Meat&Poultry - June 2013 - 8

Commentary
by joel crews

jcrews@sosland.com

Now, we’re cookin’
T

aste, tenderness and appearance

the richest contests in the US.

Smoke on t he Water event s

are the attributes we aspire to per-

In the late 1990s, Ron Cates was

nowadays draw more than 200 teams

fect. A 180 has nothing to do with a

quietly operating his Pine Bluff, Ark.-

per contest and prize money that

change of heart; a good bark makes

based ad agency, Cates & Company

tops $400,000 per year. And Cates’

for the best bite and an even better

Creative, and doing quite well. Hav-

contests draw household names of the

rub is something we will talk openly

ing successfully spearheaded a num-

barbecue circuit, including Myron

about in public. It’s easy to identify

ber of outdoor festivals on behalf of

Mixon, Ray Lampe and Johnny

us: first by the smoky aroma that per-

clients over the years, Cates decided

Trigg. Meanwhile, popular T V

meates our clothes, reddens our eyes

to host a little barbecue contest and

series like TLC’s “BBQ Pitmasters”

and billows from our backyards on

festival of his own, pitting a hand-

spotlight competitive cooking and

most weekends. For better or worse,

ful of competitive cooks in the region

the personalities of competitors and

against one another. Initially known as

judges. “A lot of the cooks are multi-

“Smoke on the Water,” the riverfront-

millionaires now,” Cates says, with

based festival and contest was all the

guys like Mixon publishing a series

rage in south-central Arkansas, which

of best-selling cookbooks, opening

got the opportunistic Cates thinking

restaurants and making lucrative

of what could be.

personal appearances to teach and

“We just held one event a year for

talk barbecue.

the first four years,” he says, “then the

“You have to hire security for

thing just kind of blew up.” Fourteen

these guys now,” Cates says, because

years later, Cates’ little contest has

spectators want to come up and get

spawned an offshoot company, Smoke

their autographs and ask questions

on the Water Productions, which hosts

while they’re trying to get their entries

a growing number of barbecue-based

ready to turn in for judging.

cook-offs and festivals, some with

In September, Smoke on the Water

purses topping $100,000 in cash and

is hosting the Smokin’ Aces Festival

prizes. By organizing and promoting

and BBQ Championship with $40,000

I am a longtime and proud part of

events that coincide with NASCAR

in prize money at Harrah’s Casino in

the growing bretheren that regular-

races and at high-profile casinos

Tunica, Miss. Then in November, a

ly competes for bragging rights at a

throughout the country, sponsorship

contest in Laughlin, Nev., will include

handful of the hundreds of barbecue-

opportunities have been snapped up

a purse of $100,000 in cash and prizes.

cooking contests now held all around

by companies that include Walmart,

Most recently, Cates signed a deal to

the country. Over the past 15 years of

Sam’s Club, Tyson Foods, Coca-

organize an annual competition on the

my unimpressive, but passionate, par-

Cola, Johnsonville, Sara Lee and

Jersey Shore Boardwalk to coincide

ticipation, I’ve marveled at the mete-

many more.

with an annual Professional Bull Riders

oric rise in the popularity of outdoor

event in the Atlantic City area this fall.

cooking and how the mere mention

Issue documents, the popularity of

This contest will increase in prize

of the word “barbecue” triggers con-

barbecue is much more than a regional

money by $50,000 each year for the

versations and interest in almost any

fad or a niche category. Often, sauces,

next five, culminating in a $250,000

part of the country. Imagine my ela-

rubs and cooking techniques used at

purse in 2017. If the next five years are

tion when I was recently able to bend

today’s events are adopted tomorrow

anything like the previous five, look for

the ear of one of the most successful

by new product developers for

this segment’s growth to be anything

promoters and organizers of some of

8

As Meat&Poultry’s Annual BBQ

foodservice and retailers.

but “low and slow.” ■

• Meat&Poultry • June 2013 • www.MeatPoultry.com
http://www.MeatPoultry.com
Meat&Poultry - June 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meat&Poultry - June 2013
