The Smellaque BBQ team pulled into Langley City Saturday morning, greeted to the West Coast by rain.
By midday, the Calgary team was cleaning, prepping and cooking under sun and mostly blue sky at the 30th annual Canadian Festival of Chili and BBQ being held outside of the Coast Hotel and Convention Centre May 6 and 7.
“This is our first time here,” said Russell Smella.
The team consists of Russell, his wife Janice, and their kids, Katie, seven, and five-year-old Colin.
Russell was pleased to have the sun come out.
It’s not their first time barbecuing at the coast. They’ve been at BBQ on the Bypass and at the competition in Chilliwack but never at the Canadian Festival of Chili and BBQ.
“It’s a great set up,” he said.
The team is entering the four barbecued meat categories Sunday, which means prep Saturday and cooking overnight. Katie and Colin also got to enter Saturday’s Kids Q contest to give kids a chance to create culinary goodies.
Saturday also had the Chili Appreciation Society International chili contests the Best Darn Burger Championship, the Chefs Challenge, and the Canadian Steak Cook-off Championship.
Activities continue to 4:30 p.m. when the awards for the day’s contests are given.
Sunday is a chance to see the barbecue teams complete their slow roasted creations before they are turned in throughout the day for judging in the BC BBQ Championships. The first meat, pork butt, must be turned in for judging at 11 a.m. The final is ribs at 2 p.m. and trophies are awarded late in the afternoon.
The public can wander the site and enjoy samples.
Admission is a minimum $5 donation to the B.C. Professional Firefighters Burn Fund and local firefighters are on scene to accept donations and help with public.
