BBQ Team of the Year Hoping to Win Over Celebrity Judges at Piggly Wiggly's Smoke on the Harbor BBQ Throwdown.

MOUNT PLEASANT, SC, November 15, 2012 (Press-News.org) (Mount Pleasant, SC)-November 13, 2012. Three teams will be competing for Southern Barbecue Network's (SBN) title of BBQ Team of the Year at Piggly Wiggly's Smoke on the Harbor BBQ Throwdown. In order to qualify for Team of the Year, teams must compete in 7 SBN sanctioned competitions throughout the year. Points are awarded in each meat category as well as Reserve Grand Champion and Grand Champion. Event points are based on the number of teams participating in that particular event. The more teams in competition, the more points are awarded. With Piggly Wiggly's Smoke on the Harbor BBQ Throwdown bringing in 32 teams, this could be the contest that clinches the Team of the Year. The three teams competing for this title are Killer B's BBQ - Jim Burg from Augusta, GA, Mike's Catering - Mike Fields from Dorchester, SC and Queology - Russ Cornette from Summerville, SC.

Part of winning Team of the Year will include winning over the celebrity judges at Friday's wing competition. Local and nationally recognized celebrities will gather at Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina's Lookout Pavilion to take part in determining the winner of the wing competition. Celebrity judges include: Matt Lee of the Lee Brother's who has appeared on the Travel Channel and writes food stories for Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, GQ and The New York Times; Nathalie Dupree, author of 11 cookbooks and hosted over 300 television shows on The Learning Channel, The Food Network and PBS. Dupree will be available to sign cookbooks; Chef Brett McKee, founding member of the Culinary Institute of Charleston, opened Oak Steakhouse in 2005 putting it on the map and receiving mentions in the New York Times, Southern Living, Esquire and Bon Appetite and has cooked for guests at the prestigious James Beard House, in the home of legendary actor Dennis Hopper and the Australia Embassy in Washington DC; Leslie Haywood, founder of Charmed Life Products and inventor of Grill Charms and Jimi Hatt of Guerilla Cuisine.

For more information about each celebrity judge please visit their perspective websites listed below:
Matt Lee - http://www.mattleeandtedlee.com
Nathalie Dupree - http://www.nathalie.com
Chef Brett McKee - http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Chef-Brett-McKee/175063314171?sk=info
Leslie Haywood - http://www.grillcharms.com/about
Jimi Hatt - http://guerrillacuisine.com/new/

About the event
Teams will compete in 3 categories; Wings, Ribs and Pork Butts. Prizes include up to $6,000 in cash, one of a kind trophies, and the Grand Champion will be asked to come back in March to be featured in the BB&T Charleston Wine & Food Festival at Rigs, Pigs and Swigs event. Piggly Wiggly Smoke on the Harbor BBQ Throwdown is open to the public. The price of admission is $10.00. Guests are encouraged to donate non perishable food items that will benefit the Lowcountry Food Bank. Donations will be accepted throughout the weekend and guests who donate 5 canned goods will receive $5.00 off their price of admission. Once inside guests will have a chance to purchase sampling cards for $20.00 on Friday from 6pm to 8pm to taste and vote on the competitors wings. This gives attendees the chance to sample over 30 wings. On Saturday, guests can purchase a pork butt sampling card from noon to 2pm to taste over 30 oz. of meat and vote on the various styles of pork butt. The people's choice winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on Saturday at 4pm. Additional food and beverage will be available for purchase. Entertainment will be provided throughout the day as well as a children's area.
For more information regarding the Piggly Wiggly Smoke on the Harbor BBQ Throwdown, visit http://www.smokeontheharbor.com or e-mail mgalvin@charlestonharborresort.com

Media Contact: Tracy Mitchell, Director of Sales and Marketing, 843.284.7026, tmitchell@charlestonharborresort.com