The Georgia Barbecue Association had a fantastic day in Ashburn benefiting the Scottish Rite Foundation of Georgia. The first GBA contest of the 2026 Cook Year drew 26 teams to a wonderful venue at the Georgia Peanut RV Park, alongside Carroll’s Sausage & Country Store—held fittingly on Valentine’s Day.
The Scottish Rite Foundation partnered with Carroll’s Sausage & Country Store and Georgia Peanut RV Park to host the contest as part of the celebration and fundraising effort for its annual Outdoorsman Raffle. The raffle was a tremendous success, raising funds to support Georgia’s children and future leaders through RiteCare speech and language clinics for children with communication disorders and through college scholarships. Since its founding in 1980, the Foundation has worked to improve literacy, support education, and empower children to reach their full potential.
We enjoyed an outstanding field of competitors, with 7 different teams (27%) advancing to the Finals Round. After a long layoff from competition, 319 Q returned in strong form—making a Finals appearance in all three meat categories and earning Reserve Championship honors. When the sauce and smoke settled in the Final Round, Big Butts BBQ claimed the Grand Championship with an outstanding Loin entry.
Reserve Champion 319 Q
Loin Finals: 1st Place- 1st Place Big Butts BBQ; 2nd Place Raising Cain BBQ; 3rd Place 319 Q
Pork Finals: 1st Place Bad Rooster BBQ; 2nd Place 319 Q; 3rd Place Big Baer’s BBQ
Ribs Finals: 1st Place The Look and The Cook BBQ; 2nd Place 319 Q; 3rd Place Flying B BBQ
