Memphis in May World Champion BBQ Cooking Contest

Big Shanty Smokehouse will be closed the week of May 11th and reopening May 20th. So our pitmaster, Paul, can join up with his Willingham’s® World Champion BBQ Team for their 45th appearance at Memphis in May.  This year marks our first year as a lead sponsor for the Jr World Champion Cooking Contest at Memphis in May.   Encouraging our future pitmasters in the age group of 11 to 17  to put their skills to the test and showing the spirit, team work and fellowship that bbq brings.     

We look forward to seeing all our customers when we return and with a little luck and a stellar cook a lot to celebrate about.

Learn more about Memphis in May Below

48 years and still cookin’!

The best barbecue teams on the planet will converge May 13-16, 2026 at Liberty Park

Recognized by USA Today as the “Most Prestigious Barbecue Contest,” the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is a four-day competition held at Liberty Park in Memphis, TN.

Since the first contest in 1978 teams representing the best of barbecue have been honing their craft to compete for the title of Memphis in May World Champion and a share of the more than $180,000 in prize money. The contest features championship pork categories of Ribs, Shoulder, Whole Hog, and Patio Porkers as well as the ancillary competitions of Hot Wings, Sauce, and “Anything But Pork.”