How We Discovered the Original Social Grilling Table
It all began on a rainy July morning in 2014. My wife Shahin, our then 12-year-old daughter Karina, and I set out to explore the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival—the world’s largest showcase for backyard living, held each summer across 60 acres of King Henry VIII’s palace grounds, just outside London.
King Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace on the banks of River Thames
The Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival
At the time we had just purchased an apartment in London’s Covent Garden and had hired a landscape architect to help us redesign our terrace. On her recommendation, we boarded a ferry from Central London and made our way up the Thames river to the Garden Festival, eager for inspiration.
Barely a few hundred feet into the festival grounds, Shahin spotted a strikingly designed outdoor dining table at a booth run by an English company named Cole Henley. As we approached, we realized this was no ordinary table—it had three built-in grills seamlessly integrated into its teak surface. We had never seen anything like it.
The very first time we laid our eyes on the Cole Henley grill table at the RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival
Karina and Shahin were instantly smitten and insisted we buy it on the spot. Then came the sticker shock: €7,500. I reminded them we had only just arrived and still had 60 acres of exhibits left to explore. As much as they wanted the table, they reluctantly agreed to wait.
As we wandered the festival and picked up a few smaller items for the terrace, Shahin and Karina kept bringing up the table. Their enthusiasm didn’t wane—in fact, it intensified. Sensing trouble, I devised a plan to steer us away from temptation.
By 4 p.m., with the drizzle returning and our hands full of shopping bags, I suggested we leave early to catch the ferry back. My hope was to keep them distracted and quietly bypass the Cole Henley booth near the exit.
But it was no use.
As we neared the booth, Shahin and Karina made a beeline for it. They walked straight up to the owner, Anthony Groves, and told him they wanted to purchase the table.
Desperate, I threw a Hail Mary: I told Anthony we were hosting friends from San Diego that Saturday and would only buy the table if he could have it delivered and installed on our terrace by then. It was already Wednesday evening. I was confident they couldn’t possibly handcraft and deliver such a table in three days.
I underestimated Anthony and his team.
At 8:00 a.m. Saturday morning, our doorbell rang. Two strong young men stood outside with our new Cole Henley grill table. By 9:00, it was fully installed on our terrace—just in time for dinner.
The original Cole Henley table on our Covent Garden apartment terrace
That night, as Shahin and Karina beamed, we gathered around the table with our friends from San Diego, watching the food sizzle and laughter fill the air, I realized something profound:
This wasn’t just a piece of furniture. It was a catalyst for connection, joy, and unforgettable memories with family and friends.
That was the moment Social Grilling was born.
Exactly one year later, in July 2015, my wife and co-founder Shahin Pirani and I acquired Anthony Groves’ company, Cole Henley, and launched ibbq, Inc. We relocated operations and manufacturing to San Diego, California, with a bold vision: to bring the concept of Social Grilling to America. Anthony, the brilliant English designer of the original table, also owns a small stake in our new company.
In 2016, we reimagined and upgraded the original table, and in 2017 introduced it to the U.S. market as the Angara Maximus—a refined blend of engineering, elegance, and innovation. The response was overwhelming. Forbes magazine, in its July 2017 review, declared it: “A device in a class of its own.”
Since then, the company has continued to innovate, earning a reputation as the pioneer of Social Grilling® and transforming backyards across the country into vibrant, interactive dining experiences.
Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine that a chance encounter outside London on a rainy July morning back in 2014 would spark a journey that today is redefining how Americans connect, grill, and entertain at home.
Karim Pirani
Co-Founder & CEO
