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The purpose of the “Black BBQ Cook Off” is to exemplify the best African American pitmasters Fayetteville has to offer, while bringing people together, said Elizabeth Stiff, community organizer and L3 Brand Community Alliance owner.
The goal of the “I Love My Community Cookout and Giveaway” is meant to “help families start the school year off in a great way through resources, giveaways and celebration.”
Scheduled guests of the event include Cumberland County Judges Tiffany Whitfield and Stephen C. Stokes, crypto-millionaire Kwame Stover, comedian Jesse Mitchell, Food Network’s Chef Judy, boxing champ Michael C. Williams, Jr., NFL’s Greg Gilmore, Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin, Spring Lake Mayor Kia Anthony and the Briarwood Cattle Farm.
The cook off is being brought to life by pitmasters Bruce “Boo” Yeoman (the owner of the “Noth’n Fancy Food Truck”); Carl Pringle (the creator of the “FLIP FLOP SAUCE”); William Jerome Wright, L3 Brand Community Alliance; Tonya McNeill, owner of the “Salad Box” (a restaurant located within the truck park); and John David Ross, the owner of the Murchison Road Food Truck Park.
“We had been talking about [having a cook off] for about four or five years,” said Yeoman.
The deadline to enter the “Black BBQ Cook Off” is Aug. 10. Presently, there are 12 entrants with about 30 groups still deciding; in fact, there has been so much support from North Carolina pitmasters, as well as pitmasters from surrounding states, that the “Black BBQ Cook Off” had to be Fayetteville area pitmasters only for the first time.
“At another time, we’ll hold a cook off to see who’s the best of the best in the Carolinas,” Yeoman said.
Although anybody can enter, each team’s pitmaster must be African American.
“What we wanted was to showcase [black BBQ] in a big way,” Yeoman said.
That’s the reason why the Murchison Road Food Truck Park was chosen for the location. Yeoman and his partners in the pit come from the Murchison Road area.
“Pulling off this cook off is what the community needs to see,” Pringle said.
It’s worth noting that the idea of a “Black” BBQ has caused some distress amongst Fayetteville’s public. Deeming the word divisive, those against naming the cook off the “Black BBQ Cook Off” argue that including race in the name is a recipe for segregation.
However, the hosts want to make it clear that anybody can enter the competition, even though the cook off is meant to showcase the best African-American pit masters Fayetteville can muster.
“The biggest thing is it’s not about separation, it’s about education,” Pringle said.
The Murchison Road Food Truck Park is located at 3421 Murchison Road, just north of Country Club Drive, on the south side of the street.
The pits begin cooking at 5:30 a.m., free samples will be given out starting at 12:00 p.m., and the judges will make their decisions beginning at 5:30 p.m. For more information, please visit www.L3Brand.com.