Starting a BBQ Tradition in Clayton, NC

Unlimited beer samples were almost as popular as barbecue. Photo: Downtown Clayton NC via Facebook.

Clayton, NC, isn’t known for its barbecue traditions. However, it’s never too late to begin one. Enter the Clayton BBQ Challenge, which had its inaugural event in 2023 with promises of becoming an annual event to celebrate beer, bands, and barbecue. 

Cooking teams set up near the Civitan Center in Clayton.

Clayton Celebrates with Barbecue

With a population of fewer than 25,000, Clayton has successfully preserved a small-town atmosphere, particularly in its downtown historic district. However, it promotes itself as “the fastest growing town in the fastest growing county in North Carolina” — and brags that it’s no longer the “one-stoplight town it was 40 years ago.”

The Off the Rack team scored high in the contest and won first place in the pork category.

Overshadowed by Raleigh, the state capital about 15 miles away, the town seeks to create its own identity. Having a barbecue cookoff is one way to set it apart from its more prominent neighbors as well as to have fun.

Judging plates are ready for the first entries.

Clayton BBQ Challenge: More Than Barbecue

General admission tickets started at $35 and provided access to unlimited beer samples from more than 15 N.C. breweries. In addition to craft beer sampling, the festivities included food trucks, live music, and BBQ-related vendor booths. 

Optimus Swine, grand champion of the cookoff, posted this photo of their chicken entry on their Facebook page. Photo: Optimus Swine.

Held in the town’s municipal park, the event was sponsored by the Downtown Development Association. In the cookoff sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society, 17 teams competed for the $7,500 in prize money. Many teams were well-known and are perennial finalists for national honors each year.

The Off the Rack BBQ Competition Cooking Team took first place in the pork category. Photo: Ready Roofing Company via Facebook.

From all accounts, the inaugural cookoff sets a great example for future events to duplicate. Let’s hope that Clayton continues to develop a barbecue tradition that it can be proud of.