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Memphis in May – World Championship Barbecue Cooking Competition

Updated: 9/10/23

Memphis in May and the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Competition (WCBCC) may be falling victim to their own success. Even limiting the number of teams competing to 150 for $145,000 in prize money, the huge amount of activity the overall event drew was apparently quite impactful on the Tommy Lee Park.

You might reasonably say that using a newly minted and manicured riverfront park for a massive music event that also includes one of the biggest barbecue cook-offs was inherently risky. And while organizers have not been surprised at post event clean-up and repair bills averaging over sixty-thousand dollars, this year blew the doors off that as well. A whopping invoice of $1,425,366.00, which puts a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘what are the damages?’.

In this case, the real damage is to the event, which will likely be seeking new venue(s), and possibly separating the barbecue activity from the rest of the festival. Assurances are out that the event will happen in 2024, the overall theme of ‘France’ having already been announced. What overall form it will take is yet to be determined.

Regardless of what happens next, another WCBCC event is in the books. Four days of competition in multiple categories has given us the following results, and some nice paychecks to the competitors.

Memphis in May 2023 Results 

  • 2023 GRAND CHAMPION: Ribdiculous Bar-B-Krewe
  • Kingsford Tour of Champions: Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q

Pork Division

  • Ribs: Ribdiculus Bar-B-Krewe
  • Shoulder: Sweet Cheeks
  • Whole Hog: Hometown BBQ

2023 Ancillary Awards – Anything But Categories

  • Turkey Smoke, sponsored by Butterball: Auto Be Grillin’
  • Frank’s Red Hot Hot Wings, sponsored by Frank’s Red Hot: Russell’s Dam Good BBQ
  • Beef: Nuts N’ Butts
  • Poultry: Team Best Damn BBQ Sauce
  • Seafood: Annesdale Pork
  • Exotic: The Norwegian National Barbecue Team

2023 Ancillary Awards – Sauce Categories

  • Tomato, sponsored by Cattlemen’s BBQ Sauce: Ribbed For Your Pleasure
  • Mustard, sponsored by French’s: Shoats and Skins
  • Vinegar, sponsored by Cattlemen’s BBQ Sauce: Auto Be Grillin’

Archive: 2023 MIM Upcoming Event Coverage

03/17/2023

Hey there Squirrel BBQ Fans, as expected- the next exciting news for Memphis in May is upon our doorstep, and it’s time to spill the beans. If you haven’t been checking up on the latest news about the World Championship of Barbecue lately, it’s time to find out some news that we can all be glad to share. Here’s what you need to know about the 2023 MIM lineup news so far…

https://memphisinmay.org/events/world-championship-barbecue-cooking-contest/

https://squirrelcookoff.com/memphis-bbq/

https://linktr.ee/WCBCC?

https://www.facebook.com/worldchampionshipbarbecuecookingcontest/

 

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