Eric Johnson and his brother, Leon of Letts Barbecue, had made the trip from Philadelphia to participate as grillmasters.
Annual cookoff brings more than 6,000 to Blenheim
The Jackson family was located across the road from the 2023 Marlboro County Country Style Cookoff. They were offering places to park along with cold drinks and snacks.
Ten scholarships were given out during the 2023 Marlboro County Country Style Cookoff. Seated, l-r, are Christen Easterling, Savannah Grooms, Sha’Nya Gaines, Jaliyah Wright, and Mariah Smith. In back are Nakaiya Covington, Aubree Miller, Dacion Jones, and Jermaine Purvis. Evander Quick III was present at the event but was not around when the photo was taken.
BLENHEIM – Before the 2023 Marlboro County Country Style Cookoff started on June 17, traffic was backed up for miles in both directions on S.C. 38 South as folks were eager to attend the annual event.
Eric Johnson and his brother, Leon of Letts Barbecue, had made the trip from Philadelphia to participate as grillmasters.
Both were determined to win first place after coming in second in 2021.
“We are country-style and barbecue fans.
Johnson said Art Fennell, the founder of the Marlboro County Country Cookoff, is very beloved where they come from in Philadelphia.
They are confident about their brisket and with family in Darlington and Florence counties.
“We were born and raised in Philly, but our roots are from down here,” Johnson said.
Art Fennell said more than 6,000 people attended the event on June 17.
“Every year, it exceeds my expectation,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud of Marlboro County.”
Art Fennell added he thought practically every state was represented, from the southern ones to Oklahoma, Nevada, and even Ontario, Canada.
“It is amazing that all of these people converged from all over to come to Blenheim, South Carolina,” he said.
Cook-off winners were:
Ribs
– First place, Fuller Flavor of Bear Creek, N.C.
-Second place, What-A-Pit BBQ of Columbia
-Third place, Dickey Boys of Lynchburg, S.C.
Fourth place, Booney’s BBQ and Soul Food in Jacksonville, Fla.
Fifth place, DJ Big Pit BBQ in Lithonia, Ga
Wings
-First place, Fork BBQ in Mayesville, S.C.
-Second place, Deacon Holy Smoke in Hickory, N.C.
-Third place, Passion of the Cook in Rochester, N.Y.
-Fourth place, Big Wally’s BBQ in Charlotte
-Fifth Faron’s BBQ in Blenheim.
The winning brisket was Smokey Redds BBQ of Lexington, S.C.
The sauce was from GOAT Gardner BBQ in Columbia.
The rub was Passion of the Cook in Rochester, N.Y.
Den Fen and Sons of Bennettsville were competing for the eighth year.
Dennis Fennell is the brother of Art Fennell.
He said the event started as a family thing that just kept growing.
Sherika Broddy, who is the niece of Art Fennell, said it started years ago in the backyard of her grandmother’s house on Highway 38.
“I never imagined it would become this big,” she said. “But it is a great event to come to.”
One family member had come all the way from Seattle to participate in the Cookoff.
Dennis Fennell said the event is popular because it is country-style and because there isn’t another event like this in the area.
“It is all about going back to your roots,” he said. “A lot of people forget where they come from and the things we used to do.”
In addition to good barbecue, ten scholarships were given to students. The recipients were Savannah Grooms, Mariah Smith, Shainya Gaines, Dacion Jones, Christen Easterling, Nakaiya Covington, Jaliyah Wright, Evander Quick III, Jermaine Purvis, and Aubree Miller. To receive the scholarship, recipients must be present at the Cookoff.
The Jackson family lives across the road from the event. They were offering places to park along with cold drinks and snacks.
“We actually can be a part of it without being all the way in it,” said Dr. Monique Brown, who was there with other family members.
Her great-aunt lives there and is involved with the Marlboro County Country Style Cookoff.
A native of Marlboro County, Brown lives in Bluffton and it was her first time being a part of the event.
“I decided to come home for it because it’s something that I had never done while I lived here, which is kind of crazy,” she said. “I was excited to be able to come and sit with my family and just to be a part of it and, As an educator, she was drawn to the fact that so many scholarships are given away.
“I think for the first year, they gave out one scholarship,” Brown said. “It has grown.”