By Barbara Ellington, Freelance WriterTHE 'SECOND City', Montego Bay, will this weekend host the second international Jamaican jerk-style/southern barbecue cook-off and the fifth World Barbecue Championship at Sunset Beach Resort and Spa.
Ten countries will participate and over 170 judges will be in charge of the contest. Journalists from the Sunday Times, The Caterer, CVM Television, CBS Food Network, Cosmopolitan, Metro, as well as two Belgian film crews will be in attendance.
The idea to host the event came out of a need to fill hotel rooms following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, in the United States.
The management of the 430-room Sunset Beach Resort and Spa met with the owners of the prestigious publication 'Barbecue News' and were advised to do further research in Houston, Texas.
Spokesperson for the hotel, Nicholas Taylor, told The Gleaner that September is generally a slow period for hoteliers and they saw the competition as a way to bring a new event that would increase room occupancy and give them exposure.
JAMAICAN TEAM
The deliberations led to a Jamaican team of chefs participating in the annual Jack Daniels World Invitational Barbecue Champions last October and winning the coveted first prize. The team will defend that title next month in Memphis, Tennessee.
Rocky Danner, master judge of the World Barbecue Association (WBQA), organiser, consultant and writer, told The Gleaner that contest of this nature takes up to one year to plan. This seventh generation German descendant has been in the business for 20 years and also teaches American-style barbecue.
"I have judged all over the world and I also write the rules of the contest for judges and contestants," Donner said.
Competitors take the event seriously and invest large sums in order to win the US$25,000, US$10,000 worth of barbecue cookers and other prizes that are at stake.
There are 45 teams, 15 from Jamaica, 15 from the United States, as well as contingents from Russia, Belgium, France and other parts of the world.
