Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 214: Bill Heyen, Nick Barrick

On Episode 214 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we catch up with 2021 American Royal World Series of BBQ Invitational Grand Champion Bill Heyen, whose Triple H BBQ picked up their second Grand Championship of 2023 last weekend in Covington, Tenn. Heyan and wife Andrea, part of a large farm family in west-central Illinois, have 12 GCs and seven RGCs since 2019. They’re offering their knowledge in a unique “hands-on, behind the scenes” style with 1-on-1 classes in real time during competitions. Bill, who’s also one of the nicer people we’ve met in BBQ, explains how it works and even how much it costs to take this unique class, as opposed to the typical 20-30 folks in a classroom tell-all. We also take a trip to southern California to find out more about 5th Gear BBQ with head cook Nick Barrick after the family team won its first career KCBS Grand Championship recently in Big Bear Lake, California, in their first competition of 2023. Nick, a self-taught cook, talks about why he was bitten by the competition bug a few years ago and lays out some goals in both competition and catering for 5th Gear the rest of 2023.  Meanwhile, it’s the first “Game Week” of the year for the Tailgate Guys BBQ cooking team and Lyndal has a preview of the hometown Ozarks BBQ Fest while Steve keeps his focus on the backyard with an array of ideas for grill time on his deck this weekend. Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023 The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Iowa BBQ Store #iowacornercookers Clark Crew BBQ #clarkcrew Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq #proudsoulsbarbecueandprovisions Randy Vanslyke and Pro Technology Solutions Affordable Financial Services Allquedup #arkassippicombo Vietti Marketing Group #marketing  In the Garden of Eden Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week and thanks for listening! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm