Saint James AME Church

1002 6th Avenue, Columbus, Georgia 31901

AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
SIXTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT
BBQ COOK-OFF
Rules and Regulations

Welcome to the Second Annual Sixth Episcopal District BBQ cook-off event, hosted by Southwest Georgia Conference – Sons of Allen Ministries.
Your contacts for the Cookoff & Sponsorship of the event are as follows:
Reggie Caldwell: 706-393.8593 SWGACSOA@gmail.com
KDG Admin Services 762.258.1239 MSKDGARY@gmail.com

**Please carefully read the information below**
The S.E.D BBQ Cook-Off contest is open to everyone over the age of 18. The event will take place at St. James A.M.E. Church, Columbus, GA on October 26, 2024. Judging of the entries will begin at 12:00 PM. An entry fee of $40.00 must be received on or before July 20, 2024.

Individuals or teams are allowed. Each Individual/Team must have a Chief Cook. The Chief Cook is responsible for the conduct of the team/guests and cleanliness of their assigned cooking area. The Chief Cook will also be responsible for his/her team’s compliance with these Rules and Regulations.

The contest meat shall be St. Louis Ribs and Chicken seasoned as the cook believes necessary for best taste. The meats for contest entry may not be precooked or cured in any way prior to inspection at the beginning of the contest. Each Individual/Team must cook enough meat to be sampled by the panel of 5 judges for one hour of judging time. If you intend to sell plates your meats may not be precooked or cured in any way prior to inspection at the beginning of the contest Each Individual/Team shall supply its own ingredients, grills, utensils, tables, tents, chairs, fuel (wood, gas or charcoal), or any items or materials necessary for the purpose of food prep and cooking.

Individuals/Teams may use a Finishing/BBQ sauce for any of the meats cooked on site. It can be store bought or prepared at home prior to the contest. Sauces must be kept chilled or heated and served as dipper or coating at the time of judging. The use of a Finishing/BBQ sauce is not required and may be added at the discretion of the Individuals/Teams.

NO ALCOHOL (of any kind) will be allowed on the premises at any time. Violation of this rule will result in immediate disqualification and expulsion from the event.
No exceptions will be made to this rule.

CHECK IN TIME, MEAT INSPECTION & PREPARATION

The cook-off contest will take place, rain, or shine. The check-in time is 8:00 am Saturday October 26. Reviewing of the meat will start at 8:30 am. Contest meat may not be seasoned, marinated, or pre-cooked in any manner before 8:30 am on Saturday October 26. All meats must be cooked on site. The preparation and cooking of all meats during the event shall be done within the cook-off site.

PARTICIPANT AREA

The cooking area is for BBQ pits and BBQ equipment only. No cars, trucks, RV’s, ATV’s, golf carts, etc., will be allowed in the cooking area after 8:00 a.m. Individuals/Teams may erect pop-up covers, tent covers, and/or enclose their space in any reasonable manner. A catch basin must be provided for ashes or coals dropped by participant’s cooker. No coal or hot ashes will be permitted to fall onto the grass or pavement. There will be NO ELECTRICITY available for this event. Please bring your own generator. Water is located near the cook off area. Generators must be quiet or muffled.

Music within your area is allowed, however, excessive loud music and/or sounds which interfere with announcements, scheduled live bands and entertainment on stage, or which intrude upon or interfere with the comfort of fellow contestants will not be allowed. Offenders will receive no more than 3 warnings, and non-compliance will be grounds for disqualifications from the BBQ Cook-Off Competition and expulsion from the grounds.

There are no holdovers, you, your equipment, and your team must be cleaned up and moved out by 8:00pm, October 26, 2024.

JUDGING

Judges have been pre-selected and will be announced at the start of the event. You must prepare to serve a minimum of 15 tastings. Contestants may debone the meats at the start of judging to control portion sizes and decrease food waste. Food will be judged on flavor, texture, and temperature. The award will be a trophy and one year of bragging rights for dethroning the first annual winner, none other than the infamous Brother Reginald Charles Caldwell. Taste testing will begin at 12:00 and continue until a decision has been reached. An announcement will be made when the taste testing has ended. The winner will be announced at approximately 2:00 pm.

PARKING

Set up of cooking areas must be completed no later than 8:00 am. All vehicles must vacate the grounds by that time and must be parked in the designated parking area. Contestants may arrive at anytime to begin set up. All contestants will be assigned a specific area to set up their BBQ stations. The Parking areas must be clean after you have departed. Please DO NOT dump cooking oil, grease, coal, or wood burnings on the pavement, grass or in the trash cans and dumpsters.

TRASH AND OTHER DISPOSAL ITEMS

It is the responsibility of the Individual/Team to keep their area clean and assist in their own garbage disposal. Each Individual/Team is responsible for bagging and disposing of their trash in the dumpsters provided. Assistance may be provided. DO NOT dump cooking oil, grease, coal, or wood burnings on the pavement, grass or in the trash cans and dumpsters. Damage to any of the aforementioned will result in cleanup and/or repair charges. All props, (hay bales, wood, etc.) must be picked up and your area cleaned immediately following the event.
 

LIABILITY

The Cookoff Host and St. James AME Church, its members, representatives, sponsors, officials, and contractors shall not be responsible or liable for the property of any Individual/Team, any losses, damages, or injuries occurring to any Individual/Team, or its representatives. All property of the Individual/Team shall be under the care, custody, and control of the Individual/Team, whether in transit to, from or within St. James AME Church and BBQ Cook-Off area.

SANITATION & SAFETY

Each Individual/Team must comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Muscogee County Health Department, including but not limited to:
Meat must be kept at 40 degrees F or less before cooking; coolers with ice will keep it cold enough.
After cooking, meat must be maintained about 140 degrees F and covered.
Aprons, hats, and gloves must be worn by all cooks and assistants.
Cleanliness of cooking area and personnel is required.
No pets or small animals are allowed in the cooking area.

Cooking conditions are subject to inspection by the judging committee. Infractions identified by the judging committee shall be immediately corrected or the cook will be subject to disqualification.

PIT QUALIFICATION

Any commercial or homemade, trailered or untrailered, pit or smoker normally used for competitive barbeque.
A BBQ pit may contain gas or electricity for starting the combustion of wood or wood products but NOT to complete cooking.
Pit shall be of a design that contains individual cooking chambers and heat sources (no sharing of heat sources).
BYC (Backyard Cooker) –any cooking device by design or nature that is inherently portable and by design is intended for recreational cooking.

Disqualification of Individual/Team for contest violations is at the discretion of the Representative.
Disqualification of Individual/Team for other violations of the Promoters rules and regulations are at the discretion of the Promoter’s Representative. There are no appeals and no refunds.