Eat and Run

How much do you think they should they charge?

I like your idea because you are thinking outside the box, but in your scenario my question would be who would get the judges fees? Would it be added to the prize money for cooks, used to lower entry fees, or just for the organizers to do with as they wish.

why charge a judge anything? CBJ ( KCBS certified Judge) that is well trained and up to the task to tell me my Q sucks is better then a neighbor that is just there to eat and says it rocks. They have to keep up their membership, thats a fee enough to me.

Seriously? Many judges travel a considerable distance, spend a night or two in a hotel to be a VOLUNTEER judge and HOPEFULLY sample some good Q. They also get to try the inedible garbage that the guy who is going to finish D-A-L turned in. Do you want trained judges or some yahoo lookin for a cheap meal?

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No reason why organizers couldn't charge $5 or $10 to be a judge. Since most comps are a reason to raise money for a charity, the organizers could donate the judging fees. This may also weed out the judges that are just there for a meal. If the judges have a little something invested, the free meal guys may take it a little more seriously. And who would be put off by donating a little cash to charity? Roc City does charity judging for their rib cook off, they charge $20 to judge only ribs and they have no shortage of judges.

As a judge and now a cook, I can see both sides of this issue, while i think it's reasonable to ask for small donation/fee , I would prefer the funds collected be equally distributed to those teams cooking that allowed a CBJ to cook with them for that particular contest as part of their MCBJ requirement(with caps in place so as not to get carried away) and the residual revenue being donated to a BBQ charity like OBR or Kookers Kare..just a thought

I think they need to ban coolers. It sickens me to see a judge walk in with a cooler seriously the one free meal wasn't enough no wonder judges score full boxes better.

rib runners said:

Just a thought......Since so many people want to eat and judge bbq at contest, why not charge judges to do this. It looks like many contest have no trouble filling their judging needs most of the time. Where else can a person do something this rewarding for not to much cost.
Considering what a cook has to lay out to do a contest, it seems right that judges would share some of the expense to put on a contest. :idea:
Sams club has no trouble filling their judging needs! Also, new judges have a hard time getting to judge contest that have been established for a few years.

I will get off my soap box now and let the fires begin.

Life is Good when you can eat and run.

Ron Yater, KCBS member and judge since 1994.

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As both a CBJ in multiple sanctioning bodies, and a competitor who competes in different sanctioning bodies' competitions:

> Considering what a cook has to lay out to do a contest

With the exception of a few contests that are purely there to benefit a charity, most competitors compete for the chance to win trophies and money. I dont think the judge has that chance. For the judge 100% invested is lost (money wise).

> Where else can a person do something this rewarding for not to much cost.

Other than 2 or 3 competitions that I judge VERY local, the others I usually spend about $100 to judge, with a nights stay (sometimes 2), the eating out, the gas, etc. And this is all at a loss with no opportunity to regain any of the money back. I/we do this because we enjoy it, and we enjoy the comradere.


I offer as evidence what happened at a very prestigious contest that always draws over 100 teams each year, and these are BIG teams, as this is an MBN (was MIM) event. Big Pig Jig in 2005 and 2006 had so many judges come in that the judges were there only having to judge 1 event. So many, even judges complained. I know I did too, because I traveled about 170 miles to get 1 draw; on-site ribs, and of the 3 teams that I drew 2 of them pulled their entries, so literally I got to judge 1 rib.

The next year, 2007, they decided to charge judges $25 for the privilege. Frankly, I and apparently almost every judge that had been there for many years and help to make it as prestigious as it was decided that they didnt deserve the honor of our presence. They barely had a contest that year. No one that I know of went to judge that year...

They're back; no charge. Now they limit it to the first few hundred judges (MBN requires a LOT more judges than does the average blind-only competitions).

I say no.

I feel that they(and me) pay for KCBS membership dues is enough, and they are taking a risk with sampling BBQing, even I had accidently turned in underdone chicken once.

You start charging or "suggested donation" to judge, you will have problems with the various health codes for every county, possibly all bbq must be cooked it NSF labeled cookers, extra costs for having the inspectors there. I see it as a big problem. I cooked at a peoples choice once, and the inspector almost didn't allow me to give samples to the "suggested donation" paying public, not having 3 bay sink, but my handwash sink did count, and I was good to go.

Yes I do know that you are suppose to have a 3 bay with solutions, and a separate hand washing sink, but I do not cater. I just cook for friends, family, and sometimes for judges.

So, let me get this right...

Because the teams pay fees to compete... The judges should also pay to judge the work of the contestants? So, a referee should pay to officiate a football game?

Just a thought. :wink:

Little bit of R&R- you would really rather see your food thrown in the trash? That is a stunning statement to me.

I guess my statement could have been taken that way I have judged a few contests but compete more. The contests I have judged the judges barely nibbled the meat so they could take it home to let everyone else eat it. That doesn't settle we'll with me how the hell do they know what it tastes like? I think there are some ways to make the teams feel better like maybe donating what is left in the boxes to homeless shelters or food banks.

Why not! New CBJs (first timers) should be charged $20 for their first contest. CBJs with less than 8 contests should be charged $50. CBJs with 9-15 contests need to pay $100. More than 15 but not Master CBJs should pay $150. Master CBJs should be charged $250 per contest.

Oh by the way, if you don't have enough judges they will just eliminate the paying cooking teams without refunding your entry fee.

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But seriously, I wouldn't mind paying a "small" judging fee providing I know that it is going to a charity or similar. As it is, we (my wife and I) usually have to drive several hours, spend at least one (sometimes two) nights in a hotel, and both of us take vacation on Fridays in order to judge. By NO MEANS am I trying to equate my cost with that of a cooking team (I cook too so I know the expense), but judges have no possibility of winning ANY money or other awards. Personally, it doesn't make any difference to me whether the scraps left on my plate after judging come home with me or not so that is definitely NOT a reason why I judge.

Just saying...

Theresa how big is the cooler you bring? I guess that's how you tell who the better bbq judge is.

little bit of r & r said:

Theresa how big is the cooler you bring? I guess that's how you tell who the better bbq judge is.

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doesn't seem to me you have truly given this as much thought as your original question/post would lead others to believe..

little bit of r & r said:

I guess my statement could have been taken that way I have judged a few contests but compete more. The contests I have judged the judges barely nibbled the meat so they could take it home to let everyone else eat it. That doesn't settle we'll with me how the hell do they know what it tastes like? I think there are some ways to make the teams feel better like maybe donating what is left in the boxes to homeless shelters or food banks.

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My experience in the Mid Atlantic is that any boxes that have over the required 6 servings is returned to the volunteer and staff table (those other than judges that are helping with the event). At no time have I ever seen any judges packing up leftovers from this table. I always take a minimum of two bites from each sample to ensure that I have objectivlely judged the sample. With that being said, that would indicate there are leftovers on my judging plate. This is what I bring a cooler for.:becky:

not for me. not only the costs associated with travelling to a contest, i also purchase t-shirts, raffle tickets, support contest vendors.

i've never taken leftover food home. i leave a contest full.:-D

Maybe it is a southern thing for judges to take left overs home. I have seen it at every contest besides sam's