So there’s this little barbecue team from Vermont that came down to Memphis, got a bit of shock from the heat (”We still had snow a few weeks ago”), and took home an impressive first place win for the Poultry division in the Anything But category. Definitely not bad–this is the first year Bare Bones BBQ has qualified to compete at Memphis in May.

I talked with them earlier today and they’re a fine folksy bunch. Pit master Mark Fifield says they’ve always modeled their barbecue after Memphis style, and here was the first word he used to describe it: Sweet. Guys, we need to reassess! Are we just dumping sugar in our sauces??

Anyway, hearty congratulations to Fifield, his son Torrey and the whole team–and by the way, their sweetener of choice is, of course, maple syrup.

Friday’s winners

Best Booth
1st: The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint
2nd: Harrah’s Hogs
3rd: The Ques Brothers

T-Shirt
1st: 10 Bones BBQ
2nd: Memphis BBQ Society
3rd: Cajun Cookers Too

Beef
1st: Natural Born Grillers
2nd: 100 Degrees Celsius
3rd: Pig Diamonds

Seafood
1st: The Beef N the Chicken
2nd: Butt-oh-dacious Bar-be-que
3rd: Page’s Pig Pen

Poultry
1st: Bare Bones BBQ
2nd: Barefoot in the Pork
3rd: Royal Oak

Hot Wings
1st: Fat Side Up
2nd: Royal Oak
3rd: Tom & Jerry’s Global Porkers

Exotic
1st: Never Choicey Porkers
2nd: 100 Degrees Celsius
3rd: The Danish National BBQ Team

Baked Beans
1st: Big Al and the Buttrubbers
2nd: Royal Oaks
3rd: Any Pork in a Storm

Mustard Sauce
1st: Bulab Barbecuers
2nd: Sicilian Smokers
3rd: Harrah’s Hogs

Vinegar Sauce
1st: Annesdale Pork
2nd: The Swinos
3rd: Royal Oak

Tomato Sauce
1st: The Count Bastie Porkestra
2nd: Dixie Swine Cookers
3rd: Radar Hogs

–Jennifer Biggs