Kings of the grill

Grilling is a serious game. Not just slyly over the fence between backyard barbecuers but also for a growing flush of competitive teams participating in the wave of grilling contests to have rolled over to Europe from the across the pond.

The best (of course) is our very own Grillstock returning to the Lloyds Amphitheatre on July 2 and 3 where the festival music and merriment is a mere sideshow to the main event – the contest to crown the King of the Grill.

Over the festival’s two days, the teams work to submit juicy, flavour-crusted dishes in seven categories. Taking its cue (and some recipes) from the enormous grilling competitions that take place in the US, this year 30 teams – out of more than 100 applicants – will battle it out for the prizes and glory, five of them home grown talent with pun-heavy monikers.

Among the Bristol teams, Grillers in the Mist formed when two long-lost school friends reunited at NCT classes. After a BBQ disaster with their NCT group to wet the babies’ heads, they vowed to learn to barbecue properly and dragged their families with them. The Sherrys and the Lippiatts, together with the two smaller Lippiatts, Elsie and Arthur, will now be vying for the crown and glory.

“The BBQ bug drives us to compete,” says Neil Lippiatt of Stoke Bishop. “We love the challenge, discipline and precision required to turn that often tough and inexpensive piece of meat into a thing of beauty.”

“Jay and I started competing four years ago after seeing a couple of competitions and meeting other teams at our first visit to Grillstock,” says Rachael Morrison of husband and wife team, Meatpocalypse. “The Bunch of Swines BBQ team were extremely welcoming and open in showing us what’s involved, so we decided to give it a go.

“Barbecuing meat over coal is far more fun than cooking inside and there’s always a really good atmosphere. It’s just something we love doing.”

Apocalypse Cow is a cooperative of international friends who have been competing at Grillstock for the last two years while the Flamin’ Amateurs were inspired by the Grillstock festival to buy their own smokers and – after learning the ropes – start competing.

“We decided to compete because we have been attending Grillstock since the first minute of the first one in Bristol,” says James Keenan of Apocalypse Cow. “After a couple of years of being inspired into smoking low and slow at home we thought that we could have a bash; what’s the worst that could happen?”

For competitors, it’s as much about the vibe as it is about the competition. “We love the fact that we can get together over a weekend, get very drunk, eat loads and chat about cooking,” says Kev Baldwin of The Social Smokers who says the lack of sleep and pure meat diet is as challenging as the contest.

“But when you win it’s amazing. When we won best burger at Grillstock after two years of development, I was overcome with emotion.”

He’s not the only one to get emotional: “We’ve all been close friends for a long time now,” says Apocalypse Cow’s James. “But barbecuing has brought us even closer.”

Read more: Grillstock announces 2016 lineup