Apr 8–9, 2023 · Meerbeke, Belgium · BELGIUM · 📍 GEMEENTEHUISSTRAAT
Reps: Marianne Van Galen, Mayco Van Galen
BBQ Team Laurentius won Grand Champion at the Eastern BBQ Contest 2023 - Day 2 on April 8, 2023 in MEERBEKE, 9402 at GEMEENTEHUISSTRAAT, scoring 681.6340 in a field of 13 teams. The Antwerp Smokers took Reserve Grand Champion with 673.0972. Category winners: Chicken — SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE (170.2744); Pork Ribs — BACKCORNER BBQ (174.8572); Pork — The Antwerp Smokers (174.8572); Brisket — BBQ Team Laurentius (174.8800). This is the 4th of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by COOKLOUNGE BBQ.
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, 2019 to 2023 — 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.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 81 times in 100
BBQ Team Laurentius came in rated below the field's top team, BUNCH OF SWINES, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 19-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Pork Ribs places 8–9: The Antwerp Smokers edged BUNCH OF SWINES by 0.0116. Chicken places 1–2: SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE edged COOKLOUNGE BBQ by 0.0116. Pork Ribs places 3–4: Barbecoa BBQ Team edged BBQ Team Laurentius by 0.0116.
BBQ Team Laurentius took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 7th.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: COOKLOUNGE BBQ (won 2022).
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 20, 2019 | Ninove | Ninove, 9600 | 29 | 694.3316 | BBQ | IQ - NETHERLANDS |
| Aug 14, 2021 | Meerbeke | GEMEENTEHUISSTRAAT | 26 | 689.6800 | Southern Dutch BBQ | IQ - NETHERLANDS |
| Apr 16, 2022 | Meerbeke | GEMEENTEHUISSTRAAT | 24 | 691.3484 | COOKLOUNGE BBQ | SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ |
| Apr 8, 2023 ← this one | Meerbeke | GEMEENTEHUISSTRAAT | 13 | 681.6340 | LAURENTIUS | The Antwerp Smokers |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 170.2744 | 169.1084 | 161.1428 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.8572 | 167.9772 | 163.4400 |
| Pork | 174.8572 | 170.2628 | 162.2400 |
| Brisket | 174.8800 | 164.5828 | 156.5944 |
13 entries · top 681.6340 · median 662.2972
13 entries · top 170.2744 · median 166.8228
13 entries · top 174.8572 · median 166.8572
13 entries · top 174.8572 · median 165.7144
13 entries · top 174.8800 · median 160.5944
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.
6 entries · top 180 · median 174.2628 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The BBQ Ranch | |
| 2 | BBQ Team Laurentius | |
| 3 | SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE | |
| 4 | ANTWERPS BBQ-TEAM | |
| 5 | It's spice that meats you | |
| 6 | Osdorp Grillers (NL) |