History

George Stephen had a passion for engineering in an age when new inventions and products were emerging at a rapid rate. As a young man he joined a shipping buoy manufacturer in Chicago called Weber Brothers Metal Works where his passion for invention was to take a dramatic turn.

Like many Americans at that time, George had a barbecue. He loved experimenting, devising recipes, entertaining and having fun with his young family and friends. But he was never entirely satisfied with the open barbecues that were the only kind available in the stores.

The fire on the open barbecues was difficult to control. When the wind whipped up and cold breezes blew in from Lake Michigan, the ash blew all over the place, onto the food and onto his family. The fire was hard to control in the tough and volatile climate in and around Chicago. George found that standard barbecues were either too hot or too cold and flames tended to lick around the food as fat dripped onto the glowing charcoal briquettes below.

George knew there had to be a solution and set about building his own barbecue to gain better control over ash and fire. But his many prototypes always failed to live-up to his high standards.

One day at the factory, sitting on a shipping buoy eating his packed lunch, George had an idea. This was his ‘Eureka’ moment. He jumped up, took hold of one of the buoys next to him and sawed it in half. With growing excitement he put legs underneath it and used the top half as a lid. He then cut a vent in the top and bottom. George now had the barbecue he had been dreaming of! He knew that this design would allow him to control the temperature, tame the ash and flames and create the taste he had been searching for all these years. It was 1952 and the classic Weber barbecue was born.

George’s new barbecue was a hit. Not only did it cook to perfection and protect the food from the elements, it also reflected the optimistic mood of a whole new generation. The 1950s was consumer boom-time in America and George’s new invention was so different, so iconic, so practical and stylish that almost as soon as he had invented it, all of his neighbours wanted one! 

George saw the potential of his new kettle-shaped barbecue and, with the help of the Weber factory, started to manufacture them for sale. George knew they would not take off without help though, so he employed a team of salesmen and sent them out on the road to make sales demonstrations across the country.

When people saw George’s strange kettle-shaped invention for the first time, most just smiled. But that smile became a grin of delight when they tasted the food cooked on it and the barbecue began to sell well – despite being about five times the price of a standard barbecue. People knew that this new barbecue would stand the test of time and the difference in quality when you tasted the food was enough to warrant the cost – plus George invented 101 original recipes so people could conjure up the delicious dishes in their own backyards.

The barbecue became so popular that in 1957, people started to refer to George’s barbecue as The Sputnik because of its resemblance to the Russian Sputnik satellite, sent into orbit around the Earth that year.

But things were not always easy in the early years. The Weber barbecue was an extremely risky venture for George Stephen. During the winter months, finances were so tight that employees did not draw their pay cheques until they had asked George if there was money in the bank to cover them.

But the sales force were loyal and continued to travel from city to city teaching Americans how to barbecue with the lid on and gradually the Weber barbecue became a success across the Midwest. By the end of the 1950s, George’s invention was such a success that he was able to buy the Weber Brother Metal Works, which he renamed Weber-Stephen Products Company.

During the 60s and 70s interest in the Weber barbecue grew. The barbecue was featured on many TV shows and became a national brand name, available at stores throughout the US. George had started a barbecue revolution; creating the modern barbecue culture the USA is renowned for today.

George was passionate about the new company. Every day he came to work with his head filled with new ideas for barbecues, accessories and recipes. He aimed to give consumers the very best barbecue experience. From the moment they opened the box until they had finished their meal, George wanted them to be surprised, delighted and inspired.

George encouraged his employees to think innovatively. He encouraged new ideas and new methods. George instilled the belief that product development is vital to success. That by innovation Weber-Stephen would make their customers happy. That belief is still strong today.

Full power development
Weber was the first professional barbecue manufacturer to make the leap from charcoal briquettes to gas.  The classic Weber Genesis® gas barbecue was born in 1985. When it was launched, the Genesis® caused a minor revolution on the market and immediately became a classic. It represented an entirely new category of gas barbecue and the success of the Genesis® alone was enough to make Weber the leading supplier of the best quality barbecues on the market. Since then the Genesis® has been the benchmark for all other gas barbecues and is still one of the most popular Weber barbecues.