Comp Critic ........

[Comp Critic]

Just here to challenge the competitions out there, everyone needs to get rated. Too many claims and no one to remain independent.

The British BBQ Society still has a lot of work to do, the format is right for what you are trying to achieve but you need to sort out some publicity. Holding your comps in a field in Surrey not open to the public (when I asked to come and look around) doesn’t spread the word no matter what you claim. Pretty awful web site looks dated. Not enough information about your upcoming events.

Field to Fork, or should I say Laverstoke Park, changes format every year, all about alacarte and nothing about real BBQ I am not even going to waste my breath.

GrillStock. A great atmosphere around the chilli eating contest, BBQ comp was very small but served its purpose. Whole event taken over by Big Green Egg which “annoyed” stall holders. Also the wrong spectators, filled with students out for a beer and something to eat rather than interested in real BBQ and certainly not enough disposable income to buy one. Fair start but a long way to go.

Catch another episode of Comp Critic soon……………….

[All Weather Griller]

ooooh a Ballsy post my friend...

First welcome to the forum, I'm sure despite your critical views you will be welcomed.

A couple of pointers Mr Critic, those that cook compete those that can't become critics. On a second point and to be honest I can't comment on either Field to Fork or Grillstock, I hear both were successes in their own right and have become legends in their own living rooms.

In my view Field to Fork is an event primarily responsible for promoting the Laverstoke park brand of livestock and meat, the Grillstock event was a commercially marketed event designed for the sole purpose of generating revenue (and to be fair who doesn't need to raise revenue).

You are right the BBBQS is a society that needs to work harder on PR especially if you go by Grillstocks standards BUT... and there is always a BUT! We are a bunch of people that are like minded in our approach to REAL American style BBQ, I would draw your attention to the similarities between our rules and the KCBS rules.

You will find we tend to compete with real BBQ spirit, there are few teams that cook commercially in our circuit some play their cards close to their chest but real members turn up what ever the weather to learn, to socialise and to enjoy BBQ.

Some people buy VW Campers, Some go fishing others play golf and snooker we BBQ and you can critique and accuse us of being amateur but we do this because it's our passion.

I look forward to your posts, I am curious about your views but please see us for what we are!

Family Friendly mother cookers!!!!

[All Weather Griller]

I'm annoyed at the initial snipe, what you don't realise is we have social's this is something that the other organisers have no idea about!

At our last social we had a member travel from Leicester by train after finishing a 12 hour shift, he arrived after our chair Toby collected him from the train station, by the time he had finished his first beer, a tent had appeared, an inflatable bed and duvet was provided and he was fully accommodated by the start of his second beer.

He cooked an indian chicken dish over a traditional American fire pit and skipped every train back until the last! That's what we're about, if you ever come to an event you would find out.

Rant over!

[joker smoker]

Hi there comp critic, I sit eagerly awaitng your next instalment...if you have been refused access to any BBBQS events I am surprised,,,This bunch of BBQ enthusiasts are extremely hospitable... I should know as I am the guy who was given a tent , a mattress, plenty of beers and a real good time by Toby and the crew when I turned up on the train from Leicester. If you have any suggestions as to how to improve the way things are run let us know via this forum. Did you perhaps have a stall at Grillstock or did you hear from stallholders regarding "the big green egg show"? Do you cook yourself? If so , why not show us your skils or even better put your money where your mouth is and enter a competition. Its fine to be a critic but show us something that proves that you are worthy of being so critical. Try not to be so negative without offering positive solutions and you may get a better reception.

[British BBQ Society]

Interesting opinions and I take soem of them on board, my goal is to create a BBQ society that is open to everyone, offer a cost effective way to competing whcih is why compettiion meat is included in the entry.

Last year we were exposed to approximately 30,000 people at Rother Valley for our National Final, this year we are going to a similar sized event at http://www.rudgwicksteamshow.co.uk/

Although we are not even half way through our season, with 2 UK comps and BBBQS representatives at 2 American competitions remaining we are already working on next year,

In 2011 we will be launching 3 additional styles of compeittion to run alongside our normal events, some are being trailled at Rudgwick.

What seperates us from other events? The British BBQ Society doesnt have anything to promote other than itself, We are not selling anything, we are not making false promises, we are just looking to increase the level of BBQ in the UK in a social enviroment so that we do not keep finishing bottom 10 in the States, and maybe have a few beers along the way.

Please feel free to PM or email me if you have any other points you would like to raise,

Cheers

Toby

[Steve]

I'm a bit late to the party responding here. I saw your post at 2am this morning while I was working on the new BBBQS websites that will be launched later in the year, as I had to be in work at half seven this morning, I thought I'd wait until today to respond. I hope you see the point I'm trying to make here, you might bash our website but I write and maintain the websites and forums we have. I do this gratis, and on top of a very busy full time job.

And this point leads me on to the main points I want to make, much of it has been covered by Adie and Toby but I want to put my slant on it.

Firstly, Toby created this Society last year, he's invested his own time and (significant amounts of) his own money into making this a success. At no point has it ever looked like being viable business that's going to make him rich. His mission has always been to promote real BBQ and build a society that gives a lot of enjoyment to its members. Yeah, I'm pretty sure he wants it to pay for itself, but not once have I seen him pull anything with profit in mind, everything is fuelled by passion. It's not just Toby, it's the whole household, Kate provides lots of support and makes everyone feel welcome at the events, it's a whole family effort. You knock the events at a field in Surrey but this family lets us take over their home for weekends at a time, they've even built a toilet and shower block in their garden to make us more comfortable. Would you do that?????????

Secondly, you might call us amateur, but let's get a few things straight. We have set up something that can grow in a sustainable way, kind of like a BBQ co-operative if you like, members of our society are passionate and we give back to the society as well as competing at the competitions. I spend hours doing web development, Adie does promotional work and even helped plumb in the shower block, other contribute other things. Now maybe Grillstock invested loads of cash and made a big splash, all credit to them for that, but until next year or the year after we won't know if they've been a success or whether they just have deep pockets. I hope they succeed, but no-one outside the management team is going to know whether the events are making enough money for them to keep up. That's what you have to remember, Grillstock pulled a lot of things WITH profit in mind, I've heard some non-too-complimentary feedback about the way exhibitors mere messed around because the organisers were snuggling up to Big Green Egg, maybe this is true, maybe not. But at the end of the day, I'd never seen Jon Finch contributing on any of the BBQ forums I visit before Grillstock was announced, is he a real BBQ man, or is he a business man looking to build a BBQ festival as a business? One thing I can guarantee you is that we've built something that can continue to grow because we're not about selling BBQs, equipment, food or advertising. If Grillstock makes no money for the next three years will it continue? We'll still be here!!!!!

Thirdly, we're growing, we've not tried to push events to the point where we put together a costly event and risk our future for the sake of a bit of publicity, but we're still growing. There are plans afoot to make a bigger splash next year, we have diversified the competition styles without compromising the American style comps by having seperate types of events. But we're also looking at non competitive events like Adie's Help For Heroes charity event. Again, it's not about the money it's about promoting BBQ. Now there's going to come a point where we get big enough to start appearing on the radar of bigger sponsors, great, then we can invest in better PR, pro web designers etc but we're building htis on a solid foundation with a low risk strategy, we alove the society too much to do it any other way.

So I agree with you, we need to do more PR, improve the websites, organise bigger events. It's all being worked on behind the scenes by Toby and by other Society members. But we're doing it our way and it may be a slower process but it's working.

Also, we want to produce competition cooks that can go out and really mount a challenge in the US rather than the generally crap performances from previous Brit teams. (Jackie and Rick Weight being the obvious exceptions - and oh Jackie's our head judge!!!!) I couldn't cook competition BBQ properly last year, but after a week at the Royal with Jackie and the team, and making friends with some passionate US competitors I'm able to turn out some stunning competition-grade Q.

And this might sound arrogant but I reckon if you'd put the top 3 teams from this year's Mayhem in May at Grillstock, we'd have cooked the lot of them off the park. Anyone wants to challenge that statement, get yourself down to Rudgwick and prove me wrong, I'll be happy to eat my words if you can walk away with the GC!!!!!

[joker smoker]

By the way, I have worked at the chilli festivals and seen first hand several chilli eating competitions. On the surface they do appear a lot of fun and I myself am a chilli lover. However all competitors must sign a disclaimer before entering. This is due to the possible adverse reactions to extremely hot chillies such as nagas and scotch bonnets . I have seen several contestants in convulsions and others hospitalized. I agree that it may be fun to watch, even gladitorial but there is a dark side to these competitions that involves naive contestants suffering more than they could possibly have imagined. Because of the long drawn out process of low and slow BBQ it is dificult to make it a spectator sport which is why I encourage anybody interested to participate and enjoy the whole wekend in the way we do at BBBQS comps and socials. The worst that can happen is that you suffer a little exhaustion from staying up all night keepin an eye on your BBQ.

[philnewts]

I would not rise to it.

The work you guys have done so far is exceptional. Toby is a Gentleman and I have always felt welcome. At the end of the day this is a passion and a hobby for most of us. I agree a large public event would be great fun but these things take time effort and money.

[British BBQ Society]

Its interesting to see where peoples passion lies and what there priorities are. I do not have a problem with anyone speaking their mind and cant say I disagree with anything that has been said. I think people get riled when people claiming to be BBQ enthusiasts, supposedly promoting BBQ dont seem to be straight or necessarily honest with one another.

If anyone wants to put me on the spot about anything BBQ please feel free, I will let you know what I think and stand by it.

BBQ with a beer, or a beer with BBQ? I never can decide.

[All Weather Griller]

I can see your points Al and I suspect there is a lot of hear say and conjecture flying around but to be honest, I'm a bit cheesed at the whole Grillstock Media machine, it too seems to be filled with a whole bunch of inaccuracies which Ray and Andy have been happy to perpetuate regardless of knowledge to the contrary.

For example the main page suggests that it is "The UK's First Full Blown US Style BBQ Competition and Food show", if this is the case then what style have we been cooking? It may be true on the "technical" point... and "Food Show".

Also a recent publication would have you believe that Andy came 2nd at the World Championships, I'm certain that this is not the case and that they came second in cooking from the homeland.

It would be quite easy for me to claim that I was the World's first ever Abseiler, to meet Princess Anne on the 24th June 1994 wearing a full harness and strapped to a 6ft wall, but abbreviating to First Abseiler to meet Princess Anne.

I had considered taking the Jambo to a Grillstock event but I prefer to play straight cards and know what is what, I don't do bullsh!tters.

I mean Andy phoned Toby and told him he was competing at the next two BBBQS events, within a week or so he had posted "Come and see us cooking up some great seafood on the Weber BBQ's at Scarborough'Seafest on Sunday 25th July. See you there." on Facebook. Now I know that some people have to earn a living and put food on the table and this takes precedence but doing that and not informing Toby is not on.

Failing to make this simple phone call can be conceived in one of a few ways, 1 it's a deliberate attempt to inconvenience Toby, 2 its just tardiness, or 3 No Balls I'm sure Andy would have no problems speaking his mind especially where there is nothing to lose so I would rule out #3

If our little society pales into the shadow of Grillstock over the next few years it won't bother me, because I know what I get at a BBBQS event.

As for the Comp Critic Comparing Grillstock, Kettle Chips, Field to Fork and BBBQS competitions is like comparing chalk n cheese, they are all BBQ comps with different aims, rules and members. One piece of advice I remember receiving from a Master at Arms after overhearing me criticise the Army Physical Training School went, "if you don't like it, you'll have to join it to change it. Put up or shut up!"

This is my last post on this matter as its leaving a bitter taste in my mouth which I don't care for too much!