. It would be sensible to check three things now: how quickly product listings can be removed across every channel, including marketplaces; who owns the stock and the supplier conversations when a category is frozen; and whether safety messaging at the shelf and online is ready before the risk peaks, not after. Neither OPSS nor the BRC has published figures on lost sales or stock written off. Without them, it is hard to judge what this summer actually cost retailers.