Business meat-ing: Hub City BBQ Cookoff blends food, fun, networking
As is tradition, this week's Hub City BBQ Cookoff was a chance for folks from Lubbock area businesses and organizations to come together over something every West Texan can agree on: barbecue.
The Lubbock Chamber of Commerce hosted the 21st annual event presented by the West Texas Land Guys as a chance for members of the business community and others to network and have fun. The event built up to a large public meal drawing more than 4,000 people Thursday evening to the South Plains Fairgrounds.
This year, 74 teams competed in six food categories including Bloody Marys, Beans, Ribs, Brisket, Dessert and the annual mystery item which was sweet potato this year.
Hub City Barbeque is the largest fundraiser hosted by Lubbock Chamber of Commerce where businesses get the opportunity to reach out to the public by coming out to participate in teams for the barbecue competition, said Kim Putman, the chamber's barbecue chairwoman for 2021.
The various items are tasted by a group of judges who are all chamber member volunteers and the winners are announced later in the afternoon, Putman said.
“They win trophies, awards, ribbons, and pretty much bragging rights for the next year,” said Putman.
It is a great way to promote your business, and a great way for them to bond, she added.
“When you're walking around, you will see at each of those booths that they have their staff out for each of those businesses and they're all participating in a way that they might not get to know each other back in an office situation,” Putman added.
On Wednesday, the teams had a "move-in" day, settling in and receiving their meat and other food products to start smoking and cooking overnight for the competition.
Robert Woods from West Texas Land Guys said the event helps them build a relationship with other business partners in town and gets their name out there as the presenting sponsor.
“It is just a great event to meet people and learn about them and their businesses and gives the public a good opportunity to get out,” Woods said.
To ensure all the teams get the same quality products, meat items and sweet potatoes needed for the cook-off were donated by United Supermarkets.
“United Supermarkets are all about making sure that community is all one big happy family,” said Noel Garcia with United. “We enjoy doing just about everything we possibly can to be part of the community, and this was a good opportunity for us.”
Great Plains Distributors was another business with a booth in the competition. They've been part of this for at least 15 years.
Adolfo Pompa, said sales manager at Great Plains Distributors, said having a good team of 10 people who have been very consistent for several years has really helped them.
Pompa added that events like this help them to develop relationships with customers like United - they remember each other from the cookoff, which helps them have better working relationships later.
Coca-Cola was another business with a booth set up at event. They've been coming there since the beginning, said Brian Lozano, sales and execution manager at Coca-Cola said.
Matt Cline, head maintenance technician at Coca-Cola, said that their teams are made up of members from different departments within their company, and that coming together for the cookoff is a great team-building exercise.
Cline added, “We always see (partnering vendors) with their business attire, so to be able to see them let their hair loose is definitely different experience.”
At the conclusion of the competition Lubbockites were invited to come out and sample barbecue and enjoy live music.
The following teams received the top awards:
Bloody Mary
Lubbock Professional Fire Fighters #2
KS Supplies Inc.
West Texas Land Guys #3
Great Plains Distributors – Coors Light
Coca-Cola SW Beverages #1
West Texas Land Guys #1
Lubbock Professional Fire Fighters #1
United Supermarkets
West Texas Land Guys #2
Beans
Vitalant
KT Black Services
Coca-Cola SW Beverages #2
Apex Construction
Coca-Cola SW Beverages #1
Barricades Unlimited
Lubbock Professional Fire Fighters #2
United Supermarkets
KS Supplies Inc.
Mystery: Sweet potatoes
All American Eatery and Catering
Apex Construction
Raider Ranch
One Guy From Italy – University
Coca-Cola SW Beverages #2
Henthorn Commercial Construction
Great Plains Distributors – Dos Equis
B&J Welding Supply
KT Black Services
Ribs
Lubbock Professional Fire Fighters #1
Lubbock Professional Fire Fighters #2
Mr. Credit Solutions Smokers
Texas Farm Bureau – Lubbock County
Custom Electronics
KS Supplies Inc.
Apex Construction
Coca-Cola SW Beverages #1
Reed Beverages
Brisket
Lubbock Professional Fire Fighters #1
Overhead Door #2
SouthWest Bank
Raider Flooring #2
Custom Electronics
Apex Construction
Great Plains Distributors – Coors Light
Ferguson Enterprise
B&J Welding Supply
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Dessert
Great Plains Distributors – Coors Light
SouthWest Bank
First United Bank
Great Plains Distributors – Dos Equis
West Texas Land Guys #1
Sweet & Fluffy
FastSigns
West Texas Land Guys #2
Impact Collision Center