Barbeque cookoff competion

quote:

Originally posted by unclegus:
Does anyone think the Shoals is ready for something new? The KCBS, (Kansas City Barbeque Society) is a sanctoning group that holds contests all over the country. There is curently contests held in many places not far from here, including Lawenceburg Tn., Decatur, Hunstvile, Pulaski Tn. and many many other places in Tennessee. If anyone has any suggestions or coments, please bring it to this board. I personaly think that Sheffield riverfront park would be an exelent place. We would need support and most likey a group sponser. I have contacts that can help get this started. What about it PITBOSS?

Get'em on down here. I may be wrong , I think they had that BBQ contest in Kentucky on the Travel Channel a few nights ago on the Dish Network Satellite.

You're right. I don't like you now that you brought this up. I'M STARVING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PittBos$
Check you PM...I sent you one...also what are your thoughts on a BBQ contest at Sheffield RiverPark...?

several of us had discussed trying to start a bar-b-q cook off during the W. C. Handy festival
would be a very good time with so many people out and about town.

Sorry missed this post.
There have been several discussions about getting a contest in this area. I've looked at several different sites to assess the possibility of holding a contest. My first location that was looked at was McFarland Park. It has lots of the necessities for a contest. Those include a shaded area (remember we’re talking about July), a great view, easy access, lots of parking for the cooking teams, areas for judging, areas for spectators. The minus side is there are just a couple of restrooms, no water or electricity. All of this could be overcome with portajohns and the city providing taps for additional water and electrical outlets. Of course all three of these items cost money so sponsors would have to be found to cover the cost of materials, labor and power charges. Decatur suffered the same obstacles but overcame them with assistance from the city.

I’ve not looked at Riverside Park in Sheffield so I can’t address the facilities there. However, the ideal place to hold a contest would be at the fairgrounds in Muscle Shoals. It has the entire infrastructure in place to immediately hold a contest. The down side is there is little or no shade for the cooking teams but most are used to that and bring their own tents.

The next major obstacle is to secure funding. In order to drawn the good teams there has to be a good prize purse. In Huntsville I think they’re at about 25k prize pool. Entry fees cover some of the prize pool but there have to be lots of sponsors to pay the expenses and pad the prize pool. Next, in order to get those sponsors it is almost mandatory that the organizers be a non-profit entity so that donations would be tax deductible. Also, the non-profit organization would be able to use volunteers to man the event thus not having to pay salaries for all the behind the scene jobs that have to get done to make a contest successful.

From talking with Chris Lilly in Decatur and other contest organizers I’ve been told that it takes from 3 to 5 years for a contest to become successful and profitable.

Can it be done? Yes. Would it be easy? He_l+l No.

As to getting a contest sanctioned by KCBS or Memphis in May, it general takes about 3 years so that it demonstrates the drawing power and the staying power of the organizers, sponsors, spectators and cooking teams.

By the way, my wife & I both are certified barbecue judges for the KCBS circuit and the Memphis in May circuit. We both have been invited to judge at the main Memphis in May cook-off on the river in Memphis. We’ve sent our acceptance in and hopefully with draw a good judging duty like ribs.

well this IS the Shoals and introducing new things around here is like pulling teeth with NO ANESTHESIA. So with that in mind, we need not worry about anything more than possibly a trophy for the first year?
Also to possibly help draw the crowd, allow the voting to be done by the peers, those who actually purchase and taste,or very small sample to be given away? Just rembling some thoughts here.Ballots to be filled out and cast by the peers. I would like to see this get going !
I truly would like to see this done at one of the river parks. We do not utilize our beautiful river parks enough in my opnion.

Personally, i think Budweiser and maybe a local radio station like Kix96 or QLT would make gret sponsors. With the stations of course you get the advertising. O'Guires also would be a great sponsor as the meat would possibly come from there? Just a thought. And of course the Times-Daily could sponsor.... and do the armband thing for beer drinkers. I got to cook on one of Budweisers grills a few years ago at a charitiable event,... awesome grill.... the thing held five 20 pound bags of Kingsford with room for more.

PITBOSS, Thanks for the info, I knew you would have some knowledge on this subject. I also am a KCBS judge. I have also been going to Memphis in May for about ten years now( although not a mim judge). I'll be looking for you in may. Back on this subject after starting this post I drove through Sheffield park and do realize it would not be the best place( because of the lack of accomodations). Another good option would be tuscumbia's spring park, but who knows, Florence may be willing to give some incintives? If you have not figured who I am I will PM you in the near future.

Another option might be Veterans Park. Having it there would show the local gov. that it's a viable place for the community to gather on the river, and that folks are more interested in doing those kinds of activities there than they are in shopping for lures there (which they could do in a place located elsewhere). Just a thought.

quote:

Originally posted by smurph:
well this IS the Shoals and introducing new things around here is like pulling teeth with NO ANESTHESIA. So with that in mind, we need not worry about anything more than possibly a trophy for the first year?
Also to possibly help draw the crowd, allow the voting to be done by the peers, those who actually purchase and taste,or very small sample to be given away? Just rembling some thoughts here.Ballots to be filled out and cast by the peers. I would like to see this get going !
I truly would like to see this done at one of the river parks. We do not utilize our beautiful river parks enough in my opnion.

The purchase and taste idea is good in theory; however, unless you get the meat donated then the cost of giving out samples is cost prohibitive for the cookers. I know from experience that when you give out samples people will go on a feeding frenzy. If you charge admission it even makes it worse because they want to be sure they get all they can for their admission charge. The other thing that makes giving out samples a risk is the liability factor. If someone gets food poisoning from eating samples guess who they gonna sue, your right everyone and every business that was involved whose name starts with a letter from A through Z.
Most contests do not advertise giving out samples. They generally leave it to the teams and have vendors who cook and sell food. These vendors have to past health department inspections and have the proper insurance.
The one contest that provides a good model is the Demopolis Christmas on the River event. They have their contest on a ball field which is a controlled area. On Friday night local business who participate in the cook-off and several who just come out actually cook up different dishes to give away. Lots of bbq, fried turkey, smoked wings, white chili, Cajun dishes, etc. Last time I was there it was a $5.00 per person cover charge and the place was packed out.

Any contest starts out small and with the proper backing can grow into a major event. There are places a lot smaller than the Shoals area that has major contests. It just takes a lot of folks to make it happen.

tdreader, you are right about spring park. I thought they was going to get rid of those honkers. e, vetrans park is a good thought.

How does one become so fortunate as to be chosen as a judge for one of these food feasts?

quote:

Originally posted by FatNoMo:
How does one become so fortunate as to be chosen as a judge for one of these food feasts?

Hey fatnomo, check your pm. I do want to inform you, be preprared to enjoy some good, some maybe not so good bbq for two hours. Also this can be addictive, fun always though.

quote:

Originally posted by tdreader:

quote:

Originally posted by smurph:
several of us had discussed trying to start a bar-b-q cook off during the W. C. Handy festival
would be a very good time with so many people out and about town.

BBQ and Blues??? Hmm.... I am willing to go out on a limb and say those might go together pretty well.

BBQ and Blues do go together real well. The place to experence it is the Memphis in May world BBQ championship competition. About the third week of may, the party starts on thursday and lasts though saturday. The location is at Tom Lee park next to the Mississippi river. Three blocks away is Beale street, which is a blues party that never sleeps.

Maybe we should get the tourisim board to look at this request?

If there was a BBQ competition in the Shoals, I'd take a trip back to compete. I've never entered one, but I make my own sauce and recipes during the summer. Once word gets out that I'm out back smoking the house is full that evening.

What about the pavilions at Veterans park? There are a few that are close together and I believe they have water and power. Still need porta-johns, but a couple of sponsors to pick up that tab and you're good to go. Plus entry fees will help. If this idea actually takes off, I'll try and do my part by entering.

quote:

Originally posted by NashBama:
If there was a BBQ competition in the Shoals, I'd take a trip back to compete. I've never entered one, but I make my own sauce and recipes during the summer. Once word gets out that I'm out back smoking the house is full that evening.

What about the pavilions at Veterans park? There are a few that are close together and I believe they have water and power. Still need porta-johns, but a couple of sponsors to pick up that tab and you're good to go. Plus entry fees will help. If this idea actually takes off, I'll try and do my part by entering.

Thats what it takes Nash. You have a chance to win.

If were to become reality,count me in. I to have my own 'secret' bbq sauce. Country style ribs are my forte. Never really tried the rack of ribs thing.

I'm in also, let's not waste time on the procrastinating local government. We can do this without them. Is anybody with me?

Ok, this is an organized event that we can start out small. If you would like, you can experience one that is already setup. the nearest I know of coming up soon is huntsville on may 3 - to may 5, pulaski tn. on may 11 to may 12, belive it or not they slipped in haleville al on june 8 and june9, and lawrenceburg on june22 and june23. Check out the website at kcbs.us for complete info.

There will be a KCBS, (Kansas City Barbeque Society) In Haleyville, AL in June held by the Rotary Club. They just held a KCBS judging class in Feb.

quote:

Originally posted by poohsmom:
There will be a KCBS, (Kansas City Barbeque Society) In Haleyville, AL in June held by the Rotary Club. They just held a KCBS judging class in Feb.

My wife is a Kansas City Chamber and Rotary member if connections could help us get this off the ground.

Why?
Does it have to be a KC Sponsored event...first learn the ropes...start just with a local invitation in North Alabama..after all isn't the entire purpose of the event is to have fun with friends, associates with like interest, share each others cooking, etc..the winning of some useless award should be a BI product not the purpose of the event...
Why not have different meats to barbeque such as pork, beef, rabbit, chicken, quail, venision, fish...you get the idea...
My ideal of a good location would be on the River either at Sheffield RiverPark, McFarland, or Veterans Point...or even George Carter Park in Sheffield which juts out on the point overlooking Spring Creek and the Tenn River...

Ok folks, I've given this some thought and can see that it is doable. I've talked to a few people that could be potential sponsors and they said they were interested in hearing more if a group could be put together.
So, if your interested in being in on the ground floor of the organizational part of getting a coofoff going then send me a private message. Once we see the interest, then a meeting could be held where the interested participates could get together and talk about it face to face.
Further details can be worked out from there. Now's your chance to say "I want in"!!

Sorry, Bud, the ONLY thing I know about B-B-Q is eating it.

Will you make sure to let us know when and where to bring our appetites?

quote:

Sorry, Bud, the ONLY thing I know about B-B-Q is eating it.

Knowing about BBQ was not one of the requirements to helping organize a bbq cookoff. However, learning about a BBQ Cookoff could qualify you to becoming a bbq judge which in turn allows you to eat lots of bbq. Not everyone involved in a BBQ Cookoff has to be an expert, just be willing to work and participate.

kansas City Barbeque Society kcbs.us

Whistle stop bbq competition this weekend in huntsville. Anyone interested in seeing how it happens, it starts today at 4:30, judging will start tomarow at about 12, then awards will be given out later in the afternoon.
People this is the kind of thing I would like to see in the shoals area sometime.

I'd be up for a competition, I know there are several up north and in Canada, but I don't know of any amature competitions in TN or AL.

There are many competitions throughout Tennessee. Go to www.kcbs.us to learn more.

quote:

Originally posted by NashBama:
I'd be up for a competition, I know there are several up north and in Canada, but I don't know of any amature competitions in TN or AL.

Lawrenceburg,Tn has one for beginners.

For info on upcoming events:
05/11-05/12 Pulaski TN.
www.sundropbbq.com. 06/08-06/09 Haleyville, AL.
Email: bruce@rcrotorworld.com.

06/16-06/17 Smyrna, TN.
www.tennesseeheritagebarbecuefestival.com

06/22-06/23 Lawrenceburg, TN.
www.lawrenceburgkiwanis.com/.

Some more upcoming events:

September
09/7-98 Cookville TN.
www.stonebrotherswelding.com/cookoff.htm

9/21-9/22 Decatur AL
Email sqee@decaturcvb.org

October
Corinth MS.
www.em.avnet.com

Although I did not see it listed, I know Jack Daniels bbq in Lynchburg is on the third friday and saturday of October.

Cool, thanks for all the info. I might look into the one at Smryna. Thanks.