Updated BBBQS Rules

[British BBQ Society]

British BBQ Society Rules

The interpretation of the BBBQS rules and regulations are those of the BBBQS Representative at the contest and his or her decisions are final. The BBBQS Representative may not deviate from nor change any BBBQS rule for any contest for any reason.

Team Entry

Team entry to British BBQ Society competitions will be closed 2 weeks prior to competition date, no late comers will be considered.

Teams

Each team shall consist of a chief cook and as many assistants as the chief cook deems necessary. A team shall not compete in more than one contest under the same team name, on the same date. Team members may not enter the judging area at any time until judging has been completed. All teams are equal. There will be no Professional / Amateur Classifications. Team member names details and positions should be recorded on the team entry form. Each team will be provided with minimum 5m x 3m working area, actual size to be confirmed by each event.

Equipment

Each team will supply all of the equipment necessary for the preparation and cooking of their entry including a cooker, wood, charcoal, or wood pellets. A fire extinguisher shall be near all cooking devices. Gas and electric heat sources shall not be permitted for cooking or holding. Propane or electric is permitted as fire starters, provided that the competition meat is not in/on the cooking device. Electrical accessories such as spits, augers, or forced draft are permitted. No open pits or holes are permitted. Fires shall not be built on the ground. Electric or manual operated wood, charcoal, or wood pellet augers are permitted during the cooking process. Electric or manually operated power draft devices are permitted during the cooking process. Please note, power will not be available at all venues, if you require power please consult the event organiser.

Competition Meat

Only meat provided through the British BBQ Society supplier will be acceptable for competition use. Included in teams entry fee will include 1 x Brisket, 1 x Pork Collar / Neck end, 2 racks of ribs and 2 chickens or 10 chicken thighs. Additional meat can be purchased through the British BBQ Society but is limited to a total of 2 x Brisket, 2 x Pork Shoulder / Neck end, 4 x racks of ribs, 3 chickens or 20 thighs (inclusive of competition meat). Prices for additional meat will be provided a minimum of 1 week prior to the event.

Meat Inspection

No pre-seasoning, injecting, marinating or cooking of any entry is permitted until after inspection by the Official Meat Inspector as appointed by the BBBQS Representative or the contest organizer. Meat inspection begins at noon on the day prior to the contest. All meat must be maintained at a maximum temperature of 40 degrees F prior to inspection. Prior to cooking, all meat that is resting in preparation for cooking must be covered at all times. All meats must be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F. After cooking all meat must be maintained at a minimum temperature of 140 degrees F in a covered container until turned in for judging. All contest meat, once inspected, may not leave the cook team's site until turn in. All seasoning and cooking of product shall be done within the assigned cooking space. Teams shall not share an assigned cooking space or cooking device. Parboiling and/or deep-frying competition meat is not allowed.

Contestants Site

Each team will be assigned a cook site. All equipment including cooker, canopy, trailer, etc. must be contained within this space. If additional space is required the team should contact the contest organizer and make satisfactory arrangements.

Behaviour

Every team, including members and guests, are expected and required to exhibit proper and courteous behaviour at all times. A quiet time will be in effect from 11:00 PM on the night prior to the contest judging, remaining in effect until sunrise on the following day. No alcoholic beverages will be distributed to the General Public. Teams will be informed of all local laws and will adhere to same. Failure to abide by these rules of behaviour may result in expulsion from the contest and repeat offenders will be barred from competing in BBBQS sanctioned contests. Underhand behaviour such as supplying excessive alcohol to opposition teams will not be tolerated.

Cleanliness and Sanitation

All teams are expected to maintain their cook sites in an orderly and clean manner and to use good sanitary practices during the preparation, cooking, and judging process. The use of sanitary gloves is required at all times while handling food. Failure to use sanitary gloves may result in disqualification. Teams are responsible for cleanup of their site once the competition has ended. All health & Safety and Food Hygiene must be adhered to at all times, a copy will be posted outside the Judges tent during the competition.

Meat Categories

The following categories are sanctioned by the BBBQS

Chicken: The team may cook chicken whole, halved, or individual pieces.
Pork Ribs: Loin back (baby back) or spare ribs only. No country style ribs.
Pork: Whole shoulder, Boston butt or Picnic only. Must be cooked as a single piece of meat.
Beef Brisket: Packer trimmed, flats or points.

Judging

Entries will be submitted in an approved BBBQS numbered container provided by the contest organizer. The number must be on top of the container at turn-in. The container shall not be marked in anyway so as to make the container unique or identifiable. Aluminium foil, toothpicks, skewers, foreign material, and/or stuffing are prohibited in the container. (Marked entries will receive a one (1) in all criteria from all Judges).

Each judge will first score all the samples for appearance of the meat. The turn-in containers will then be passed around the table and each judge will place a sample from each of the containers in the appropriate box on the judging mat. The judge will then score each entry for taste and tenderness/texture, before moving on to the next entry.

The scoring system is from 9 to 2, all whole numbers between two and nine may be used to score an entry. 9 excellent, 8 very good, 7 above average, 6 average, 5 below average, 4 poor, 3 bad, and 2 inedible

Each contestant must submit at least six (6) separated and identifiable (visible) portions of meat in a container. Chicken, pork and brisket may be submitted chopped, pulled, sliced, or diced as the cook sees fit, as long as there is enough for six (6) judges. Ribs shall be turned in bone-in. Judges may not cut, slice, or shake apart to separate pieces. (If there is not enough meat for each judge to sample, the shorted judge(s) will score a one (1) on all criteria, and the judges having samples will change the Appearance score to one (1).)

Meat shall not be sculptured, branded or presented in a way to make it identifiable. Rosettes of meat slices are not allowed. (Violations of this rule will be scored a one (1) on all criteria by all six judges.)

Permitted Garnishes

Only green varieties of:- Parsley, Lettuce

Turn in Times

Each meat category turn in time will allow for a 10 minute window, that is 5 minutes before and 5 minutes after the time as suggested below:

1. Chicken: 12:00PM
2. Pork Ribs: 12:30PM
3. Pork: 1:00PM
4. Brisket: 1:30PM

The contest organizer may revise the times but a 30 min time frame between categories must be maintained. Meat turn in times as posted by the contest organizer, either in the application form or the confirmation notice, are final and cannot be changed.

Optional Categories

a) BBQ Sauce 11:30am
b) BBQ Desert (enough for 6 judges) 2.00pm


An entry can be disqualified by the BBBQS Representative only.

An entry can be disqualified for any of the following reasons:

A. There is evidence of marking or sculpting. Marking is defined as: any handwritten or mechanically made mark inside or outside the turn-in box that identifies the submitting team to any judge. Sculpting is defined as: the carving, decorating, forming, or shaping of a meat entry contained in a turn-in box that identifies the submitting team to any judge.
B. There is anything in the box besides the meat and the permitted garnishes.
C. There are not a minimum of 6 separate and identifiable pieces.
D. There is evidence of blood such that the meat is uncooked.
E. The entry is turned in after the officially designated time.
F. Gloves are not used while handling food products.
G. Not cooking pork as a single piece of meat.
H. Not cooking the meat that was inspected.
I. Persons not named on the Team Entry Form assisting food preparation or preparation.
J. Animals or pets within the team working area.

Winners

The winners in each meat category will be determined by adding all the scores together and the team with the most points will be 1st. place, the team with the next highest total will be 2nd. place, etc.

The GRAND CHAMPION will be the team with the most total points, and the RESERVE CHAMPION will be the team with the second highest total points. To qualify for either GRAND CHAMPION or RESERVE CHAMPION a team must submit entries in all four sanctioned categories.

Ties in any meat category, grand or reserve champion are allowed. In the event of a tie in a meat category the next lowest rank will be omitted and the tied teams will be awarded the same rank. In the event of tie for grand champion the tied teams will be declared grand champions and there will be no reserve champion. In the event of a tie for reserve champion the tied teams will be declared reserve champions.

Ultimate Prize

The British BBQ Society was granted the honour in 2009 of providing our grand champion with a place at the prestigious Jack Daniels Invitational in Lynchburg Tennessee, we hope that this offer will be extended to 2010. If this is not the case our Grand Champions will be entered into the American Royal Invitational in Kansas City Friday 1st October - Saturday 2nd October. Should the British BBQ Society be offered a place at the Jack Daniels invitational in 2010 a British BBQ Society team will be entered into the American Royal which will be made up of a combination of team members from competing teams. The BBBQS Grand Champion will be the team that accumulates the most points over the 2010 season. If the Grand Champion cannot attend the honour will go to BBBQS Reserve Grand Champion.

The BBBQS National Grand Champion will be decided at the Rother Valley Competition in July. It should be noted that while a guaranteed place will be provided by the British BBQ Society, costs involved such as flights, accommodation, equipment etc remain the responsibility of the team awarded the prize.

Important Notice

Due to the competitive nature of the BBQ circuit in America, the team representing the British BBQ Society at the Jack Daniel’s Invitational will not be able to add to their team with members that have competed in any BBQ orientated competition held in America for 2 years prior to the Invitational.

Health & Safety

The following cleanliness and safety rules will apply and will be inspected throughout the competition.

A. No use of any tobacco products while handling meat.
B. Cleanliness of the cook, assistant cooks, cooking device(s) and the team’s assigned cooking space is required.
C. Shirt, Trousers and shoes are required to be worn.
D. Sanitizing of work area should be implemented with the use of a bleach/water rinse (one cap/gallon of water). Each contestant will provide a separate container for washing, rinsing and sanitizing of utensils.
E. Teams are responsible for their own first aid kit to include blue plasters and gloves.
F. Prior to cooking, meat must be maintained at 40 degrees or less.
G. After cooking, all meat:
1. Must be held at 140 degrees or above or
2.Cooked food shall be cooled within 2 hours from 140 degrees F to 70 Degrees F and within 4 hours must be cooled to 41 degrees F or less.

We do not recommend re-heating food prior to judging.

[Blazing]

After reading the UPDATED competition rules, I was interested to note the following;

1) Only meat supplied through BBBQs can be used at the contest.
2) Additional competition meat MUST be purchased through BBBQS.
3) The amount of meat you can buy & cook for a contest has been capped.
4) The price you pay for your meat is determined by BBBQS and their supplier.

NEW RULES : Competition Meat
Only meat provided through the British BBQ Society supplier will be acceptable for competition use. Included in teams entry fee will include 1 x Brisket, 1 x Pork Collar / Neck end, 2 racks of ribs and 2 chickens or 10 chicken thighs. Additional meat can be purchased through the British BBQ Society but is limited to a total of 2 x Brisket, 2 x Pork Shoulder / Neck end, 4 x racks of ribs, 3 chickens or 20 thighs (inclusive of competition meat). Prices for additional meat will be provided a minimum of 1 week prior to the event.

What are the reason behind these changes?

[British BBQ Society]

Hi Andy,

I appreciate your question.

This can be broken down into two sections. As you know the British BBQ Society not only has to grow as a competition circuit it also must train and entice new teams to compete.

The rule amendments were made back in October so as not to scare off new competitors who would like to have a go in their first competition. The costs for competing are high and if people felt like they had to spend several hundred pounds extra on meat just to be on a level playing field this would put them off. For those reasons I have made the decision to limit the quantity and stand by that decision.

With reference to where the meat is purchased from. The British BBQ Society does not have an affiliation with a meat supplier, if this changes in the future ie sponsorship then obviously we would be bound by that agreement. Until then, all teams can purchase their meat from individual suppliers but limited to the qty set out in the rules.

I appreciate that these rules may look alien to our American friends but the scale of our circuit means that we have to make the competitions as easy and as open as possible.

If anyone has any further questions please let me know.

Toby

[Blazing]

Toby,

Thank you for your quick response

As I understood it from the rules (amended October), only meat from BBBQS was going to be acceptable.
Just so that I understand, am I correct in thinking that now:

1) Teams may purchase their meat from any supplier?
2) Teams can accept the meat package supplied by BBBQS – which is included as part of their entry fee. (Included in teams entry fee will include 1 x Brisket, 1 x Pork Collar / Neck end, 2 racks of ribs and 2 chickens or 10 chicken thighs)
3) Additional meat can be purchased through the British BBQ Society or another supplier, but is limited to a total of 2 x Brisket, 2 x Pork Shoulder / Neck end, 4 x racks of ribs, 3 chickens or 20 thighs (inclusive of competition meat). Prices for additional meat will be provided a minimum of 1 week prior to the event.

Warmest regards,
Andy

[British BBQ Society]

Hi Andy,

I can confirm the above,

Regards
Toby

[Blazing]

Thank you,
that makes things clear,

Andy

[Steve]

Toby,

I don't want to be a pain but can I put this example to you and you tell me if this would be acceptable. This is not what I'm doing next year but I want to see if in principle I can do this as it will affect my decision on what I actually do.

I bring 2 briskets

I bring 1 pork shoulder and I use 1 shoulder from my included allowance

I use 2 racks of ribs from the compeition allowance.

I use 10 thighs from competition allowance but I bring 10 wings or drumsticks with me.

The reason I've asked about wings/drumsticks is that they're not mentioned in the rules but I've had some pretty good results cooking wings and drumsticks so I might like to use these for competition submission.

So the two parts of the question are can I mix and match, rejecting some of the BBBQS meat and using my own while using some of the BBBQS meat? And also can I cook wings at competition

[Steve]

Also a quicky about meat inspection.

1. Will we follow KCBS rules, i.e. competitors can trim meat prior to inspection but cannot season/marinade etc

2. Will meat inspection be when we arrive on site or at a predefined time - affects choice of marinades as I might use a different marinade if I have longer to let it work.

You've made a rod for your own back now - lots of questions to answer

[British BBQ Society]

No problem thats what I am here for. You can mix and match meat, as long as you dont go over the limit.

We follow the BBBQS rules as we are not governed by KCBS just friends of.

No trimming of meat prior to inspection and inspection will take place at a designated time. This may change depending on the amount of teams at each event, but take it as a predefined time.

[Steve]

Does that mean you'll be expecting to see the meat vac packed?

If I get a brisket from my butcher he doesn't vac pack it unless I ask him to. If it isn't vac packed I could potentially trim it and not tell you, obviously I wouldn't do this as it's cheating.

I just want to clarify the policy on it so that people don't bring meat that hasn't been vac packed only to have it refused entry.

Now I just need to persuade my butcher that it's in his interest to sponsor me for meat this year so I don't have to pay for it