Concentrated on a single day, Sunday September 15, the French barbecue championship brought together 55 teams in the gardens of the Château d’Avignon in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.
The final of the 12th edition of the French barbecue championship was not short of twists and turns. Initially scheduled for June but postponed to this weekend of September 14 and 15 due to political unrest, the event was nevertheless cut short by a day, this time due to weather conditions.
Jean-François Dupont, organizer of the French barbecue championship. • S.Ma
“The wind was blowing too hard, it was impossible to hold the Saturday events“, explains Jean-François Dupont, organizer. The competition was therefore concentrated on Sunday, with 55 teams competing,”instead of the 75 initially registered.“The candidates had 2.5 hours for each test (meats, vegetables, burgers, etc.) to make their recipe, outdoors, in the gardens of the Château d’Avignon located in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. Each dish was evaluated by a jury of experts based on several criteria: presentation, cooking, taste, barbecue spirit (marking, caramelization, smoky taste), originality and cleanliness of the work space.
55 teams participated in the final of the French barbecue championship. • S.Ma
Among these candidates, three from Gard, Jérémy from Beaucaire, Killian from Fourques and Frédéric from Saint-Gilles. The trio, the Hello BBQ Team, was not at its first attempt, it was its third participation.We are not here in a competitive spirit, but more for the friendly side, the desire to have fun among colleagues.“, assures the Beaucairois. This one is responsible for quality, the Fourquésien is an egg producer, the third works in the home help sector.
Killian, Frédéric and Jérémy, French barbecue champions in the “Burgers” category. • S.Ma
They are not chefs, therefore, and yet these three friends won the title of French champions. in the “Burgers” category. Their recipe with Corsican flavors: mouflon meat, carponata compote, fresh rocket and brousse cheese spread. All made with a Weber round barbecue provided to them, as with each team participating in this competition. Jérémy, Killian and Frédéric are also vice-champions of France in the “Chicken” category.
The Hello BBQ Team burger. • Photo DR/ OG
Other Gardois distinguished themselves during this competition. The BBQ Family won silver in the “Dessert” category, the La Raie et associés team finished third in the “Beef” category. The title of “Grill Master”, the Holy Grail for these barbecue fans – the team of Nîmes’ Joannes Richard won it in 2023 – was awarded to Team Burdigala from Gironde.
The complete list of winners
Camargue AOP Bull Test
1st Les Fanagrills (13) – French Barbecue Champion – “AOP Camargue Bull” Category.
2nd Team Braisenville (92),
3rd The Girls at Cotelettes (13)
Pig Test
1st Team Eat (74) – French Barbecue Champion – “Pork” Category.
2nd The Pork Ribs (83),
3rd Grandma Simone (06)
Lamb Proof
1st The Touch (34) – French Barbecue Champion – “Lamb” Category.
2nd The Girls at Cotelettes (13),
3rd The Embers of the Gones (69)
Fish Test
1st Team Burdigala (33) – French Barbecue Champion – “Fish” Category.
2nd Salsa (13),
3rd The Long Odds
Burgers Test
1st Hello BBQ Team (30) – French Barbecue Champion – “Burger” Category.
2nd Wild Wild West (40),
3rd Born To Grill (13)
Beef Test
1st Les Filles à Cotelettes (13) – French Barbecue Champion – “Beef” Category.
2nd Bbq of Sorgues (84),
3rd The Ray and Associates (30) Chicken Test
1st La Salsa (13) – French Barbecue Champion – “Chicken” Category.
2nd Hello BBQTeam (30), 3rd Team Eat (74)
Vegetable Test
1st Les Barbajuan (98) – French Barbecue Champion – “Vegetables” Category.
2nd Team Burdigala (33),
3rd The Touch (34)
Dessert Test
1st Team Burdigala (33) – French Barbecue Champion – “Dessert” Category.
2nd Bbq Family (30), 3rd The Republic of Barbecue (75)
Gillot Camembert test
1st Team Burdigala (33) – French Barbecue Champion – “Camembert” Category.
2nd The Port Crossings (83),
3rd The Barbes Q (13)
