BBQ SAUCE CONTESTS

Benefits

Entering and winning a top finish in the National Barbecue Association can be compared to winning gold, silver, bronze in a Barbecue Olympics. In fact the top winner has a faux gold finished Medallion placed around their necks at the Thursday night NBBQA President’s Reception and Awards Presentation as the camera flashes light up. A winner has the right to print the prestigious NBBQA logo on their label symbolizing their 2009 best sauce win, send releases about the win to the media and buyers, and have their winning finish publicized nationally in the National BBQ News, on the NBBQA website for a year, and it is published in the slick new Q magazine. There are several other non-sauce categories offered for best new BBQ product, cookbook, and label, so you can enter in several categories.

The not for profit National Barbecue Association goes to great lengths to assure that judging of sauces is completely fair and unbiased. A partnership has been struck with the student chefs at the Rend Lake Culinary Arts School in Ina, Illinois to serve as the third party judges for the contest. These chefs have no ongoing relationships or connections with anyone directly involved in the NBBQA other than the Committee Chairperson from the Association, nor with known barbecue interests. The labels on the sauce bottles are carefully concealed before judging, and the sauces are judged in their specific categories. There are 29 separate judging categories including non-sauces and Anything Goes categories, so much preparation and volunteer time in invested in this Awards of Excellence contest so it will be meaningful to all winners. A win is independent proven results that can expedite or help propel a sauce toward finding commercial shelf space with regional or national retail vendors.

In the National Barbecue Association sauce contest, you are given two chances to win because of the back up People’s Choice Awards. By entering the Awards of Excellence contest, you are then qualified to also enter the People’s Choice Awards by submitting a case of your sauce for public tasting. On Saturday’s Public Day, your sauce is set out in a long row with an ample supply of tasting cups and spoons.

The public is provided a ballot invited to taste and evaluate their favorite sauces on the spot. (You cannot do that at the super market). The sauce ballots are tabulated and a winner is declared on the spot. If the public really likes what they tasted, they can vote again by purchasing their favorite sauce on the spot for as long as they last. These purchases have your name, contact information and website so they can re-order. The People’s Choice is a lot of fun and appreciated by all participants and winners alike. Likewise with the Awards of Excellence winners, People’s Choice winners are entitled to use the prestigious NBBQA logo on their labels, issue press releases, and have their names and categories reported in the National BBQ News, Q magazine, and on the Association’s website.

Awards of Excellence deadline for product arrivals is TBD  and shipped to: Becky Streuter, Chairman, NBBQA Awards of Excellence, c/o 17th Street Warehouse 214 N. 17th Street, Murphysboro, Illinois 62966.  Judging is by the Chefs at Rend Lake Culinary Institute in Illinois.

People’s Choice Awards deadline for product arrivals is TBD and shipped to: The Crowne Plaza Hotel, 6121 N. I.H. 35, Austin, TX 78752, Attention: Tracey Edwards/NBBQA (Earlier arrival may incur hotel storage costs)

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