By Lanier Laney
Big-hearted Beaufortonians braved buckets of rain this past weekend to come out to Port Royal and support Bands, Brews & BBQ, a fundraiser for one of their favorite charities, Friends of Caroline Hospice. This year, 35 of the best competitive cook teams from around the state cooked wings, ribs and butts in this official South Carolina Barbecue Association event. Stepping up the competition a
major notch this year, the event’s winner, Tim Handy of JT’s BarBQ, will be one of only three teams from South Carolina invited to compete in the World Food Championships in Las Vegas later this year in November.
This seems particularly fitting, as Parris Island is the apparent birthplace of barbecue in America. Archaeologists say they found the first pit there and the “layers” show it started with the local Native American style “pit” that the Spanish then added pork to when they landed there and brought pigs to North America in 1566. That makes this the 447th year they have been doing pork style barbecues in Port Royal, and thus the United States.
Bands, Brews & BBQ had stellar bands performing this year including Blue Dogs from Charleston, with the Cluster Shucks opening. Saturday featured the Accomplices from Savannah, with the Bull Grapes from Frogmore opening. Here are some pics for you, see if you can recognize your friends:
