By Tom Nicolette
Senior Network Producer
A recent high school competition had beef on display as teenage pitmasters showcased their burning passion for Texas barbecue.
The Texas High School Barbeque State Championship, which was held April 30 at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, is one way Texas Beef Council is helping promote beef to consumers.
“The high school barbeque sponsorship that we are involved with is one small piece of the larger puzzle. It helps us accomplish our mission of bringing beef-loving Texans together over their shared love of beef,” said Russell Woodard, TBC senior manager for channel marketing, during an interview with Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network.
Since 2016, Texas Beef Council has partnered with High School BBQ, Inc. to bring culinary and agricultural students together over a shared interest in cooking, community and friendly competition. The Barbeque State Championship allowed students to showcase their best dishes and compete for scholarships.
“We’ve grown the organization since 2016 from one event with eight teams to now we have 10 regional events and a state championship where 85 teams competed for the state high school championship,” Woodward said. “It gives us the opportunity to build life skills, to build cooking skills and to help these students hone their love of beef.”
Overall, this year’s competition yielded numerous prizes and nearly $70,000 in college scholarships to students on the top three teams at the barbeque event.
The barbeque event and National Beef Month promotions help consumers learn more about the beef industry and the nutritional value of beef.
“There’s nothing more Texan than summer, beef and barbeque,” Woodward said.
For more information about uniquely Texan recipes, cooking inspirations and stories, visit beeflovingtexans.com.