Won without a category win
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
BBQ+ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 7th
- Pork Ribs 2nd
- Pork 2nd
- Brisket 4th
Vaartse Hoeve BBQ Contest (Day 2) 2025
Sep 13–14, 2025 · Dongen, Netherlands · NETHERLANDS · 📍 Vaartweg 131
Reps: Angela Fishlock, Mark Fishlock
BBQ+ won Grand Champion at the Vaartse Hoeve BBQ Contest (Day 2) on September 13, 2025 in Dongen, 5106NC at Vaartweg 131, scoring 689.0512 in a field of 23 teams. The Antwerp Smokers took Reserve Grand Champion with 684.4224. Category winners: Chicken — BUNCH OF SWINES (180.0000); Pork Ribs — The BBQ Ranch (174.8916); Pork — The Antwerp Smokers (176.5600); Brisket — Insomnia BBQ Team (176.5828). This is the 2nd of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by Bunch of Swines; the next was held in 2026.
The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)
How the field scored
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
611.79
median 656.47
689.05 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 180 🔥
- Pork Ribs 174.89
- Pork 176.56
- Brisket 176.58
143.98
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2025 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
23
4 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
689.0512
Winning margin
4.6288
GC over RC
Field average
654.68
611.79689.05
median 656.47 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
1.7716 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
662.1488
611.79689.05
10th place overall
Field spread
77.2568
winner to last place
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 74%
beats 26% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
94%
15 of 16 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.71 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,560
avg power rating going in · stronger than 46% of contests
Storylines (7 found in this contest's numbers)
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 4 tracked editions
BBQ+ has won this contest 2 times across its 4 tracked editions.
- 2025
- 2026
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 10 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 4–5: The Antwerp Smokers and It's spice that meats you tied on 170.8228 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: The BBQ Ranch and BBQ+ tied on 170.8112 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 2–3: BBQ+ and Insomnia BBQ Team tied on 174.2744 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 4–5 · tie
- Chicken 6–7 · tie
- Pork Ribs 2–3 · tie
- Pork Ribs 3–4 · tie
A contest record in brisket
176.5828
best brisket ever cooked here
Insomnia BBQ Team turned in 176.5828 in brisket — past the 173.7028 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 173.7028
- across 1 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Bunch of Swines (won 2025).
- Bunch of Swines · 2025
A perfect score on the table
1
perfect 180s
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- BUNCH OF SWINES · Chicken
They keep coming back
94%
of last edition’s field returned
15 of 16 teams from 2025-09-12 came back
15 of the 16 teams that cooked the previous edition came back for this one — a contest people put on the calendar.
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Category showdown (top / average / median score per meat)
Score distribution
Biggest rating movers (power-rating points won and lost at this contest)
Did form hold? (pre-contest rating vs overall finish — ratings called it if the dots climb to the right)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2025 | Dongen | Vaartweg 131 | 16 | 695.3716 | Bunch of Swines | BBQ+ |
| Sep 13, 2025 ← this one | Dongen | Vaartweg 131 | 23 | 689.0512 | BBQ+ | The Antwerp Smokers |
| Sep 11, 2026 | Dongen | Vaartweg 131 | 10 | 687.9428 | BBQ | Cooklounge BBQ |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Dongen | Vaartweg 131 | 17 | 709.7144 | The Antwerp Smokers | Bunch of Swines |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 170.8228 | 168 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.8916 | 173.1200 | 166.8572 |
| Pork | 176.5600 | 167.9888 | 166.2972 |
| Brisket | 176.5828 | 167.9884 | 161.6456 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
23 entries · top 689.0512 · median 656.4688
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BBQ+ | |
| 2 | The Antwerp Smokers | |
| 3 | Insomnia BBQ Team | |
| 4 | Click & Q | |
| 5 | BUNCH OF SWINES | |
| 6 | Barbecoa BBQ Team | |
| 7 | The BBQ Ranch | |
| 8 | SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE | |
| 9 | Just wing it BBQ team | |
| 10 | It's spice that meats you | |
| 11 | RIVERLAND SMOKERS | |
| 12 | Osdorp Grillers (NL) | |
| 13 | BELGIAN BBQ TEAM FIVE Q | |
| 14 | Redneck BBQ Crew | |
| 15 | Grate Expectations | |
| 16 | BBQ Brothers | |
| 17 | ANTWERPS BBQ-TEAM | |
| 18 | WETTELS ON FIRE | |
| 19 | Onkel Felix BBQ | |
| 20 | VH BBQ | |
| 21 | LOWLAND SMOKERS | |
| 22 | Netflix & Grill | |
| 23 | Dutch BBQ Friends |
Chicken
23 entries · top 180 · median 167.9772 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BUNCH OF SWINES | |
| 2 | LOWLAND SMOKERS | |
| 3 | Barbecoa BBQ Team | |
| 4 | The Antwerp Smokers | |
| 5 | It's spice that meats you | |
| 6 | The BBQ Ranch | |
| 7 | BBQ+ | |
| 8 | Osdorp Grillers (NL) | |
| 9 | Insomnia BBQ Team | |
| 10 | Click & Q | |
| 11 | BBQ Brothers | |
| 12 | Redneck BBQ Crew | |
| 13 | Just wing it BBQ team | |
| 14 | Onkel Felix BBQ | |
| 15 | Netflix & Grill | |
| 16 | VH BBQ | |
| 17 | Grate Expectations | |
| 18 | BELGIAN BBQ TEAM FIVE Q | |
| 19 | SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE | |
| 20 | WETTELS ON FIRE | |
| 21 | ANTWERPS BBQ-TEAM | |
| 22 | RIVERLAND SMOKERS | |
| 23 | Dutch BBQ Friends |
Pork Ribs
23 entries · top 174.8916 · median 163.4172
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The BBQ Ranch | |
| 2 | BBQ+ | |
| 3 | Insomnia BBQ Team | |
| 4 | SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE | |
| 5 | Just wing it BBQ team | |
| 6 | Redneck BBQ Crew | |
| 7 | The Antwerp Smokers | |
| 8 | Barbecoa BBQ Team | |
| 9 | It's spice that meats you | |
| 10 | Click & Q | |
| 11 | Osdorp Grillers (NL) | |
| 12 | WETTELS ON FIRE | |
| 13 | Grate Expectations | |
| 14 | BBQ Brothers | |
| 15 | BUNCH OF SWINES | |
| 16 | BELGIAN BBQ TEAM FIVE Q | |
| 17 | ANTWERPS BBQ-TEAM | |
| 18 | Onkel Felix BBQ | |
| 19 | VH BBQ | |
| 20 | RIVERLAND SMOKERS | |
| 21 | Dutch BBQ Friends | |
| 22 | LOWLAND SMOKERS | |
| 23 | Netflix & Grill |
Pork
23 entries · top 176.5600 · median 163.9544
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Antwerp Smokers | |
| 2 | BBQ+ | |
| 3 | Just wing it BBQ team | |
| 4 | BUNCH OF SWINES | |
| 5 | RIVERLAND SMOKERS | |
| 6 | Redneck BBQ Crew | |
| 7 | The BBQ Ranch | |
| 8 | Click & Q | |
| 9 | It's spice that meats you | |
| 10 | Osdorp Grillers (NL) | |
| 11 | Barbecoa BBQ Team | |
| 12 | BBQ Brothers | |
| 13 | Grate Expectations | |
| 14 | ANTWERPS BBQ-TEAM | |
| 15 | SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE | |
| 16 | BELGIAN BBQ TEAM FIVE Q | |
| 17 | LOWLAND SMOKERS | |
| 18 | Insomnia BBQ Team | |
| 19 | VH BBQ | |
| 20 | Onkel Felix BBQ | |
| 21 | Netflix & Grill | |
| 22 | WETTELS ON FIRE | |
| 23 | Dutch BBQ Friends |
Brisket
23 entries · top 176.5828 · median 155.9316
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Insomnia BBQ Team | |
| 2 | Click & Q | |
| 3 | RIVERLAND SMOKERS | |
| 4 | BBQ+ | |
| 5 | BELGIAN BBQ TEAM FIVE Q | |
| 6 | Barbecoa BBQ Team | |
| 7 | BUNCH OF SWINES | |
| 8 | SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE | |
| 9 | The Antwerp Smokers | |
| 10 | Dutch BBQ Friends | |
| 11 | Grate Expectations | |
| 12 | WETTELS ON FIRE | |
| 13 | It's spice that meats you | |
| 14 | The BBQ Ranch | |
| 15 | Onkel Felix BBQ | |
| 16 | Osdorp Grillers (NL) | |
| 17 | BBQ Brothers | |
| 18 | ANTWERPS BBQ-TEAM | |
| 19 | Netflix & Grill | |
| 20 | VH BBQ | |
| 21 | Just wing it BBQ team | |
| 22 | LOWLAND SMOKERS | |
| 23 | Redneck BBQ Crew |
Ancillary categories
Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.
Ancillary — Chef'S Choice
9 entries · top 178.8572 · median 163.9544
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | VH BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE | |
| 3 | BELGIAN BBQ TEAM FIVE Q | |
| 4 | Osdorp Grillers (NL) | |
| 5 | WETTELS ON FIRE | |
| 6 | Grate Expectations | |
| 7 | LOWLAND SMOKERS | |
| 8 | Dutch BBQ Friends | |
| 9 | RIVERLAND SMOKERS |