The start of the 2015 Whole Hog Barbecue Series is just days away, and a brand-new competition is raising the stakes for our all-star cook teams. This year, for the first time in history, in addition to competing for the championship, chief cooks will also be vying to become “Pitmaster of the Year.”
The Pitmaster of the Year title will be awarded to the chief cook who accumulates the most points during the 2015 Whole Hog Barbecue season. Points will be awarded to cooks for participating in and winning sanctioned N.C. Pork Council competitions.
Ann Edmondson, Director of Communications & Marketing for the N.C. Pork Council, said, “The Pitmaster of the Year award gives us the opportunity to recognize chief cooks for sustained excellence over a calendar year. Just like NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series, this makes every cook-off an opportunity for our teams to get a leg up on the competition.
How it will work:
Whole hog barbecue cooks will earn 100 points for every competition they participate in, and even more points for finishing in the top three. Points awarded for top finishes will increase, based on the size and importance of the competition.
Contests with fewer than 20 entries:
1st Place 300 Points
2nd Place 200 Points
3rd Place 100 Points
Contests with 20-34 entries:
1st Place 400 Points
2nd Place 300 Points
3rd Place 200 Points
Contests with 35 or more entries:
1st Place 500 Points
2nd Place 400 Points
3rd Place 300 Points
Whole Hog Barbecue Championship:
1st Place 600 Points
2nd Place 500 Points
3rd Place 400 Points
The chief cook with the largest number of points at the end of the year will be named Pitmaster of the Year. The award will be presented at the first cookoff of 2016, the Newport Pig Cookin’ Contest.
If you have questions about the Pitmaster of the Year award, please email jen@ncpork.org.
