Cook Team Registration
Register your Cook Team for the 2025 Bands, Brews & BBQ Event!
February 14th – 15th, 2025
Please read the following Participant Guidelines then submit the online application (see below) and submit your payment to secure your spot! There is a cap of 25 teams. Applications are accepted unti we reach 25 teams or until January 24, 2025, whichever comes first.
The Chief Cook (Pitmaster) for each team must check in before 2PM on Friday, February 14, 2025.
Cook Team Registration Form
2025 Cash Prizes
1st Place Butts – $1500
2nd Place Butts – $1000
3rd Place Butts – $600
4th Place Butts – $400
5th Place Butts – $250
1st Place Wings – $500
2nd Place Wings – $250
3rd Place Wings – $100
Hometown Heroes – $500
Team Guidelines and Site Information
General Team Guidelines
- Location: Paris Avenue, Port Royal
- Event volunteers will be on site at 8am on Friday, February 14 to assign spaces to each cook team. Setup prior to 8am on Friday, February 14 and without direction from event staff is prohibited. Waiver of Ordinance 2020-37 Chapter 15 Section 28 of the Port Royal Code of Ordinances prohibiting camping in public places in the Town of Port Royal does not go into effect until 8am Friday, February 14th.
- Vehicles must move from the event area immediately after setup. No golf carts or other moving vehicles are allowed in the event space during event hours.
- Water and 20 AMP electricity will be supplied for the cook teams. If you need more than 20 AMP power, please bring your own generator.
- Each team must supply its own cooking supplies and equipment including: ice, grills, ingredients, water hoses, utensils, tent, tables, chairs, wood, gas or charcoal, and electrical cords. HELP and Zonta will provide serving supplies.
- Cook teams, vendors, sponsors, and the public are not permitted to bring pets into the event area. Per the Town of Port Royal, only service dogs are allowed.
- Teams are required to have a two-way BC fire extinguisher and to comply with all rules of the fire marshal.
- All Teams are responsible for disposing of grease and ashes generated from your space properly. No grease, dirty water, or ashes produced through cooking may be discarded in the road, gutters, drains, trash cans, or other permanent infrastructure in Port Royal. Anyone found doing this will be responsible for any and all environmental cleanup costs and subject to prosecution by the Town of Port Royal and/or State and Federal entities.
- Please note all South Carolina DHEC rules and regulations will be followed. Unsafe practices will result in disqualification.
- All tents and canopies must have weights attached to each leg.
- Cooking teams are asked to leave their sites intact until after the award ceremony on Saturday at 3:30 PM to keep the grounds attractive and event goers safe from moving equipment. All Cookers and other equipment must be removed from the premises by 8:00 PM on Saturday, February 15th. Teams are responsible for cleaning up and around their areas before leaving. Please put all trash in proper containers.
Competition Details
WINGS: Turn-in time for Chicken Wings will be at 5:30 PM Friday for the Wing Competition. Teams must be at their sites and be prepared to serve the public Chicken Wings between 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM on Friday, February 14th. Friday night competition will be judged by local community members. Turn-In Location is TBD.
BUTTS AND RIBS: On Saturday, February 15 th turn-in time for BUTTS is 10:00 AM. Turn in time for RIBS is 11:00 AM. The festival opens to the public at 11am. Teams must be at their sites and be prepared to serve the public Boston Butt samples between 11:00am – 3:30pm Saturday, February 15th. Turn-In Location is TBD.
COOK’S NOTES: A mandatory Cook’s (Pitmaster) meeting will be held on Friday the 14th at 3:00pm with SCBA Marshals, a Town of Port Royal representative, and a HELP of Beaufort and Zonta Club representative. Rules and relevant information will be given to the cooks and questions answered. Meeting place is TBD. Teams may not sell other food or alcoholic beverages directly to the public. Teams may sell their own t-shirts, rubs or sauces.
Quiet Time: Port Royal Noise Ordinance Chapter 15-18(e) will be enforced between 11pm and 7am.
Coffee and donuts will be available for Cook Teams at 7:00am Saturday morning.
HELP and Zonta have the right to accept or reject any cook team’s application.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN ALCHOLIC BEVERAGES BE GIVEN OUT BY THE TEAMS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC OR THEIR GUESTS. Team members are expected to be discreet in consuming any alcoholic beverages.
The Pitmaster will be responsible for the conduct of their team and their guests.
Saturday judging is sanctioned by the South Caroline Barbeque Association. The rules and regulations for this organization will be followed. The Awards Ceremony will begin at approximately 3:30 PM on Saturday.
Meat Details
- HELP and Zonta will supply each team with 40 pounds of chicken wings and 10 Boston Butts. If you are not capable of preparing all meat provided, please do not sign up for this event. Teams that do not cook all meat provided to you by HELP and Zonta on site and serve all meat to the public as directed are subject to disqualification from the event. Undercooked food will result in disqualification.
- Wings and butts will be available at approximately 1pm on Friday.
- An optional Ribs Competition will be organized by the Cook Teams. HELP and Zonta will supply the trophies but YOU PURCHASE YOUR OWN RIBS. Information will be forthcoming at the end of January.
