The British Are Coming!

Well, not actually coming, but coming around to barbecue. The First British Barbecue Championships have been announced. The British Barbecue Championships are to be held on June 14, 2008 in Ilminster, Somerset and is open to 20 teams. It appears that the Brits have a bit of Yankee envy.

(Wow, that statement may piss off the British and my Southern brothers who would never equate barbeque with anything "Yankee"!)

Anyway, the British Barbecue Championships have been announced and here's some of the information from their website...

"Formulae One Barbecue has finally arrived in Britain! Forget throwing a couple of sausages or burgers onto a gas or charcoal grill. Championship Barbecuing is a true test of outdoor cooking using specialist equipment and cooking to tight rules and regulations.

True aficionados of barbecue say that mere grilling is a poor relative of proper barbecues where meat is cooked slowly away from the direct heat source with its taste modified and enhanced by using different types of wood or charcoal. It is claimed that this technique was developed by native Americans and that modern day barbecuing is simply a retrograde development of this ancient process. Whatever its history, this style of cooking produces delicious succulent food completely different from the usual fare.

It will perhaps come as no surprise to discover that in North America competition barbecuing has been developed into a major event with several hundred thousand people regularly attending competitions. These competitions have strict rules and regulations with standings accrued throughout a season that leads to a putative World Barbecue Championship. Similar events are now held in Europe, Australia and South Africa.

To date Britain has not conducted a similar competition although several individual teams have participated in European and American events with some success.

It is the intention of the British Barbecue Championships to promote an annual competition using international competition standards to find the British Barbecue Champion."

Hmm, it may be time for a trip across the pond.

Today's radom barbeque link... The BBQ Mafia. Unlike most of my random links, I know these guys personally. Show some respect and pay a visit.