Dennymike's Sauces & Seasonings Earn High Honors In National

YORK, Maine -- Maine-made DennyMike's Sauces & Seasonings (www.dennymikes.com) announced today that DennyMike's Carolina-Style, a regionally inspired sauce, earned first place in the Vinegar Spicy category and second place in the Vinegar Mild category at the recent "Best of the Best" BBQ Sauce Competition held in Georgia. The annual competition, sponsored by the National BBQ News (NBBQN), attracts entries from all over the world and awards prizes in 10 categories.

"It's always good to see how we measure up against the competition," said DennyMike Sherman, creator of the popular line. "The Carolinas are renowned for their vinegar-based sauces, and it's especially gratifying for a Mainer to be recognized for such a beloved regional specialty right in the heart of barbecue country."

According to the judges, the Best of the Best Competition is one of the most difficult contests to judge. "Each challenger has already won honors in other competitions, and judges often have to taste the entries several times before making their final decisions," said Carlene Phelps, editor of the National BBQ News.

Earlier this year, the NBBQN introduced the "Rubs of Honor" competition, which attracts everyone from expert pit masters to enthusiastic amateurs and, for a change of pace, welcomes any rub recipe--even if it is not available commercially.

Sherman came home a winner in that competition with 10 awards in just three categories. The contest spotlights products designed for chicken, pork and beef, and Sherman took top honors with a first place win in the pork category and four awards in the chicken category. Sherman also took home awards for DennyMike's Sublime Swine, Chick Magnet and Pixie Dust, three of his best selling rubs, along with awards for several recipes still in development.

"This competition is a great way to test our chops on existing products and products we are still perfecting," said Sherman. "It's an affirmation of our current product line and an insightful way to see if new flavors will fly in the marketplace."

Since its 2006 launch, DennyMike's has continued to earn high praise in competitions and from national food outlets. Just last summer, DennyMike's Fintastic Savory Seafood Seasoning was front and center with Real Simple readers. The multi-award-winning rub got top billing in a feature titled "7 Sensational Marinades, Sauces, and Rubs for the Grill" (http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/food/marinades-0...). Sherman's Sweet 'N Spicy sauce was spotlighted as one of 26 "Best BBQ Sauces" in a taste test conducted by Huffington Post's Daily Kitchen and also was singled out by Saveur magazine as one of 14 sauces the editors "couldn't live without" (http://www.saveur.com/article/Kitchen/Fourteen-Sauces-We-Cant-Live-Without). In 2009, the line was featured on the TODAY Show's holiday gift guide.

About DennyMike's
DennyMike's is a Maine company with roots founded in the spirit of true, Texas-style dry rub BBQ. All of DennyMike's award-winning, gluten-free, all-natural sauces and seasonings are hand-crafted in Maine in small batches, using only the finest ingredients. DennyMike's seasonings are a great way to begin any food preparation, whether cooking in the kitchen or at the pit, and make an impressive finish to any meal. DennyMike's products are available nationwide at www.dennymikes.com; at specialty retailers such as Hannaford Bros. stores in New England and at Whole Foods Markets throughout the Northeast, North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic and Pacific Southwest; and on the West Coast in Southern California, Nevada and Arizona.