Culinary Barbecue Summit Presenters

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Brad Colter

Brad and Bre of Smoke 'n Magic's BBQ journey began in August 2020. They immediately found a sense of family in BBQ and have been hooked ever since. They won the Inaugural Made for KC BBQ Championship in 2022 which allowed them to have a 1-year licensing deal for an 8,000 sq ft restaurant in the Kansas City International Airport. They also won 1st place Pork at the Jack Daniels World Invitational. Today, they strive to connect with others and bring people together through BBQ. They teach several hands-on classes around the Kansas City area. They love making it a family affair with their 4 foodie children and their dog, Max, who's become a bit of a fan favorite. 

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Colby Garrelts

Explore the art of transforming Kansas City-style barbecue into an elegant fine dining experience with James Beard award winning chef and pitmaster, Colby Garrelts. This session will focus on smoking smaller cuts of meat and muscles, demonstrating how these nontraditional products can be used to create sophisticated dishes that retain the bold, smoky flavors of traditional BBQ. Participants will learn advanced techniques for smoking and preparing a variety of smaller meats and muscles, including how to balance flavors, textures, and presentation to suit a fine dining context. The workshop will cover the selection of prime ingredients, innovative seasoning, and cooking methods that enhance the natural qualities of these cuts while maintaining the authentic essence of Kansas City barbecue. Additionally, the session will take a look into Chef Garrelts’s creative process, offering insights into how traditional BBQ can be reimagined with a modern twist, using high-quality, lesser-known cuts and exploring pairings with refined sides and sauces, plating techniques, and the overall dining experience.

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Andy Groneman

Andy is a celebrated master of grilling, smoking, and outdoor cooking, boasting hundreds of awards at all levels. His impressive achievements include over 25 Grand Championships and numerous perfect scores in Kansas City BBQ Society events. Among his notable accolades are being a Culinary Fight Club Grilling Champion and KC Steak Champion, a two-time National Brisket Champion at the Chest to Chest Invitational, and a World Champion in pork at both the Jack Daniels World Invitational and the American Royal Invitational. Additionally, Andy has been the Reserve Grand Champion at the American Royal Open and the Empire Cup Champion in New York State, winning across seven events. His expertise extends beyond competition; Andy frequently serves as a celebrity judge on local television and cable TV food segments and appeared as a BBQ mentor and expert on "Barbecue Country" (2023), "MasterChef Australia," and two episodes of the Travel Channel’s "BBQ Crawl" (Season 2). He also provides content for retailers like Proud Souls BBQ & Provisions on their YouTube channel. An accomplished instructor, Andy has shared his culinary skills with over 60,000 students worldwide over the last 25 years. He teaches a wide range of topics, from food demonstrations and beer/wine pairings to intensive two-day competition cooking classes. His teaching venues include prestigious locations like the Grand Intercontinental Parnas in Seoul, Korea, the National Wine Centre of Australia in Adelaide, and the I Love BBQ Festival in Lake Placid, NY. He has also led classes at the Cloverdale Rodeo in British Columbia, Canada, the Kansas City Culinary Center in Overland Park, KS, the King of the Smoker Invitational in La Quinta, CA, Well Seasoned Gourmet Store in Langley, BC, Canada, and the Redheads Gourmet BBQ Festival in Melbourne, Australia.

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Todd Johns

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Phillip Thompson

Chef Philip has been Executive Chef at Q39 since early 2022. Born in England and classically trained in French cookery, He found a passion for farm to table cuisine with contemporary flair. Prior to Q39 Chef Philip worked in high end Hilton hotels and led the culinary and stewarding teams for numerous high-profile events including the White House Correspondents Dinner, United States Conference of Mayors and the 2009 Youth Inaugural Ball. Chef Philip has a passion for competition BBQ, becoming a certified BBQ judge through the Kansas City Barbeque Society as well as competing in KCBS sanctioned contests. In 2023 he was named Chef of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association.

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Bre Via

Brad and Bre of Smoke 'n Magic's BBQ journey began in August 2020. They immediately found a sense of family in BBQ and have been hooked ever since. They won the Inaugural Made for KC BBQ Championship in 2022 which allowed them to have a 1-year licensing deal for an 8,000 sq ft restaurant in the Kansas City International Airport. They also won 1st place Pork at the Jack Daniels World Invitational. Today, they strive to connect with others and bring people together through BBQ. They teach several hands-on classes around the Kansas City area. They love making it a family affair with their 4 foodie children and their dog, Max, who's become a bit of a fan favorite.