Meatstock, the carnival for carnivores, will return to Auckland on February 24, 25.
The protein-packed festival will be hosting two of the meatiest names in barbecue and it doesn’t get much bigger than three time barbecue world champion Tuffy Stone and Australia’s celebrity pitmaster and Good Food AU winner Hillbilly Wes.
These two smokin’ Pitmasters will be heading to New Zealand with to run barbecue classes and demonstrations for competitors and the public.
Tuffy Stone is on the competition BBQ circuit in the US and has amassed an amazing 37 grand championships. Known as “The Professor” for his attention to detail, Tuffy is a classically-trained French chef, who became obsessed with BBQ in the early 2000s. He is a also a judge on America’s huge reality TV show BBQ Pitmasters, whilst also expanding his BBQ restaurants around the states.
‘I can’t wait to meet the Kiwi BBQ community and share our cook-up techniques. I’ve heard New Zealand is a super passionate foodie nation, so I’m looking forward to heading over next year,’ said Stone.
Wes will also be crossing the ditch again, all for the love of barbecue. For Wes the meat sweats started in Lockhart, Texas, the barbecue capital of America, where he was mesmerised by the real deal Texan barbecue. After travelling back and forth and working with some of the best barbecue establishments in Austin, he set up his own restaurant, Bovine and Swine Barbecue Co in Sydney.
“Last year’s Meatstock NZ was rocking! It was great to see the barbecue movement in full swing in Auckland. The whole weekend was jammed packed with brisket, burgers and good local New Zealand bands – some of my favourite things,” said Wes.
More than 50 teams (and counting) from across New Zealand will be battling it out at the second Meatstock NZ barbecue wars for $8000 in cash and prizes and, more importantly, to be crowned the best barbecuers in the land.
The pro-protein festival is at the ASB Showgrounds on February 24 and 25 and will feature bands and barbecues, butchers and bourbon and plenty of beer, said organisers.
The flaming hot, two-day line-up includes competitions such as the ‘Barbecue and Butcher Wars’, as well as demonstrations and workshops. The event is garnished with a backdrop of live bands, BBQ-inspired food trucks and craft beer from Liberty Brewing. More than 20 butchers will also be going head-to-head to win NZ’s best butcher honours. Plus, for the first time, Culley’s King of the Que – a competition using a traditional barbecue to find the nation’s best burger, wings, steak and bacon.
Tickets are available from www.meatstock.com.au and cost $35 per day or $55 for a weekend super pass, with children under 12 free with every adult ticket purchased. The Times will also be giving away tickets closer to the event.
