MEET THE PITMASTER

At Big Shanty Smokehouse by Willingham’s®, BBQ is more than just food—it is a craft rooted in tradition, discipline, and consistency. Today, that craft is led by Paul Holden, owner and pitmaster, who brings decades of experience and a championship-driven approach to everything that comes off the pit.

Paul’s journey to BBQ mastery was shaped under the mentorship of BBQ Hall of Fame pitmaster John Willingham and through his leadership of Willingham’s® World Champion BBQ. There, he developed competition-winning techniques and a deep understanding of flavor, fire management, and process—skills that continue to earn national recognition.

Under Paul’s leadership, Big Shanty Smokehouse by Willingham’s® delivers world-class barbecue built on premium meats, proven technique, and an uncompromising commitment to quality and hospitality. Every plate reflects a respect for Southern BBQ tradition, elevated by the precision and standards that define the Willingham’s® legacy today.

Memphis taught Paul the foundation. Competing nationwide widened the lens. Over the years he’s crossed paths with peers and friends across the craft — pitmasters and classically trained chefs alike. Tuffy Stone’s work has long been one Paul follows and admires from a distance. Chef Philip Dell is a frequent cook-along and idea-trader, the kind of friendship where two cooks share a pit and the conversation turns into education on both sides. Each of those relationships, and others like them, has woven its way into Paul’s approach — a technique borrowed here, a mindset shaped there, a fresh way to think about an ingredient that never left.

Before the smokehouse, Paul spent more than thirty years in a career that took him around the globe. Italy taught him to take a sardine salad seriously. Germany made the case for Schweinshaxe. Countless street-food stops in between trained the curiosity that now drives the daily specials. Outdoor cooking, for Paul, isn’t an arrival — it’s the next chapter in a long habit of showing up hungry and paying attention.