MERRIAM, Kan. (Sept. 10, 2018) – For years, champion BBQ pitmasters and iconic restaurateurs have all shared the same secret. But at this month's American Royal World Series of Barbecue®, these purveyors of the pit are excited to share that their secret is Prairie Fresh® pork.
"Competitive pitmasters and restaurateurs alike, including some of the most well-known and award-winning names in barbecue, have long relied on Prairie Fresh pork as their secret ingredient," says Scott Webb, vice president, domestic sales and marketing, Seaboard Foods. "We're excited to now unveil to barbecue fans and competitors everywhere that the Best-Kept Secret in BBQ is Prairie Fresh pork. With Prairie Fresh pork now available at retail, consumers will enjoy our tender cuts and consistent quality when serving their favorite meals at home."
Praire Fresh is the choice for pitmasters because our commitment to considering every last detail results in more than pork. It is the most tender cuts. The pursuit of perfection on every plate. Our long-standing dedication to these values comes to life through the "Our Farms. Our Commitment." tagline on our new Prairie Fresh packaging. And we are proud to pass it along from our Prairie Fresh family to pitmasters and families around the world.
During the American Royal – the world's largest barbecue competition – on Friday, Sept. 14 and Saturday, Sept. 15, Prairie Fresh will encourage consumer attendees to uncover "The Best-Kept Secret in BBQ." Upon entry into the American Royal grounds at the Kansas Speedway, they will be directed to participate in the "Prairie Fresh BBQ Hunt," in search of some of the many barbecue competitors using Prairie Fresh pork. Finding them may result in winning some great Prairie Fresh and barbecue-related prizes, with prizes provided by Operation BBQ Relief. Follow along in the search for the #BestKeptSecretInBBQ on your favorite social platform.
A few of those using Prairie Fresh pork in their operations and during competition include some of the most well-known names in competitive barbecue:
- Slap's BBQ – The evolution of Squeel Like a Pig's competitive barbecue team, Slap's BBQ opened in 2014 in Kansas City, Kan., and has been wowing barbecue fans ever since.
- Plowboys Barbeque – The competitive Pork Pullin Plowboys team now brings their award-winning barbecue to the masses with two Kansas City-area restaurants.
- Joe's Kansas City BBQ – What started as the Slaughterhouse Five competitive barbecue team and became an iconic restaurant in a gas station, Joe's Kansas City BBQ now has three restaurants in Kansas.
- Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue – With five Kansas City-area restaurants, Jack Stack is in its third generation of the Fiorella family, serving up some of the best barbecue in town.
- The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint – Devoted "ShedHeds" are known to flock to this destination barbecue restaurant in Ocean Springs, Miss. The Shed's competitive barbecue team took top honors at the Memphis in May World Championship of Barbecue Cooking Contest® in 2015 and 2018.
Operation BBQ Relief – OBR provides barbecue meals for displaced residents and first responders following natural disasters in the United States. In seven years, they've served 1.77 million meals in 50 communities.
"Prairie Fresh pork provides us the consistent quality we demand on a daily basis for our customers at Slap's," says Joe Pearce, co-owner and operator, Slap's BBQ. "Then when competing at an event like the American Royal, Prairie Fresh ribs, shoulders and butts meet our high expectations for serving award-winning barbecue that the judges love."
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About Prairie Fresh®
Prairie Fresh® is the brand of a uniquely connected food system that relentlessly seeks a better way to produce wholesome pork by purposely connecting every step between its farms and family tables around the world. This commitment ensures the well-being of the animals, the environment, employees and the communities they call home. Sold and marketed by Seaboard Foods, Prairie Fresh is the official pork supplier to Operation BBQ Relief (OBR) and provided pork for OBR to prepare 376,000 meals following natural disasters in 2017.
