Helen’s Bar-BQ
Helen Turner is the hardest working woman in barbecue.
She is a world famous one woman machine and she truly loves the craft. In generally a list of all male pitmasters, Ms. Helen will run circles around them all. She shovel coals under the direct heat pits with the best of the best in the country. This locally owned & family friendly business is located in Brownsville, TN.
Ed Mitchell
Ed Mitchell has inspired pitmasters across the country.
When Ed Mitchell started to cook, most of the bbq in the south was prepared by black cooks in white owned establishments. Despite their talent for cooking bbq, Black owned bbq businesses struggled because of racism. Ed, with the help of his family, persevered in the industry and became a founding member of the Big Apple BBQ Festival in Manhattan, NY. The scale and publicity from this event established him as figure in Black BBQ.
Ed was the first bbq figure to go back to cooking Pasture Raised pork after the industry went to the industrial model. Ed and his son Ryan Mitchell continue to expand their business. They partnered with TrueMade BBQ sauces to replace sugar in sauces using vegetables to address the needs of people with diabetes.
Ed Mitchell has inspired pitmasters across the country in ways unimaginable, and we should all want a seat in his bbq class.
Learn more about Ed Mitchell on his website: https://www.thepitmasteredmitchell.com/
SugarHill BBQ
Sugarhill BBQ was founded by the grandson of the most well known bbq cook in Clarendon County, SC.
James Conyers’ legacy in barbecue goes back to 1910. The family has a rich legacy of cooking pitcooked whole hog barbecue.
Location – Manning, SC
Chris Blanding
Chris Blanding is one of Paxville, SC most well known barbecue cooks.
He was taught and trained by the legendary Mr. Jack Johnson. Mr. Jack was a community icon in cooking bbq in Clarendon and most elders cite Mr. Jack as one of the greats during his day. It is good to know that Mr. Jack’s legacy in cooking bbq survived in Chris. Also, noteworthy Mr. Blanding was one of the first black EMT (Paramedics) in Clarendon County if not South Carolina.
Willis Spells
Willis Spells is a barbecue cook in Dorchester, SC.
He learned the craft from his father who had people traveling from a far to get his barbecue. While he does not cook barbecue for livelihood, he passed the tradition down to farmer Marvin Ross of Peculiar Pig Farm. Marvin Ross will likely be known more than Mr. Spells, but in terms of cooking barbecue, without Mr. Spells passing the knowledge Marvin may not been able to carry the tradition forward.
Howard (Dean) Conyers
Howard (Dean) Conyers is a BBQ cook in Paxville, SC.
He is an all-around bbq cook who is passing his family legacy to Miller Conyers. He runs a catering business with his wife.
Ricky Scott
Ricky Scott is the pitmaster and owner of Hell’s Half Acre.
They serve bbq every Thursday in KIngstreet, SC. It is open only one day a week and you should call early in the day to save your order as they only cook a few hogs a day. It is well worth your trip out off the main path.
John Nelson
John Nelson is from the Red Hill community.
He learned to cook pitcooked whole hog bbq in a hole in the ground. He was educated in one of the counties last remaining church schools– Oak grove. He is an all around cook that prepared barbecue for his church and for events in his community.
Micheal Haynes
Coach Michael Haynes of St. Matthews, SC was the FFA teacher in Manning for over 30 years.
For several years, he led the FFA in barbecue multiple hogs for FFA to make the club membership better. He learned how to cook hogs in St. Matthews, SC. FFA changed the number of young people lives in Clarendon County and his club was a model to emulate in the state.
Location- Sumpter, SC
James Jones (Jones’ BBQ Diner)
James Jones is the legendary pitmaster that commands the pits to America’s oldest black owned restaurant.
Jones Bar-B-Q Diner, is a barbecue joint in Marianna, Arkansas, US, that has been open since at least the 1910s. James H. Jones is the current owner of the iconic spot that has always been family owned. In 2012, it was awarded a James Beard Award as an American Classic. Spanky working the pit. On the road with Howard Conyers.