High School BBQ Inc.'s (HSBBQ) regional competitions are heating up. The Burnet, Texas-based, nonprofit organization, created five years ago, has grown from a handful of students to more than 115 high school teams competing from across the state for the HSBBQ State of Texas Championship title, HSBBQ scholarships and a prize package including a total of $25,000 in institutional scholarships from Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts.
"We started as a different kind of extracurricular option for high school students interested in BBQ education and team competitions focusing on problem-solving, time management and leadership skills," said Marcus McMellon, president of Escoffier's Austin campus and board member of High School BBQ Inc. "Our competitions apply acquired knowledge and a passion for BBQ. These teams start competing before dawn to select their cuts of meat, manage their fires and follow specific rules to present their dishes within very tight deadlines. They know their BBQ and come prepared with a well-thought-out game plan designed to smoke out their competition," added McMellon.