How to Become a Certified BBQ Judge
HOW TO BECOME A CERTIFIED BBQ JUDGE
To become a Certified BBQ Judge you will need to take a certification class from an approved educator. A list of approved BBQ certification classes can be found on your state’s barbeque society’s website. If your state doesn’t have a BBQ Society then you can visit the website of another state’s BBQ Society’s website. Some of the most popular BBQ Societies are the Iowa Barbeque Society located at http://www.iabbq.org, Kansas City Barbeque Society located at http://www.kcbs.us, and South Carolina Barbeque Society located at http://www.scbarbeque.com. BBQ judge certification classes are also advertised on websites that are promoting BBQ Cook-offs.
THE BBQ JUDGE CERTIFICATION CLASS
The actual BBQ Judge Certification Class will be presented in one day, and it will last about five hours. It is usually held once a year in the month of March no matter what state the class is in. It will cost between $45 and $75 depending on who is hosting the class, and whether you have membership in that state’s Barbeque Society.
The certification class will cover all aspects of being a BBQ judge. You will be walked through the format of BBQ competitions, you will learn what characteristics to look for in each categories’ entries, you will learn how to score an entry, you learn the rules and regulations that BBQ competitions have, and you will be run through a mock BBQ Competition that includes Chicken, Ribs, Pork Shoulder, and Brisket sample entries. This experience will help you be a good BBQ Judge.
BENEFITS OF BEING A CERTIFIED BBQ JUDGE
Being a Certified BBQ Judge is not a paid position, however, there are many benefits that this position offers that makes it an extremely sought after job. First you get to eat the best BBQ in the nation for free. Secondly you get to spend a fun afternoon or weekend with other BBQ enthusiasts and professionals. You can also pick up some BBQ pointers from the competitors, and learn about the latest BBQ trends. Finally you get to take home free samples of world class BBQ.
WHERE TO FIND A BBQ JUDGING POSITION
After you have earned your BBQ Certification you can apply to be a BBQ Judge at any BBQ Cook-off in the United States. To find judging positions there are a couple of places that you can look. First contact state Barbeque Societies. They will have a list of competitions and calls for judges in that state. You can also contact a Cook-off competitions directly. On the Cook-off’s website they will have information about becoming a judge for the event. Because there is a limited number of judging openings, and because these positions are sought after by hundreds of people, it is a good idea to put in your application as soon as possible for BBQ events that you would like to judge at.
