KANSAS CITY, Mo., Sept. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield®, a leading provider of high-quality pork products and proud investor in the competitive sport of barbecue, is excited to announce the Smokin’ With Smithfield National Barbecue Championship – the first-ever unified national barbecue points chase open to all competition barbecue cooks in America. The Smokin’ With Smithfield National Barbecue Championship is designed to level the playing field across all major sanctioning bodies and events, and will track teams’ scores from Sept. 1, 2018 – Aug. 31, 2019. To register your team for the chance to take home the title of Smokin’ With Smithfield National Barbecue Champion, along with a piece of the $50,000 cash prize pool and bragging rights for life, visit www.SmokinWithSmithfield.com.

The Smokin’ With Smithfield National Barbecue Championship is a year-long points chase that will determine the top teams based on their rankings. Registration is free, and teams will be able to view their position on the leaderboard starting Jan 1, 2019. The top 24 teams will face-off in a three-round, single elimination playoff contest in New Orleans at the end of 2019 to compete for the ultimate title of National Barbecue Champion. In order to be eligible to qualify for the playoffs, teams must register by July 1, 2019.

“Smithfield has invested in the sport of competition barbecue for more than five years, and we are beyond thrilled to continue doing so in 2019 with the launch of the Smokin’ With Smithfield National Barbecue Championship,” said Emily Detwiler, director of fresh pork marketing for Smithfield Foods. “Through our commitment to the sport and our close relationships with competition cooks, we discovered there is no unified national barbecue championship recognizing the top cook team across all major sanctioning bodies. Our goal is to inspire seasoned pitmasters to keep competing – as well as encourage rookie pitmasters to become the future of the sport – and we couldn’t be more excited for this year ahead!” 

In addition to launching the National Barbecue Championship, the brand will once again roll out the 2019 Smokin’ With Smithfield Grant and Committed Cooks programs. Established in 2017, the Smokin’ With Smithfield Grant Program invests in the sport of competition barbecue by deepening the prize money in overall and major meat categories for sanctioned barbecue competitions. Since its inception, the brand has honored 86 grants, totaling nearly $300,000. The Smokin’ With Smithfield Committed Cooks Program, created in 2016, rewards teams who cook with Smithfield Fresh Pork products during competitions.  

For more information and to register for the Smokin’ With Smithfield National Barbecue Championship, Grant or Committed Cooks programs, visit www.SmokinWithSmithfield.com.

About Smithfield
A leading provider of high-quality pork products, Smithfield was founded in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, establishing the town as the “Ham Capital of the World.” From hand-trimmed bacon and slow-smoked holiday hams to marinated tenderloins, Smithfield brings artistry, authenticity and a commitment to heritage, flavor, and handcrafted excellence to everything it produces. With a vast product portfolio including smoked meats, hams, bacon, sausage, ribs, and a wide variety of fresh pork cuts, the company services retail, foodservice, and deli channels across the United States and 30 countries abroad. All of Smithfield’s products meet the highest quality and safety standards in the industry. To learn more about how Flavor Hails from Smithfield, please visit www.Smithfield.com, www.Twitter.com/SmithfieldBrand, and www.Facebook.com/CookingWithSmithfield. Smithfield is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Nathan’s Famous®, Farmland®, Armour®, Farmer John®, Kretschmar®, John Morrell®, Cook’s®, Gwaltney®, Carando®, Margherita®, Curly’s®, Healthy Ones®, Morliny®, Krakus® and Berlinki®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.