First Sponsored Comp

[dmprantz]

I got an offer this weekend to be sponsored in my next competition. By this, I am planning to share the team name and have the sponser provide the entry fee, competition meat, and whatever food/beverage they want to eat on site. I'll be providing [some of] my own bevereges, my own transportation, and enough tables and chairs for a few people. Anything more than what I have or plan to buy will have to be worked out. This being my first time, I have a couple questions for those who have done this before:

First, I am planning to provide the feed they eat on site at cost. They'll pay for all of it, down to plates and serving tins, and I'll cook it all up and have it ready to be eaten, but I was planning to just hand them a receipt for that part and call it a wash. With them paying the entry fee + $100 for comp meat, does this seem fair? Do others upcharge the meat at such an event as a catering job as well?

Next question is how to handle the the cooking/heating/preparing of the food that they will eat at the comp on Friday night? Due to my schedule, I'm not planning to be up and ready to throw food on the cooker until about 16:00 on Friday. It might happen earlier, but that's just a safe estimate on my part. If they want to eat by 17:30-18:00, I can get ABTs and chicken done in time, but no ribs or roasts. Has any one who has done this before been in this situation, and how have you solved it?

I could cook roast one to several days in advance, slice/pull them and just reheat in vac bags when I get there, or I could get them all started and nearly cook, and then throw back on the smoker once I get it up to temp to finish off. I could even do a combination of the two in case the stuff I almost cook isn't done in time. I could do the same thing with ribs, maybe smoking them for 3 hours the day before and throwing back on the smoker 90 minutes before food time, or whatever. Just trying to get ideas on how to do this specifically at a competition. I've reheated meat to provide to people before, just wondering if there are any special tricks people use when going to be at a competition like this. Any advice would be appreciated.

dmp

[Divemaster]

Originally Posted by dmprantz

Next question is how to handle the the cooking/heating/preparing of the food that they will eat at the comp on Friday night? Due to my schedule, I'm not planning to be up and ready to throw food on the cooker until about 16:00 on Friday. It might happen earlier, but that's just a safe estimate on my part. If they want to eat by 17:30-18:00, I can get ABTs and chicken done in time, but no ribs or roasts. Has any one who has done this before been in this situation, and how have you solved it?

I could cook roast one to several days in advance, slice/pull them and just reheat in vac bags when I get there, or I could get them all started and nearly cook, and then throw back on the smoker once I get it up to temp to finish off. I could even do a combination of the two in case the stuff I almost cook isn't done in time. I could do the same thing with ribs, maybe smoking them for 3 hours the day before and throwing back on the smoker 90 minutes before food time, or whatever. Just trying to get ideas on how to do this specifically at a competition. I've reheated meat to provide to people before, just wondering if there are any special tricks people use when going to be at a competition like this. Any advice would be appreciated.

I guess I would look at it strictly from a catering view... You can prepare and pre-cook almost all of the food up to weeks ahead of time and then finish them on site.

As an example, I often prepare up to 200 ABT's and pre-cook them to within about 15 minutes of done and put them in the freezer. This way once my cooker is up to temp, I lay them out on a pizza pan (the ones with holes in it for the crust) and put them on the smoker until warmed through and the bacon is crispy. The same thing goes with ribs, when I 'sell' slabs to my friends, I cook them to within 1/2 hour of done and quick freeze them, and then cryo-suck them. My friends then thaw them and put them on a low (250*) grill to finish them off. There is no reason you couldn't do the same.

The key to this type of cooking is to remember that you need to finish it so you need to pull it early during the original cook. At NASCAR, I would cook, cool, slice, cryo-suck and freeze the briskets each week. At the race, we would thaw and put them into boiling water to reheat. If you take the brisket all the way on the smoker, when you reheat it, it's going to be over done.

Just my .02.... I'll go to my room now....

[dmprantz]

Thanks. I've been thinking about this some more since I wrote the post. For ABTs and chicken, I see no reason why I can't cook them on site. They only take an hour or so to cook, and I'll have that much time. For butts or brisket, I was thinking I could either cook ahead and freeze like you are saying, or just cook them the night before and throw into a cooler right before I drive to the comp. The biggest issues become ribs, where I don't think I'll have the right chunk of time to cook them just enough and cooler them before I go. I think those I would have to cook 3 hours, flash freeeze as you suggest, and then another hour or two once on site. I can do the cook the night before though and I'll be good to go.

dmp

[Divemaster]

Right now I have no sponsors (except for the gang that keep buying my BBQ at the cigar shop and the catering I do every now and then) so I don't have to worry about anyone showing up unexpectedly...

Good luck and let us know how it goes so we can all learn when we get to your level!

[ModelMaker]

Dude, I gotta tell ya, If I'm sponsering you by paying for your entry fee and meat and you hand me a bill for a thank you type feed it would be the only time I sponsered you.
If you can't pop for some ABTs and ribs and some plates I think your sponsered days are numbered.
Just my personal feelings. How do you other teams thank your sponsers???
ModelMaker

[pigpen269]

Originally Posted by ModelMaker

Dude, I gotta tell ya, If I'm sponsering you by paying for your entry fee and meat and you hand me a bill for a thank you type feed it would be the only time I sponsered you.
If you can't pop for some ABTs and ribs and some plates I think your sponsered days are numbered.
Just my personal feelings. How do you other teams thank your sponsers???
ModelMaker

I'm kinda with you. If we had a sponser that bought everything i don't think i would know what to do. Our sponser pays for alot but not everything. no where near everything. and we always have a feast on friday night as a good jesture, and also because it's alot of fun.

I'll go to my room also.

[dmprantz]

Originally Posted by Divemaster

Good luck and let us know how it goes so we can all learn when we get to your level!

lol! When you get to my level? Nothing to say about that Mr. Nascar ;-) I'm just a guy who loves to Q, and happened to be in the right place at the right time. I wish there was more to it than that, but it is what it is.

ModelMaker and PigPen...Thanks. That's the kind of feedback I was hoping for on the price question. Like I said, this is my first time having a sponsor, and I'm not sure of the best protocol. I know I don't want to rip them off, but I also don't want to do it for an amount that makes it not worth my while.

So, let me ask you with some solid, but arbitrary, numbers. Let's say that my cost to compete in this tournament is $325, including entry, comp meat, fuel, and supplies. I was only planning to charge $275 of that and bearing some of the costs myself. For $50 I can cook some ABTs and butt or ribs, but I think they want a full meal with sides, dessert, and beer. Maybe I'm looking at this wrong, but I see the cost of the Friday "thank you type feed" for this group being closer to $125. What would be fair for this type of situation? What have others done in the past? Some seem to think that the full $450 is too high, fine. I can tell you that only taking the $125 for their food and beer is far too low to make it worth my while.

Given these numbers, what would you charge? Is entry fee and meat it, or do you offset some of the cost of Friday night meal and beer? Again, I'm just asking so that I know. I told the sponsor so far that I would expect the meal to be paid for, and he is okay with that, but I can always come down. Some past examples might be useful.

Thanks,

dmp

[Just Pulin' Pork]

What contest you cooking in?

[Dale P]

How many people do you have to feed? 2 or a hundred? Makes a big difference.

I am serious here, if it only cost $325 to do the comp, you better be in walking distance. We cant do it that cheap, and we are cheap.

Entry Fee-$250
Fuel- last comp $140
Liquid Refreshments- last comp- $75, we took it easy, getting old or wiser.
Comp Meat- $125
Other Bull S- $200 up, whatever you want to spend.

Total Estimate- $790.00
I need a sponsor.

[Sidw]

Same as above - we will spend $750 easily.

Where do you order them "Sponsors"? I would like to pui my order.

[ModelMaker]

I don't cook competively yet so I'm not sure what the norm is. But if your talking 6 to 10 guests I personally would think a nice plate of pork and some ABTs along with even some store bought tater salad and some beans and a cooler full of beer would make me feel much appreciated. I think $50 would cover most of that. Then let them pay for what you've discussed already.
I know Plowboy fed his people lobster and cigars at BarBQlossal a couple years ago, but he's rich and famous.....
ModelMaker

[Dr_KY]

While getting in gear for our first comp I got on the ball and found three friends that own company's to sponsor us. They each threw in a hundred pounds cash to help get us going with supplies , entry fees etc. At the last moment another team mate contacted his friend/business owner and he supplied the shirts, aprons and hats.

Most of these guys get to eat what I cook at least once a week (Guinea pig mod) and are always first on the list of invites when we plan a Q. I guess what I'm saying here is be good to them and they will be good to you.