World Junior BBQ League Championship sparks a love for barbecue in young pitmasters

Jennifer Chandler, Memphis Commercial Appeal

October 17, 2023 at 7:03 PM·4 min read

Get ready for the smell of barbecue Saturday in Southaven.

The 2023 World Junior BBQ League Championship will be held Saturday at The BBQ Allstars Superstore, 875 Goodman Road East.

The 2023 Championship will bring together hundreds of competitors, mentors, judges and supporters to witness World Junior BBQ League teams from Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Guatemala and Cayman Islands compete for the 2023 title.

Pitmaster and World Junior BBQ League founder Melissa Cookston poses with the 2022 World Junior BBQ League Championship winning team Pit Vipers

The annual competition is the opportunity for the next generation of pitmasters to hone their skills in cooking everything from chicken and ribs to pork and brisket.

The event was created by renowned chef and pitmaster Melissa Cookston.

“I founded the World Junior BBQ League with the dual purpose of instilling a love of barbecue within the next generation while helping them build valuable life skills — we call it ‘skills beyond the grill,'" Cookston said.

“It's an honor to build an organization for young adults to learn a centuries-old form of cooking through a fun hobby that teaches sportsmanship, teamwork, competitive spirit and diplomacy all the while creating memories to last a lifetime. Barbecue has been very good to me in my life, and I'm proud to be able to give back by passing on my decades of experience with these incredibly smart, hardworking and dedicated young people.”

A life-changing experience

Clara Ashley, a 12th-grade student at Crosstown High School in Memphis and member of the "Crosstown Q" BBQ competition team, has taken part in the competition the past two years. Ashley and her team partner Noah Bailey were the runners-up last year, placing first in the ribs category, second in pork and third in brisket.

The benefits of participating in the league go beyond developing her cooking skills, which she says have improved as well.

Memphis high school student Clara Ashley competes at the World Junior BBQ League Championship in 2022.

“I have definitely learned so much, and it is not just cooking,” said Ashley, who is competing again this year. “I have learned fundamental skills like leadership, trusting others, responsibility and time management. There are so many like skills you learn from being part of the league.”

The World Junior BBQ League has also given her the opportunity to excel in a sport normally dominated by males.

“As a little girl I grew up going to barbecue competitions with my family," she said. "There weren’t a lot of other little girls there. I want to be able to show other girls that this is not just a boys’ thing. Anyone can do it.”

In addition to teams from Memphis, there are teams from across the United States, as well as international participants from Guatemala and the Cayman Islands.

The World Junior BBQ League Cayman Islands team said the competition has made a significant impact on all members of the team.

“Getting the opportunity to represent the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean in Memphis at the World Junior BBQ League Championship not only ignites our competitive spirit, but allows us to form lasting friendships with like-minded young people from around the world," the team said in a statement. "This experience goes far beyond the barbecue pit, and has helped shape our perspectives in ways that will stay with us for our lifetimes."

Guatemalan junior barbecue team Puro Utz competes at the Ermita Rotary Club’s BBQ Challenge in Guatemala in 2022. Puro Utz will be competing in the 2023 World Junior BBQ League Championship in Southaven, MS.

Competitors have to either be between the ages of 14 and 18, or be in high school or the equivalent (if homeschooled).

Competition barbecue, celebrity pitmasters and more

The 2023 contest will include the barbecue competition itself, as well as a lot of fun for the whole family.

MEMPHIS BBQ: From spaghetti to shrimp to ... cornish hen? 5 Memphis barbecue dishes you need to try

The main stage will feature cooking demonstrations for celebrity pitmasters and influencers, including Netflix's "Barbecue Showdown" Season 1 winner Tina Cannon and "Barbecue Showdown" Season 2 winner Thyron Mathews. Cookston, who is known as “the winningest woman in competition barbecue” and is a host for "Barbecue Showdown," will also be doing a cooking demonstration. Music, activities for the whole family, food sampling, raffles and a silent auction are all part of the day’s activities.

Clara Ashley and Noah Bailey of the "Crosstown Q" BBQ competition team compete at the World Junior BBQ League Championship in 2022.

The event will end with the award ceremony during which the winning teams for each category and the Grand Champion are announced. World Junior BBQ League Championship awards the winners trophies and cash prizes totaling $25,000.

Attendance is free to the general public. Barbecue samples will be available for purchase; all proceeds benefit the World Junior BBQ League.

WCBCC 2024: Memphis in May barbecue contest is back at Liberty Park: What we know about the 2024 event

“It's especially rewarding to host our first international competitors and foster an opportunity for these like-minded young people from around the world to come together and bond over the time-honored art of cooking with fire,” Cookston said about this year’s contest. “I can't wait to see what these kids cook up."

Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at [email protected] and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.

If you want to keep up with the tastiest news in the Bluff City — like the story above, sign up for our Eat Drink Memphis weekly newsletter for a hearty serving of stories on everything from restaurants to recipes. You can sign up here.