Oct 24–25, 2025 · Vidalia, LA · 📍 602 John Dale · State championship
Reps: Maria Lohman, Wayne Lohman · Prize money: $13,400
SWEET BAYOU BBQ won Grand Champion at the VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition on October 24, 2025 in Vidalia, LA at 602 John Dale, scoring 700.5256 in a field of 33 teams. Rankin County BBQ Company took Reserve Grand Champion with 699.3484. Category winners: Chicken — SWEET BAYOU BBQ (179.4400); Pork Ribs — Rankin County BBQ Company (180.0000); Pork — Glamping Grillers (177.7144); Brisket — Kermit's Ex (180.0000). This is the 3rd of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2024 edition was won by Poppa Pig?; the next is scheduled for October 23, 2026.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
What it has taken to win here, 2023 to 2025 — this edition picked out.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
Closer than 78% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1772 points — closer than 78% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 83 times in 100
Sweet Bayou BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, CAJUN BLAZE, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 17-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
First to fifth in the overall standings covered just 4.0000 points.
Cauatro D BBQ finished 3rd overall in the first contest the data has them cooking at all.
Chicken places 2–3: Poppa Pig and MEMPHIS ORIGINAL BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: Rankin County BBQ Company and Walk The Swine tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 8–9: LA PASADITA and Cauatro D BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
SWEET BAYOU BBQ took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 11th.
Kermit's Ex turned in 180.0000 in brisket — past the 179.4400 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Glamping Grillers (won 2023), Poppa Pig? (won 2024).
This contest usually draws about 29 teams
33 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 29.
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 3, 2023 | Vidalia, LA | 202 Vernon Stevens Blvd | 27 | 709.1200 | Glamping Grillers | Kermit's Ex |
| Oct 25, 2024 | Vidalia, LA | 602 John Dale | 31 | 704.5140 | Poppa Pig? | PIGLITICALLY INCORRECT BBQ |
| Oct 24, 2025 ← this one | Vidalia, LA | 602 John Dale | 33 | 700.5256 | Sweet Bayou BBQ | Rankin County BBQ Company |
| Oct 23, 2026 | Vidalia, LA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 179.4400 | 177.7028 | 173.1200 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 177.7028 | 174.8572 |
| Pork | 177.7144 | 175.4172 | 173.1200 |
| Brisket | 180 | 175.4056 | 169.6684 |
33 entries · top 700.5256 · median 682.7428
32 entries · top 179.4400 · median 168.5256
32 entries · top 180 · median 171.4172 · 🔥 perfect 180
33 entries · top 177.7144 · median 168.5372
33 entries · top 180 · median 167.3828 · 🔥 perfect 180