Barbecue Is Hot Cuisine Even In The Coldest Of Temperatures At A C F Central Regional Conference B B Q Challenge

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., February 15, 2008-Diehard cooks braved icy temperatures of below 20 degrees February 7 at the Crown Center Plaza outside the Hyatt Regency, Kansas City, Mo., the site of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Central Regional Conference "BBQ and All That Jazz."

The 2008 ACF Central Regional BBQ Challenge, sponsored by Tyson Food Service, a division of Tyson Foods, Inc., included 17 teams, nine comprised of ACF members, from Arkansas, Texas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri and Kansas to barbecue chicken, St. Louis-style spare ribs, pork shoulder and brisket. All were vying to be named the grand champion and take home the winning purse of $500. Tyson Food Service provided Tyson� and IBP� protein products for the competition.

The grand champion was Harold Colston of the Hot Meat Smokers team. The Miller brothers, Ed and Brian, along with Mike McClain of the Heavy Smoke team came in second and earned $300. Karen Putman and Ronna Keck, of the Flower of the Flame team, and members of ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association, finished third and won $200. The event was judged by members of the ACF and Kansas City Barbeque Society under the supervision of its founder, Carolyn Wells.

"Barbecue is the melting-pot cuisine of America," said Richard McPeake, event co-organizer. "Everyone has their own way of doing it. The fact that ACF has taken such an interest fortifies the fact that barbecue is growing."

"Tyson Food Service is proud to be the exclusive protein provider of this amazing barbecue competition and it was an honor to be selected as a judge," said Pamela Lewis, corporate executive chef for Tyson Food Service and president of the Northwest Arkansas Chef Association. "It was incredible to see the passion each team had for barbecue and the techniques they have perfected."

The barbecue competition was a first for an ACF regional conference, drawing attention to the three-day event that drew more than 400 chefs, culinarians and foodservice representatives from more than a dozen states. The contest set the tone for the conference, which featured seminars and demonstrations with a heavy barbecue emphasis.

Tyson Foods, Inc. [NYSE: TSN], founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is the world's largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500 and a member of the S&P 500.

The company produces a wide variety of protein-based and prepared food products and is the recognized market leader in the retail and foodservice markets it serves.
Tyson provides products and service to customers throughout the United States and more than 80 countries. The company has approximately 104,000 Team Members employed at more than 300 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.


The American Culinary Federation, Inc., established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With 20,000 members spanning more than 230 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and also holds the presidium for the World