Local pitmaster Jeff Jenkins is leading a charge to put Chatham-Kent on the barbecue map.
Jenkins, owner of Dog Days BBQ, along with Brandon Davidson of SmoKING BBQ, have several smoking and grilling events planned for the area this year.
The first of which takes place Saturday at the Active Lifestyle Centre in Chatham. About two-dozen people have signed up for a barbeque master class delivered by competitive barbecue heavyweights Moe Cason and Bob Trudnak.
“We are hosting them here in Chatham. It’s our kick off to the barbecue season here in southwestern Ontario,” Jenkins said.
Class participants are coming from as far away as Hamilton to take part. Skill sets vary from backyard grillers to competitive smokers.
Support for the event comes from the likes of Schinkels’ Gourmet Meats of Chatham, Crossroads Pellets of Blenheim and Bog Line Smokers out of Park Hill, Ont., south of Grand Bend, which is supplying an offset smoker for Cason and Trudnak to utilize for the master class.
For anyone not attending the class, but who still wants to meet Cason and Trudnak, Jenkins said there will be an open house at Dog Days restaurant on Lacroix Street in Chatham on April 25.
“It’s just casual. Come out and meet the guys,” he said.
Cason and Trudnak will be in the area until April 29, Jenkins said, as he plans on taking them on a tour of a number of local restaurants on the Sunday.
He said the class and the weekend overall are part of an effort to raise awareness of barbecuing and smoking in the region. He and Davidson have started the Southwestern Ontario Barbecue Society.
“We’re just trying to build a community of barbecue enthusiasts. We want to offer competition, offer classes and give local companies an opportunity to be part of what we’re doing,” Jenkins said. “We’re just trying to bring something interesting to Chatham-Kent.”
Another interesting event for Chatham-Kent involving meat and grills, as well as beer, is the second annual Barnyard Amateur BBQ Competition at Red Barn Brewing Co. July 26-28.
Jenkins said the inaugural event in 2023 was a one-day affair that saw 4,000 people show up to enjoy food, beverages and competition.
This year, he said six bands will be around to entertain while two-dozen grill enthusiasts will compete and local grill companies will be selling food to the public.
“This is setting the foundation for what we want for years to come,” Jenkins said. “Hopefully, this becomes a destination for these kinds of events.”
