Cook-off awards $10,000 prize
By Steve Herring
Published in News on September 16, 2015 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Deacon Frank Jones, of Wave of Glory, Rochelle Braswell, eldress Kay Ruth Cain and minister Wayne Cain hold the trophy and $10,000 check they were awarded after winning the recent barbecue cook-off at St. John Free Will Baptist Church.
DUDLEY -- The team from Wave of Glory Church of Goldsboro won the recent Greater St. John Free Will Baptist Church's first Barbecue Cook-off and its $10,000 prize.
The husband and wife team of Charles and Juanita Whitfield of Goldsboro won second-place and $1,000.
Sharon Ezzell's team from Goldsboro won third place and $500.
Eighth teams competed and the church raised $17,000. The $10,000 cash prize was provided by an anonymous donor.
Proceeds will be used to help pay for a dining room at the church, 613 Mitchell Road.
"I plan to do another cook-off in 2017," said Dr. William A. Mitchell Jr., Greater St. John pastor. "We were pleased (with the event). It was a good event.
"My plan is to do another in 2017 and offer a grand prize of $12,000. We will do something next year, but I have not made up my mind as to what."
Mitchell said his inspiration for the event came from a program on the Food Channel.
The teams paid a non-refundable entry fee of $750 to compete in the event.
Each team was given a ham purchased from Nahunta Pork Center to grill. A blind taste test by judges, who were restaurant owners and professional cooks, decided the winner.
The team could cook with wood or charcoal only.
Mitchell said that it cost more than $500,000 to build the church, but that the debt was paid off in only nine and a half years.
Mitchell said the hope is that when the dinning room is built that the church will be able to liquidate the debt when it built.
The new dining room building will be about 70 by 120 feet or bigger to seat up to 1,000 people.
Mitchell said he is not yet sure of the cost.