Barbecue Defined: A Labor of Love

Convicted Pigs BBQ began with a television show, two curious beginners, and a lot more ambition than experience.

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Like many barbecue fans, Chris watched BBQ Pitmasters and wondered what it would take to compete. In the summer of 2016, he and Erica traveled to southern Georgia for their first competition barbecue class with Robby Royal. They came home inspired and, a few months later, entered their first Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contest in Nelsonville, Ohio.

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We packed multiple vehicles as though we were feeding 500 people. We brought two smokers, stayed up all night feeding logs to the fires, and learned just how much we still had to learn. Our barbecue wasn’t pretty, but we finished 31st out of 37 teams. At the time, we were simply glad we hadn’t finished last.

We spent the winter practicing. Before the 2017 season, Erica made one request: if we were going to spend weekends competing, we needed a small toy hauler with a few comforts. That was our first clue that this hobby might get expensive.

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Our second contest took us to Hagerstown, Maryland, where we competed against 57 other teams and had a great time. A few months later, at our third contest in Marietta, Ohio, everything changed. We heard our team called at the awards ceremony for the first time and took first place in brisket. For a new team from West Virginia, it was a moment we’ll never forget.

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By the end of 2017, we had competed in four KCBS contests, invested in a brand-new custom 32-foot barbecue trailer and a brand-new truck to pull it, and collected more sauces, seasonings, smokers, and equipment than we care to count.

 

We began selling barbecue to family and friends to help cover the costs. Before long, Convicted Pigs BBQ became a registered West Virginia business.

As we kept competing, more people began asking us to cook for their gatherings. Orders for 10 or 20 grew to 50, then 100, 200, and eventually more than 400 guests. We added bigger smokers and more equipment, and friends and family stepped in to help. What started as a weekend hobby had grown into a catering business alongside our careers and family life.

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Over the years, we’ve competed, earned awards, and cooked at championship events. We’re proud of those experiences, but they also helped us discover what we do best; making barbecue that brings people together. Competition weekends gradually gave way to catering celebrations, community gatherings, and events of every size.

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Looking back, it’s hard to believe how far we’ve come since that cold first contest in 2016. We started with no food service or business experience and willingness and addiction to learn. Today, after serving thousands of people, the moments that mean the most to us are the ones our barbecue helped make memorable. That’s still what drives Convicted Pigs BBQ...  Great barbecue, made with care, and shared with good people.

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The rest of the story can be shared in-depth by a fireplace with some good laughs...  To Be Continued...  : )