Feast in the East will sort winners from losers
By Turner Walston
Published in News on October 28, 2005 1:45 PM
The pork cook-off at the second annual Feast in the East won't begin until tonight, but competitive juices have already begun to flow.
Fifteen teams will square off at the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fairgrounds in the cook-off, sponsored by the Arts Council of Wayne County. In addition to the best-tasting pig, a showmanship award will be presented to the team with the most creative theme and decoration.
Cooking will take place overnight, with judging beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Winners will be announced shortly before noon.
The boldest prediction came from Hal Overby, head cook for R.L. Hunnicutt Barbeque Sauce.
"We're going to burn everybody's tail," Overby said. "We're going to smoke 'em. Not only are we going to take the best theme and campsite, we're going to take the best pig and the best sauce."
Overby was not as eager to talk about last year's competition, won by the Goldsboro Exchange Club.
"We won't go there," he said. "We are there to avenge ourselves."
Both the Goldsboro City Council and the Town of Pikeville are sponsoring teams, and the competition is fierce.
"We're going to show them how to cook a pig," Pikeville Mayor Herb Sieger said.
"We're going to have a good time, and we think we've got a real good chance of winning," he said.
Goldsboro Mayor Al King said the City Council team entered the contest confidently, with one goal in mind: to win.
"I've told everybody that we encourage them to participate, but they don't stand a chance." he said. "We're going to kick butt."
Lance Wilder of Chevrolet-Cadillac of Goldsboro preferred to let others do the talking.
"A lot of people that talk junk, they are the ones that end up losing. And the ones that sit back and are quiet are the ones that end up winning."
Wilder, who works in the paint shop at CCOG, said he has been barbecuing since the age of 6. "I guarantee if they let us top it like I want to, everybody will enjoy it."
Other teams participating in this year's competition represent the Goldsboro Exchange Club, Red Drum BBQ, Home Place BBQ, Salt and Pepper, Carolina Pride, Orange Blossom Special, Ma & Pa's Cooking Team, Goldsboro News-Argus, Sheriff Carey Winders' Blue Light Special, Wayne Shrine Club and Shumate-Faulk Funeral Home and Shaw Refrigeration.
Hunnicutt said other participants could save time by just conceding his team the award.
"I don't know why anybody's even showing up," he said. "It would be bad for the Arts Council if they didn't show up, but if they're planning on winning anything, they just need to stay home."
Staff Writer Kenneth Fine contributed to this story.