KANSAS CITY, Mo., Dec. 03, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield® is proud to congratulate the brand’s sponsored pitmaster Brad Leighninger of Gettin’ Basted for taking home the Grand Champion title at the 2018 Smithfield King of the Smoker barbecue competition. This past weekend, 24 of the country’s most elite barbecue teams were invited to show off their skills at the Miramonte Resort in Indian Wells, Calif. to see who would be named the ultimate King of the Smoker.  Since 2012, Big Poppa Smokers has been hosting what has become known as one of the most premier barbecue competitions in the industry, and 2018 marks the event’s historic, final year.   

“The Smithfield King of the Smoker brings together the best of the best in barbecue, and it’s an honor to be in the company of these legendary pitmasters, but an even bigger honor to take home the Grand Champion title,” said Brad Leighninger of Gettin’ Basted. “Once again, Smithfield has provided us with the consistent, top-quality fresh pork that we need to win, and we’re thrilled to close out the 2018 season with them by our side.”

Smithfield also congratulates several Smokin’ With Smithfield BBQ Alliance and Committed Cooks teams on their incredible performances, including one2bbq for taking home the Reserve Champion title and placing first in Pork, Cool Smoke for placing first in Brisket and second in Pork, and Iowa’s Smokey D’s BBQ for placing second in Pork Ribs. In this unique competition, all pitmasters competed using the same product, including Smithfield Prime Fresh Pork Ribs and Smithfield Prime Fresh Pork Butts.

In addition to the highly anticipated competition, this year’s King of the Smoker event featured fresh pork grilling demos by Championship pitmasters Tuffy Stone, Chris Lilly, Tim Scheer, and Ernest Servantes, as well as delicious barbecue, prize raffles, and more. One hundred percent of the ticket and raffle proceeds benefitted the Casey Lee Ball Foundation for Pediatric Kidney Research. Nearly $200,000 was raised at this year’s event, bringing the total donation to $12 million for Pediatric Kidney Research.

“For the past seven years, World Champion pitmasters, including many of our Smithfield BBQ Alliance and Committed Cooks teams, have come out to the Coachella Valley for this remarkable event to compete against some of their fellow top pitmasters and to raise money for pediatric kidney research,” said Emily Detwiler, director of fresh pork marketing for Smithfield Foods. “We couldn’t be prouder of Brad and the entire Gettin’ Basted team on their impressive win, and we can’t wait to see what all of our pitmasters bring in 2019, as it’s shaping up to be the most exciting year in competitive barbecue yet!”

For the full list of winners from the 2018 Smithfield King of the Smoker, visit www.kcbs.us. To see if you have what it takes to be crowned the Unified National Barbecue Champion in 2019, or to apply to be a Smokin’ With Smithfield Committed Cooks team and learn more about the Smokin’ With Smithfield Grand program, 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.

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