Competition BBQ Secrets

Bill, This is what you do for perfect Judges. Each city has many independent restaurants. Place an ad in the paper and Internet letting all independent restaurant owners know when the contest is. They submit their names of themselves and or their head cook. These would be the only two in their organization that could register. No chains and no owner with over three restaurants could judge. Your restaurant must have been in business in that city for at least 7 years and you must have been the original owner. Your head cook/chef must have been there at least three years. You place all cook entries for judges and all owner entries in se prate fish bowls when brought in or mailed in 2 weeks before the contest to verify all criteria. When drawing for 8 judges 4 owners and 4 head cooks no 2 can work or be owner of same restaurants. You will now have 8 judges from 8 assorted reputable area restaurants. The restaurants can be any type restaurant “except” a bbq joint. Their annual sales must be at least 500,000.00 or more and be a reliable local well known place verified by the mayor and county judge. Do not draw the names until a few hours before the contestants will be judged and make calls until you have your 8 judges. They will have already had all the rules because they would have turned their names in 2 weeks prior and you can send all printed matter to them of what’s expected. This is the best way in the world to judge with no cheating, great super taste buds, reputable honest non biased people that know the business and not critical because they are not barbecue cooks or owners. Don’t know or never have met or seen contestants or anyone else. Are not up on any news in the BBQ world because they are not in that type of food business. The judges you have now are not trained in the food service business and most are probably not super tasters and will eat road kill and not know what the hell it was. Most people that are in the business are true super tasters and know good food no matter what type of food it is. If they have survived this racket at least 7 years you have the right stuff.

Chef/ owner J.L.Lee