All Things BBQ

(November 24, 2009)  It's back-to-back first-place finishes for Russ & Frank's Sassy BBQ Sauce.  Sassy won both the 2010 Scovie Award for the American Style Mild BBQ Sauce category, and the Tomato Base Mild category at the Best of the Best BBQ Sauce Competition at the National BBQ Festival in Douglas, Georgia.  (See http://www.nationalbbqfestival.com/_pdf/2009/2009%20Sauce%20Winners.pdf)  “I’m not surprised that Russ & Frank’s is achieving recognition on a national level,” stated local Des Moines chef Shad Kirton of Smokey D’s BBQ.  “It’s a high-quality product that tastes great – that’s the reason Smokey D’s uses it exclusively.”  Russ Cerniglia, the “Russ” of Russ & Frank’s stated, “I think it showcases the versatility of the sauce in that it can hold its own at competitions throughout the country – it transcends regional BBQ preferences.”

When the results of the 2010 Scovie Awards, the world's leading recognition for hot and spicy products, were announced, Russ Cerniglia was excited to get the call from the competition organizers.  West Des Moines based Cerniglia Enterprises LLC which manufactures Russ & Frank’s Barbecue Sauces, received two 2010 Scovie Awards.  In the industry's most rigorous blind tastings, a panel of the country's top culinary experts sampled hundreds of the world's most lauded gourmet foods, and the top scoring products each won a coveted Scovie banner, which is proudly displayed on www.russandfranks.com. 

Russ & Frank’s Sassy Barbecue Sauce took 1^st place in the American Style Mild BBQ Sauce and Russ & Frank’s Fiery took 2^nd place in the American Style Hot BBQ Sauce competitions.  Over 600 products from around the world competed for top honors.  Dave DeWitt, the nation's leading author on fiery cuisine and founder of the National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show created the Scovie Awards. The awards are named for Wilbur Scoville who pioneered a rating scale for spicy foods.  The Scovie Awards have become the industry standard for excellence in more than 60 categories of fiery foods.

"This year's entrants really represented the cream of the crop in fiery foods products," notes Dave DeWitt, dubbed by The New York Times as the "Pope of Peppers."   "Our 2010 winners represent some of the largest companies in the industry, such as Pace Foods, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Garden Fresh Salsa, as well as start-up companies just getting off the ground.  The common factor is their commitment to excellence and the real quality of the products they produce."

DeWitt was also pleased with the geographic diversity of the winners.  "This year, our winners represent companies from 32 different states and countries and provinces as diverse as Panama, Australia, Japan, Antigua and Canada," lauds DeWitt.  "Scovie winners truly exemplify the diversity and quality of this industry."

Many of the Scovie award winning products, as well as thousands of other products, will be available to both trade buyers and consumers at the 22nd Annual National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show, March 5-7, 2010 in Albuquerque, NM.  For information on the National Fiery Foods Show, call 505-873-8680, or visit www.fiery-foods.com.

Russ & Frank's Mild also took 9th at the National BBQ Festival in Douglas, GA and the Fiery took 8th in the Tomato Base Hot.  “When I started making BBQ sauce as a hobby, I never dreamed it would turn into an award-winning product.  I couldn‘t be happier with these three, top ten finishes,” stated Russ Cerniglia.

Published: 11/24/09