News
National Best of the Best BBQ Sauce Championship winners announced for 2011
Waycross, GA - In order to find the Best of the Best BBQ Sauce, the National BBQ Festival accepted over 120 entries from award-winning barbecue sauces. This allowed the pallets of judges to taste only the top award-winning barbecue sauces in America and the only event known to have this requirement. The sauce competition was held in conjunction with the festival's judging school on October 22nd with winners announced at the National BBQ Festival on Friday, November 4, 2011.
From over 120 entries of already documented award-winning sauces, the top honor of Grand Champion went to Ole Ray’s Pork-o-Licious Barbeque & Cooking Sauce with Reserve Grand honors awarded to Carolina Sweet by Sticky Fingers. The Grand Champion received a trophy and a $2,000 advertising contract with the National Barbecue News to market and promote their sauce. Reserve Grand received a trophy and a $1,000 contract. Past winners report there is no price to be placed on the bragging rights received from their making this list while competing with award-winning top sauces from all over America.
The top three winners in each category are listed below
TOMATO MILD
- Carolina Sweet by Sticky Fingers
- Uncle Kenny’s Original
- Tay’s Sweet-N-Smokey Southern BBQ Sauce
TOMATO SPICY
- Ole Ray’s Pork-O-Licious Barbeque & Cooking Sauce
- Rufus Teague Blazin’ Hot
- Denny Mike’s Hot ‘n Nasty
MUSTARD MILD
- Carolina Classic by Sticky Fingers
- Big Papa’s Wolfe Brothers Mustard
- Jack’s Carolina Style
MUSTARD SPICY
- Golden Rack Carolina Mustard by Bobby O’s
- South of the Butt by Grillmaster Chuck
- Spice It Up Mustard Sauce (The Shed)
VINEGAR MILD
- Sucklebuster’s Honey
- Okie Steak House BBQ Sauce
- The Sauce Works USA Original
VINEGAR SPICY
- Sucklebuster’s Chipotle
- Mississippi Classic Spicy Vinegar Sauce (The Shed)
- Smoky Jon’s Spicy Vinegar BBQ Sauce
FRUIT MILD
- Tennessee River Cranberry Delite Barbeque Sauce
- Old Ray’s Apple/Cinnamon Barbeque Sauce
- Old Ray’s Blackberry Wine Barbeque & Cooking Sauce
FRUIT SPICY
- Old Ray’s Peach-A-Licious Barbeque & Cooking Sauce
- Smoky Jon’s Fruit Spicy BBQ Sauce
- Spicy Orange Sunset Sauce (The Shed)
BEST LABEL
- Rufus Teague Honey Sweet
- Tennessee River Blackberry Barbeque Sauce
- Denny Mike’s Hot ‘n Nasty
Best of the Best teams chose free entry for 10th Anniversary
In celebration of its 10th Anniversary, the National BBQ Festival, home of the Best of the Best National BBQ Championship, had announced they would be furnishing meat to all the championship teams. However, after talking with several chief cooks, they let the organizers know they preferred to secure their own meat and get a free entry into the event instead. Since securing the best-of-the-best teams has been the focus point of this event since it began, event organizers have decided to give teams the free entry fee instead. Financially, it figures out to approximately the same amount and in order to continue their strong relationship with barbecue teams — it was a no-brainer to make this decision! Teams will send a $200 deposit with entry forms in order to assure attendance but will be reimbursed at the Cook’s Meeting.
By the time you receive this publication, teams will already have received their invitations in a special red tube, that includes the top 10 teams from each sanctioning organization with the Top 5 mailed a week earlier than 6th thru 10th place teams. There are few other ways that teams can get a ticket to this sought-after invitational including last year’s winners of the Best of the Best and OPEN from the National BBQ Festival. Grand Champions from the events who presently use the National BBQ Festival rules, including the Smokin’ Eagles International BBQ Championship in Niagara Falls, NY on August 11-13, 2011, the National Bar-B-Que Derby, held in Derby, Ks on September 9-10, 2011 and the Atlanta BBQ Festival coming up on September 30-Oct. 1, 2011 in Atlanta, GA.
The event is held at the spacious Exchange Club Fairgrounds in Waycross, Ga., on fall time-change weekend, and scheduled for November 4-5, 2011. All teams have water and electricity furnished and enjoys the benefits of enjoying a VIP Hospitality Suite that is outlandishly team, judge and volunteer friendly! Representatives from the National Barbecue News, National BBQ Festival LLC, and the Exchange Club of Waycross make every possible effort to make this truly the Greatest BBQ Show on Earth. The Exchange Club of Waycross is one of the leading clubs in Georgia and known for its support of children’s charities and has made this event one of their major fundraising projects.
Ware County Backyard BBQ Border War coming June 11th
Arizona is not the only place where you’ll find a border war! There is one going on right here in Georgia. Backyard BBQ cooks from Southeast Georgia are invited to sign-up for the Ware County Backyard BBQ Border War, coming to the Waycross Exchange Club Fairgrounds on June 11th. It’s simple. We’re looking for the best backyard BBQ cook in Ware County, along with each adjoining county, to represent this area at the National BBQ Festival on November 5, 2011. This includes Atkinson, Bacon, Brantley, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Pierce, Telfair and Ware counties. Ware County folks, living in the largest county in Georgia, also believe they have the best backyard BBQ cooks — and willing to put themselves on the line! Does someone have better BBQ than the cooks in Ware County? Now’s the time to “put your best rib forward” — during this inaugural BBQ Border War!
Teams will be cooking ribs and chicken with each county having its own champion crowned, along with a Grand and Reserve Grand Champion. A permanent plaque will be mounted at the Fairgrounds naming Backyard BBQ Border War Champions with team/cook names added each year. Each BBQ County Champion will receive a special medallion and certificate with Grand and Reserve receiving medallions and an entry into the 2011 Smokin’ X … in the Swamp OPEN BBQ Competition on November 5th. Of course, bragging rights are just the “sauce on the meat” for winning teams! Will it be one of the great BBQ cooks from Ware County — or one of its border neighbors to win this championship and bragging rights for an entire year?
Included in the $75 entry fee is an opportunity to attend a special BBQ Cooking Class lead by Kell Phelps, president of the National Barbecue Association, on Friday night from 7-9 pm. The school will cover both the chicken and rib categories. Teams will furnish their own meat and begin cooking on Saturday morning, opting to spend the night or set-up on sight as early as 7 am. Chicken entries will be turned in at 1 pm with Ribs to follow at 2 pm.
There will be delicious pulled pork sandwiches and chips for sale, along with drinks and other items. Karaoke performers are being solicited to entertain the cooks and the crowd. To sign-up for the Ware County Backyard BBQ Border War as a cook or judge, visit our website at www.nationalbbqfestival.com and click on “BBQ Border War” in the top left corner. Area public officials, along with chamber staffs and members from participating counties are invited to sign up as judges for the occasion.
The BBQ Border War is a joint effort of the Exchange Club of Waycross and the National BBQ Festival. No admittance fee — just join us at the Waycross Exchange Club Fairgrounds on June 11th with public gates opening at 9:30 am.
National BBQ Festival relocates to Waycross
On Friday, August 27, 2010, National BBQ Festival organizers announced that the festival will no longer be held at Central Square Complex in Douglas, GA. The festival, now in its ninth year, will relocate to Waycross, GA, and will be held at Waycross Exchange Club fairgrounds, located at 2401 Knight Avenue. The decision to host this event in 2010 was made by the Exchange Club of Waycross during a Thursday evening board meeting.
According to festival organizers, the change is being made due to a lack of continued financial support of the Douglas-Coffee County Economic Development Authority and Coffee County Board of Commissioners. On Monday, August 23, 2010, both parties officially notified the National Barbecue Festival of their decision. Following this meeting, organizers decided to cancel the event for 2010, simply due to a lack of funds without this much needed support.
On Tuesday morning several long time supporters of the National Barbecue Festival were notified of the decision to cancel the event. Without exception, supporters voiced the same opinion — it would be better to move the festival instead of canceling it and noted they would continue supporting the National BBQ Festival regardless of location. After hearing this from supporters, it was decided on Tuesday night by the festival's organizers, to attempt to find a new location for the event. By Wednesday afternoon a meeting was in place with the Waycross Exchange Club.
According to co-organizer Kell Phelps, “This is no doubt a very difficult decision, but one necessary to make in order to maintain the continuity of the event.
It is exciting to know that the 2010 National BBQ Festival will be held at its regularly scheduled weekend on November 5-6, 2010 in Waycross." Phelps also stated that, along with the change in location, the festival will no longer have to turn vendors or attractions away due to limited space. The new location has approximately 40 acres which can be utilized, complete with power and water throughout the facility.
The National BBQ Festival organizers wishes to thank the entire community of Douglas and Coffee County for their past support and invites everyone to the festival in Waycross , November 5-6, 2010. For more updates and events surrounding the National BBQ Festival you can visit their website at www.NationalBBQFestival.com or call their office at 800-385-0002.
|
