meatstock

Fire up; cause NZ's biggest BBQ festival is about to get grilling. Billed as a carnivore's paradise, Meatstock, the two day festival gets underway tomorrow at mystery creek near Hamilton. But it's not just the menu that's spicy; along slide the fire pits and slabs of steak is a celebration of the average, the ordinary, the undercooked; one of Meatstocks biggest crowd pleasers. Behold, the dad bod contest. Organiser Reyan Fernando speaks to Lisa Owen. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6347427514112

Shannon Walker from Butcher Wars and Black Bear BBQ is our guest on the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast this week. A man who is often behind the scenes, Shannon steps out on to the centre stage here and let's us know what really goes on at so many of the BBQ icons we know and love. 

In this Episode we get into:

• His career as a butcher (4:15)
• Working at Black Bear BBQ (11:55)
• Butcher Wars (22:14)
• 'The Butcher's Cookbook' (34:15)
• Hunting, Cleaning, and Cooking Game (40:35)

This episode of the Smoking Hot Confessions BBQ Podcast is proudly brought to you by our Podcast Partner, JAGRD Woodfired Smoker Ovens. If you’re looking for your next BBQ, smoker or grill, be sure to check them out. They have a wide range of well-performing units available, and love doing custom work and commercial kit outs as well. Check out:

https://jagrdwoodfired.com.au 

If you would like to become a Podcast Partner we’d love to hear from you. Shoot Ben an email at ben@smokinghotconfessions.com and let’s get that conversation started!

To get your free copy of 'The Beginners Guide to Real BBQ', head to:

https://smokinghotconfessions.com

Meatstock founder, Jay Beaumont, is a fan-favourite amongst the BBQ scene in Australia and New Zealand. Not only is Jay the founder of Meatstock, the largest and most successful BBQ festival in both Australia and New Zealand, but he’s also one of the co-founders of the Australasian Barbecue Alliance (ABA) - the organisation responsible for kicking off the competition BBQ scene in both countries. Moreover, what really stands out is Jay’s ability to create brands that people not just like, but flock to get behind. 

As stated above, Meatstock is the biggest and most successful BBQ festival in Australia and New Zealand with 3 festivals per year across the two countries. The festivals are all-encompassing, including not just a BBQ competition, but live demonstrations, butchering competitions, barber competitions, hot rod shows, axe throwing and so much more. The Meatstock festivals go far beyond just the meat and fire, and embrace all aspects of alternative rockabilly culture. The festivals have proven so successful internationally, that they attract famous international guest Pitmasters, such as Myron Mixon, Tuffy Stone, and Big Moe Cason.

Starting in Sydney, the Meatstock festivals have become a phenomenon, growing rapidly, with festivals now occurring annually in Melbourne, Sydney, and Auckland. They have become a staple of the BBQ scene for anybody interested in meat and fire and make regular appearances of everybody’s calendars. 

In this chat, we get into how Meatstock came about, how it’s been affected by Covid, and we wrap up the interview with a lesson in how you too can build a brand that people flock to. 

N.b. In this interview, we won’t be getting into the story of how the ABA was formed. To catch up on that piece of BBQ history, check out Episode 001 with Adam Roberts, another of the ABA co-founders. 

More on Meatstock: https://meatstock.com.au/ 

The history of the ABA with Adam Roberts: https://smokinghotconfessions.com/shcpodcast001/ 

Check out our killer merch and support the show: https://smokinghotconfessions.com/shop/ 

This is a bonus episode for Season Five. It's the first of a new format that will be trialed here at Smoking Hot Confessions whereby after each BBQ competition, winners will contacted by phone for a quick round up. These episodes are going to be more raw, and unpolished than usual, but will be more timely and authentic because of it. 

In this Episode I have a chat with Brandon and then Adam from the Wizards of Q. Not only did Brandon win his Golden Tickets in the Steak Cookoff Association competition at Meatstock Sydney, but the entire team won Reserve Grand Champion in the Australasian Barbecue Alliance main event!

Before we get started, I’d like to let you know that my new ebooks are now available on the website. There is the second edition of my well-loved ‘27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ’ and also the deliciously new ‘Bacon Manifesto’. The ‘Bacon Manifesto’ includes what you need to know about making bacon at home and then some incredible recipes to give you an idea of what to do with it.

I’d also like to invite you to join us at the Smoking Hot Confessions Community on Facebook. If you’re looking for a BBQ group full of open-minded people who just love to help each other out, the Smoking Hot Confessions Community is a great place to continue the conversation.

Finally, however you’re listening to this episode, please subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps me spread that BBQ love.

So without further ado, let's find out what's happening with the lads from Wizards of Q!

This is Episode One of Season Four: the 2018 Festival Series. In this episode I hit the streets at Meatstock Melbourne, one of the jewels in the crown of the Australian BBQ scene. Armed with a Media Pass, I was able to access all the VIP areas, and had a great chat over a couple of bourbons with this year's special guest Big Moe Cason. 

For full show notes, head on over to the Smoking Hot Confessions website. 

This very exciting bonus episode is an opportunity to either relive or live vicariously through me, the recent Melbourne Meatstock festival.

I was very lucky to be able to head south to Melbourne to the first Meatstock festival. It was the largest BBQ competition in Victoria’s history and it was a weekend full of amazing surprises.

This episode is a compilation of many mini-interviews I did over the weekend, ranging from competitors to suppliers and promoters to BBQ royalty. In these interviews I get tips and advice from all the  big names and get to introduce you to some serious up-and-comers.

Still want more? Be sure to pick up your free ebook: 27 Lessons Learned from Competition BBQ at http://smokinghotconfessions.com/comp-ready/