Yabba Dabba Q, Smokeback Mountain and Backyard Banditos are just three of the teams coming to dazzle and sizzle this weekend, competing in the inaugural Battle of the BBQs Tauranga.
The barbecue festival which is being held at Mount Maunganui College this weekend has attracted more than 20 teams from around New Zealand.
The six competition categories are chicken, pork ribs, lamb, pork, beef and dessert, and teams can include up to four people.
The teams have signed up to battle it out over the weekend for a share of cash and prizes to the value of $10,000 and the title of ‘Master of the Grill Tauranga’.
The two days of cooking will be a crowd-pleaser as the barbecue pitmasters cook anything from ribs to their signature dish, in their efforts to please high calibre chefs like Michelin-star chef Matt Lambert who has returned from New York to Auckland. Along with Lambert, a panel of 20 judges made up of representatives from the New Zealand Barbecue Alliance, professional chefs and barbecue enthusiasts will judge each dish, with the meat served to them in anonymous white boxes.
Plenty of musical entertainment will be provided with Alice Sea and Camila, Vegas Brown band, and Swamp Thing performing on Saturday; and Ash Laforteza, Something Like That, and No Code playing on Sunday.
This event has the families covered with lots of entertainment to keep the kids happy – gumboot throwing, bouncy castles, face painters, V8 car simulators and even a bucking bronco.
“We are catering for everyone, with entertainment galore from local and national musicians, plus heaps of great family-friendly entertainment for the whole family,” noted event organiser, Natasha Thomas.
“We look forward to welcoming Bay of Plenty locals, and people from further afield to this unique event!”
