THERE was smoked meat galore at Hawkesbury's first Black Bear BBQ Showdown in the Showground at Hawkesbury Showground, Clarendon, over the weekend, which saw 30 of the top Australian barbecue teams along with 20 top teams from around the world grill, roast and smoke, in a bid to win a share in $50,000 in cash, prizes and trophies.
Owner of Munro's Quality Meats Wilberforce, Craig Munro, represented NSW in the State Butchery Challenge on Sunday, with his team taking gold and raising money for local charity City Slickers Appeal which provides relief for drought-stricken farmers.
"It was a really good team effort," said Mr Munro, who headed-up this state's team along with young butchers from Mudgee, Canberra, Wollongong and Ryde.
Queensland came in second, Victoria third, South Australia fourth and Western Australia fifth. All up, the teams raised $22,000 for drought appeals around the country.
Mr Munro said the show - which brought barbecue-lovers from all over the country to enjoy a family-friendly weekend which included kids' competitions, eating competitions, live entertainment, market-style stalls and a car show - was great for business.
"We were blown away by the support from the locals and the guys who came out of town to the Hawkesbury - we think everyone really enjoyed the weekend," he said.
- Check out all the pictures from the weekend here: PICTURES | BBQ techniques on display at Showdown in the Showgrounds