Atgar was born in the Blue Mountains of Ered Luin, among the proud Longbeards who had dwelt there since the fall of Erebor. While his kin turned their skill to mining and smithing, Atgar's heart was drawn to the hearthfire.

He discovered early the craft of cooking, not merely filling bellies, but shaping flavor with fire, smoke, and patience. Atgar became a cook of no small talent, specializing in cured and smoked meats that would endure on the longest roads. Goat, boar, venison, and aurochs all found their way into his smokehouse.

In his travels through Bree and Shire, Atgar found a passion for pipe-weed, not only for his own smoking but as a compliment for his craft. He discovered that its fragrant leaf, when burned along wood, lent a unique sweetness to his smoked chops and sausages. From then on, pipe-weed became part of his craft and his livelihood: he bought it in bulk from Hobbits and Men, smoked with it and cooked meat with it.

Now known among merchants and Inn patrons as 'Smokehand', Atgar travels from his smokehouse in Thorin's Hall across Eriador, a merchant-cook with packs full of smoked meats and other delicacies for sale.

To Atgar, there is little difference between smithing a blade or smoking a boar: both require patience, fire, and pride in the work.