Turnersville, NJ - August 2, 2010
A South Jersey backyard barbecue enthusiast has teamed up with his sons to make the leap from amateur to pro. Washington Township resident Jeff Pickens, along with his sons, has formed Easy Pickens BBQ & More, a barbecue team which will compete in Saturday’s annual Stephen Starr Garry Maddox BBQ Challenge in Philadelphia, PA. After that, the team plans to parlay their outdoor cooking skills into a catering service specializing in barbecue and other specialties.
“ I keep hearing, ‘you guys need to go into business’, anytime someone tries our ribs”, says Pickens, 53, who has competed in the Maddox Challenge twice before. On the urging of his son, Dan, 23, Pickens decided to form a real team for this year’s competition. Dan’s idea for the team name was “Easy Pickens BBQ”. Jeff decided to add “& More” to incorporate some other indoor specialties, such as chili and Italian dishes.
“Our passion for food stems from a rich family tradition, growing up watching my Dad from a young age and experiencing the “thrill of the grill”, and watching and learning from my Mom, Grandmother, and aunts, all of whom were consummate Italian cooks” Pickens recalls. “I remember my Dad and uncle cooking their traditional New Years Eve filet mignons outside every year, sometimes in the snow”.
The team, which consists of Jeff, Dan, along with sons Dennis, Frank, and Rob, and some of their friends, will be ready for the Maddox BBQ Challenge with entries in the ribs, chicken, chef’s choice, and Garry’s Rib Challenge, decked out in their newly minted Easy Pickens BBQ & More t shirts.
The team t shirt and logo will feature a smiling pig, surrounded by the team name. The pig’s face was drawn by Jeff’s cousin Susan Mauro, a prominent New Jersey designer. “I drew the pig, it’s Jeff’s job to make it taste good”, says Susan.
Anyone interested in learning more about Easy Pickens BBQ & More should pay a visit to the Stephen Starr Garry Maddox BBQ Challenge, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Saturday, August 7, 2010. If you can’t make it to the event, please visit the website:
About Easy Pickens BBQ & More:
Easy Pickens BBQ & More is a family-based barbecue team and catering service, serving South Jersey and the greater Delaware Valley. We specialize in ribs, chicken, and beef, smoked or grilled to perfection according to your tastes. "& More" means we are more than just barbecue; we offer a variety of Italian and Southern comfort foods, as well as desserts.
Jeff Pickens, Managing Partner
Easy Pickens BBQ & More
easypickensbbq@gmail.com
Easy Pickens BBQ & More
easypickensbbq@gmail.com
