This January 28 – 29, and then February 4-5, you can come eat world-class barbecue with Swamp Boys at 2 of the best events in the state.
The Lakeland Pigfest happens Friday, Jan. 28 from 5:00pm – 10:00pm, and again Saturday from 10:00am – 5:00pm. Parking is free and entry is $5, 12 and under are free. Buy Pig Bucks at the booth when you get there, then come find us. 20% of all of our sales will will go to help local charities.
Winter Haven’s Smoke on the Water is Friday and Saturday, Feb. 4 – 5. This is a major fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Polk County, and 20% of our sales will be going back to the B&G Clubs. Admission on Friday is $10 and is more adult oriented with a party vibe. Saturday is for the family, with admission just $2 and kids 10 and under are free.
Insider tip for both events – come early. We cook all of our bbq fresh onsite, and we will run out before closing time. Also, we can package your food to-go, so you can enjoy it later. And check out this article from 3 years ago on How to Make the Most of a BBQ Contest as a Spectator.
If you enjoy BBQ and you live in or near Central Florida, consider yourself blessed. There are a lot of Florida BBQ Association (FBA) and Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) contests throughout the year for you, and you can find out about them from the websites I’ve listed. If you’ve never been to one they can be a little hard to figure out. Let me try to help.
Parking can be a challenge, but don’t let it be. At Smoke on the Water this weekend in Winter Haven, they have free satellite parking. That is the way to go. A free shuttle service will be running back and forth all weekend. Look for the Satellite Parking signs on Havendale Boulevard. This is a great way to avoid the stress of finding a spot to park.
It is important to understand that the majority of contests are organized and put on by volunteers, and they are usually raising money for local charities. If you’re not sure and want to know, ask someone or check their website. If you’re asked to pay for parking or to pay to get in, know that it is likely benefiting a local charity. And helping those in need is a good thing. That said, the majority are free to enter.
Now you’re inside the gate, and the wonderful smells of hickory smoke, juicy pork and chicken, and succulent beef are filling the air. Your stomach rumbles and you’re ready to eat. The first thing you’ll want to do is buy some of the designated money/currency for the event. Since most are fundraisers, most make you pay for everything you buy in “_______ – Bucks”. The blank could be PIG, BBQ, or anything else. For now we’ll call them BBQ Bucks. Find the area where they are being sold and buy some. It is $1 for 1 BBQ Buck. Vendors are not allowed to take your cash money, they must take BBQ Bucks. The vendors turn in their BBQ Bucks at the end of the event and get paid $0.80 on the dollar. This is one way the charities make money from the event. BBQ Bucks are non-refundable so keep that in mind.
With your bucks in hand, it’s time to start sampling the foods now. Sometimes there are literally dozens and dozens of choices, like at Lakeland Pig Fest or Winter Haven’s Smoke on the Water. Sometimes there are only 5 or 6 choices. Know that some vendors will be much, much better than others. Pitmasters love to show off their accomplishments with trophies and/or banners on display. Unfortunately not all vendors are 100% honest with their advertising. Just because the signs are 75′ up in the air, doesn’t mean their food is great. So who do you go to? Ask around. Ask the other teams who aren’t selling their food where they would go eat, and who they would avoid. They know, and they will be honest with you. Life’s too short for bad BBQ. Educate yourself on where to spend your BBQ Bucks.
Besides great food, there may also be live music, craft vendors, car shows, cornhole tournaments, cooking demos, water ski shows, seaplane rides, auctions, 50/50 raffles, and who knows what else. BBQ contests usually offer All-American fun stuff to do and see. Make sure you get around to see everything. BBQ contests give the host towns a chance to shine and celebrate their community.
If you have the time, stick around until 5pm Saturday and watch the BBQ awards show, usually at the main stage. For most teams, this is the reason they are at the contest. Teams can spend anywhere from $900 – $1500 and up to enter a single contest. Most are on-sight for a minimum of 24 hours and up to 60 hours. A contest is a major investment of time and money. The teams turn in chicken, ribs, pork, and brisket at predetermined times. Tables of certified judges score the entries in a double blind format, so they don’t know whose food they are judging. The highest scores for each category win money and trophies. The team with the highest total score of all categories among the teams wins Grand Champion (GC). The second highest score wins Reserve Grand Champion (RGC). Doing well in one category is nice, but being consistent in every category and winning GC is the ultimate. This usually qualifies you for the big national invitational contests and is quite an accomplishment. It’s a long standing tradition in the FBA that the winner buys pizza for everyone Saturday evening. The Saturday night get together is the best part of the weekend for a lot of the teams.
I hope this will help you enjoy the next BBQ contest you visit. The teams and certainly the organizers and charities are happy and thankful you’ve come out to help support the community. And the fact that we get to enjoy BBQ, America’s original cuisine, makes it awesome.
Swamp Boys bbq team had a very blessed year in 2017. The experiences I get to have with friends and family are truly unforgettable. I’m so thankful. I’m especially thankful for earning the Florida BBQ Association Team of the Year ’17. This marks my 3rd time winning it, in two different decades.Here’s my year by the numbers:
28 contests in 5 states – FL, GA, AL, TN, and CA
FBA TOTY
7 Grand Championships, 3 Reserve Grands
19 Top 5 Overalls
14 category 1st place calls
Vended as well as competed at 4 contests
Taught 3 Swamp Boys Q Schools
Final TOTY Standings. I was in 2nd place up until the final contest.
One of the things that won’t show up in the numbers that I’m really proud of was earning an invitation to every major invitational in the country. The American Royal, Sonny’s, The Jack, and the King of the Smoker. We were able to travel and compete in all but the American Royal.
Regarding KCBS I was able to compete in 5 contests. Out of over 2,200 teams in my division (5 or less contests) Swamp Boys placed 8th overall for the year, and we were the 2nd place rib team (Smithfield ribs baby!). I’m pretty happy with that considering 2 of those contests we were vending, which means I was cooking food for thousands of people, as well as the 6 judges.
Finally a big shout out to my amazing sponsors! Products from each of them are integral to my team, and I’m thankful for their support.
Deep South Smokers – simply the best quality and performance smokers. 100% usable interior space, the most even temp’d cooker I’ve ever used. Built by hand in the USA.
Grizzly Coolers – I’m proud to be an ambassador for the best coolers on the market. Made in the USA. Lifetime Warranty. Try to top that.
The BBQ Guru – Hands down the best thermostat/draft system for smokers anywhere. I’ve been using them since they started back in the early 2000s. Makes minding your pit incredibly easy and produces consistent results.
Butcher BBQ – David Bouska has lived and breathed meat and BBQ most of his life and his products reflect that. He’s used his knowledge to produce some amazing injections, rubs, sauces and oils. I use his products every contest and am proud to be a Pro Staff team.
Smithfield – The best ribs and pork I can put my hands on. They just win. And they are super easy to find locally! Check your WalMart and Sam’s Clubs, they should carry Smithfield products.
Mac’s Meats and Produce – My favorite meat place ever! Family owned and operated, quality customer service and prices. Tell them I sent you.
Lynchburg is where the famous whiskey has always been made and bottled. To most all professional barbecuers, “The Jack” is considered one of – if not the – premier contests in the world. So we were stoked when we found out we would be the team representing Florida.
We left straight from teaching on Tuesday and made it up to Marietta GA where we stayed the night. The next morning we got to Lynchburg and dropped the trailer at the house we rented and made our way to Miss Mary Bobo’s for a family style lunch. We shared our table with people from South Africa and Canada who were in town to buy an entire barrel of JD! The food and the company were both excellent, and we all agreed it was the best experience we have had there in our three times going.
After that we set the trailer up in our site, which has been the same each time. We love it there right up front and center so we can interact with the public and giveaway samples of our bbq after turn-ins are over. Great spot.
Thursday we walked over to the Jack Daniel Distillery for the tour. We had Jed as our guide and he did a great job. Just like lunch at Miss Mary Bobo’s, we each thought this was the best tour we’ve had to date. Way to go Lynchburg! Then we made our way to the Lynchburg Winery and partook in a flight of five of the local wines.
Friday we took part in the Parade of Teams, following the Lynchburg High School marching band through the downtown to the Distillery. From there we loaded up on school busses which took us to the top of BBQ Hill. We were treated to a great Southern supper, live music, and free JD drinks. It was a lot of fun mingling with friends from the other teams. When that was over we went back down the hill to the cook site. The weather was rainy and in the 30’s overnight so most teams stayed warm and dry in their trailers without much socializing.
Saturday was of course turn-in day and overall things went very well. Chicken looked and tasted excellent. Ribs were darker than I prefer but the taste and tenderness were right where I wanted them. Pork was near perfect I thought. Brisket slices were money but the burnt ends had slightly too much fat in them. I liked them and was torn on whether to use them or not. I decided to NOT play it safe and added them to the box. In hindsight that was a mistake on my part. The killer brisket from The Butcher Shoppe was amazing straight from the package. I should have gone with only slices, it would have scored much higher. Lesson learned. I highly recommend The Butcher Shoppe for your high quality meat needs, and they ship! Email Kevin Green with your order and fantastic customer service.
As far as the scoring went, I came in 2nd on my tables in Chicken, Ribs, and Brisket. I came in 1st on my Pork table which was good enough for 2nd out of the 95 teams! We actually tied for 1st, but lost the tiebreaker. Regardless it was a very exciting call for us, and it pairs well with the 1st place call in Pork we received there in 2009. You may have heard me mention in the past that I am a devout Smithfield pork user. To make my point, I was unable to find the Smithfield butts I wanted locally, so I had my friends Pat and Mary bring some with them to Lynchburg from Wisconsin. And it paid off. Thanks so much Pat and Mary, and also thanks for the Wisconsin care package! #Smokinwithsmithfield #Showmeyoursmithfield
So once again we had a fantastic time in Lynchburg and are thankful we had the opportunity to go. Lots of friends, laughs, fun, and memories. That’s what it’s all about.
People often ask me if I still enjoy BBQ competitions and BBQ life. My answer is always a big heck yeah! The friendships, experiences, and travel are amazing. The opportunities that come up are incredible. This past year has been no exception. Here it is by the numbers:
26 contests in 4 states – FL, GA, AL, KS
3 Grand Championships, 3 Reserve Grands
Mary, Pat, Woody and Tammy were all able to join us in KS for The Royal.
17 Top 5 Overall including 5 times 3rd
4 Perfect Scores including 2 Perfect-Perfect FBA
16 category 1st place calls
Vended as well as competed at 5 contests
2nd place FBA team of the Year
Recorded my 50th career Grand Championship (now at 51)
Taught 3 Swamp Boys Q Schools
Had I chose to not compete in the American Royal Invitational and Open, we would have come in the top 5 for KCBS TOTY for teams with 5 or less contests. The American Royal blew that all to heck though! But I wouldn’t trade the time with friends for anything.
Pro Grand Championship #50
Other fun events for ’16:
Did an onsite promo for Bass Pro Shops
Got to BBQ with a Special Olympian in Venice, and he won!
Launched “Rub’s Original Rub“
Won GC using a 7th different style smoker
Plans in the works for a class in Australia
And as always, a big Thank You to my sponsors. Every one of them matter.
Deep South Smokers – simply the best quality and performance smokers. 100% usable interior space, the most even temp’d cooker I’ve ever used. Built by hand in the USA. Look for some exciting new pits in ’17.
Grizzly Coolers – I’m proud to be an ambassador for the best coolers on the market. Made in the USA. Lifetime Warranty. Try to top that.
Master Purveyors – If it walks, flies, crawls or swims – they have it! Not to mention the best competition briskets (A-9) available anywhere. Get in touch and tell them I sent you. They ship.
The BBQ Guru – Hands down the best thermostat/draft system for smokers anywhere. I’ve been using them since they started back in the early 2000s. Makes minding your pit incredibly easy and produces consistent results.
Butcher BBQ – David Bouska has lived and breathed meat and BBQ most of his life and his products reflect that. He’s used his knowledge to produce some amazing injections, rubs, sauces and oils. I use his products every contest and am proud to be a Pro Staff team.
