World Barbecue Championships Bring the Heat to WFC

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Posted Oct 12, 2016

World Barbecue Championships Bring the Heat to WFC

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (October 12, 2016) – The World Food Championships is expecting a barbecue battle like never before for the 5th Anniversary this November in Orange Beach, Alabama. The addition of new programs, challenges and new sponsors, like Cowboy Charcoal and Deep South Smokers, have created a record registration at WFC and stoked a fire that’s going to rage throughout the tournament.

One of those programs is the addition of a new lady pitmasters series, the Cowboy Charcoal Fire & Ice Challenge. The series has been running parallel with the professional barbecue circuit of Kansas City Barbeque Society all year long, but now it’s about to culminate at WFC for the first time as the nation’s top 10 female points leaders go head to head for a bounty of diamond jewelry from Foley-based Manning Jewelers. More than 100 barbecue teams will be on hand to see the final.

“Barbecue was the big hit last year, claiming the $100,000 top prize, and it seems like the industry is determined to repeat that performance. One thing’s for sure,” claimed Mike McCloud, CEO of World Food Championships, “Orange Beach is going to have a smokey sweet aroma for WEEKS after these pro teams get in town and fire up all those pits! I certainly hope there’s no local fine for that!”

Turns out that the “big boys” in barbecue might need to pay extra attention to the Lady Pitmasters on November 11, because they too will have a Top 10 challenge on November 13th. After doing away with the Top 10 Challenge for the Barbecue category in 2015, WFC has decided to bring back the additional competition in 2016 as a way of leveling the playing field for pitmasters to determine who goes to the Final Table and represents Barbecue.

Here’s how it will work. The barbecue competition on Saturday, Nov 12th, will be a KCBS-sanctioned event, with the Grand Champion and Reserve Grand receiving cash prizes (as well as the top 5 in each of the four categories of chicken, ribs, pork and brisket). But the Top 10 overall teams will have an additional chance to earn the coveted barbecue seat at the Final Table, as all of them enter a second challenge on Sunday, Nov 14th. Like the Lady Pitmasters of Fire & Ice, the Top 10 in Saturday’s round will have to cook on Deep South Smokers with Cowboy Lump Charcoal, even though they may have no experience with this type of pit and charcoal.

“This is our way of leveling the playing field in numerous ways,” McCloud commented. “All of our other categories have a Top 10, and we felt like barbecue should face the same scenario. This additional competition will prove who is the best, most versatile pitmaster, as they face unusual cooking processes and products in a two-hour cook-off.”

WFC will host the Opening Round of the World Barbecue Championships on Saturday, November 12th, as a KCBS and Alabama dual points race. The event is free to the public, but teams are not allowed to serve any of the barbecue because of health permitting and competition rules. Food trucks and other sampling programs at WFC like the Tasting Village will offer up tasty options to consumers as the sweet smoke of barbecue rolls throughout the Wharf and Orange Beach.

For a chance to eat championship barbecue, tickets are still available for the Bourb-N-Que fundraiser on Friday, Nov 11th. This event, sponsored by Compart Duroc and Jim Beam Bourbon, will benefit Operation ReConnect, a local Veteran’s charity that helps bring military families to the beach for much needed R&R.

Sam’s Club is the Official Sponsor of WFC’s Barbecue Championship, which will award more than $40,000 in cash and prizes to the competitors. Joining Sam’s Club for the barbecue festivities are Cowboy Charcoal and Deep South Smokers, the official sponsors of the Top 10 Challenge.

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World Barbecue Championships Bring the Heat to WFC

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