Startin the Fire is a first. It is a complete ‘how to’ book covering starting your own competition BBQ team, primarily in the KCBS series, although the process and principles explained can be applied to any competition cooking team in any series. It includes details for everything from your initial idea and preliminary considerations to what equipment you’ll need, setting- up your site and even selecting your team name. George also touches on what tunes to put on your I- pod, practice cooks, site safety, turn in box preparation, right through cooking your first event. Everything is included except for recipes and cooking methods. We are assuming you already know how to cook some good tasting BBQ. Included however, are ideas and tips to improve your overall contest results. There is even a glossary included so that you too can learn to “talk que”. The book also contains humorous stories and anecdotes covering the trials and tribulations of forming a new team and cooking as a rookie squad on the KCBS BBQ circuit.

To see how this all came about, click here.

Everything you need to know about starting a competition bbq team

(except for the recipes)

Written by George Hensler (head cook of the WATG? BBQ Team)

(forward by Dave ‘The Pope of the Peppers” DeWitt)

2010 - Startin’ the Fire

Are you a retailer interested in carrying Startin’ the Fire?

Check here for more information

Startin’ the Fire is also available at the following retail locations:

Central Meats

1120 Kempsville Road

Chesapeake VA 23320

Meadow Creek BBQ
221 Jalyn Drive
New Holland, PA 17557

Borders Book Store

5901 Wyoming Blvd. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109

Borders Book Store

10420 Coors Bypass NW
Albuquerque, NM 87114

Barnes & Noble Bel Air
Tollgate Marketplace

620 Marketplace Drive

Bel Air, MD 21014

Delta Lumber, Inc.
2501 Whiteford Rd,

Whiteford, MD 21160

Latest STF News

July 23, 2012- Link for interview with Grilliant Ideas posted on the Reviews page.

September 16, 2011- Startin’ the Fire was reviewed by Views, News, and BBQ.  Check out the review here.

August 15, 2011- Startin’ the Fire was reviewed by Maryland Life back in June.  Check out the review here.

July 13, 2011- WATG? Head Cook George Hensler will be interviewed on Write On Four Corners on KSJE FM, Farmington, NM on Wed Aug 24, 2011 at 10:30pm MST (12:30am EST). You can listen live at 90.9 FM if you are in the Farmington, Aztec, Bloomfield area. Elsewhere you can go to ksje.com to listen. A day or two after the show airs, you will be able to go to www.ksje.com and go to podcasts write on Four Corners.

May 2, 2011- Interview with GrateTV.com posted to the Video page.

April 10, 2011- New review posted on the Celebrity Grill Show website.

April 5, 2011- New review posted on the BBQ Smoker Site and LawDawg BBQ.

March 30, 2011- New review, from Grilling with Rich, posted to the Reviews page

March 27, 2011- Startin the Fire was given a 3rd place Award of Excellence medallion at the recent National BBQ Convention held in Greenville SC. Thanks to the NBBQA. If you are not already a member and are passionate about BBQ, you need to join this organization, these folks are all about the que!

March 27, 2011- Startin’ the Fire author George Hensler attended the NBBQA Conference in Greenville, SC this past weekend.  He was interviewed by BBQSuperstars.com.  The interview and video can be seen here:  Interview   Video

February 17, 2011-  Startin’ the Fire was LPD Press and Rio Grande Books best selling book from January 2010 to June 2010.  Thank you to everyone who helped put us there.

Dizzy Pig BBQ Company

8763 Virginia Meadows Drive

Manassas, VA 20109

New England BBQ and Catering

120 Jackson Street

Canton, MA 02021