CELORON - For Kyle Sorenson and the staff of Jamestown's Bulldog Barbeque, this weekend's rib cook off in Celoron hasn't been about selling a certain number of racks or even beating the festival's national vendors - it's been about a brand-new business sharing its love of barbeque with its community.
One of the five rib vendors participating in Celoron's second annual Wild Rib Cook Off and Music Festival, Bulldog Barbeque is the only rib vendor with local ties to Chautauqua County.
Though strictly a vending and concessions business for the time being, Bulldog Barbeque is available to cater. Later this summer, owners will take what they've learned in Celoron to the Mayville Bluegrass Festival, Jamestown's Thunder in the Streets festival and the Chautauqua County Fair.
"It's a lot of fun and it's a lot of work," Sorenson said Friday, the festival's third day. "I certainly have even more of an appreciation now for true barbeque."
After discovering how much he enjoyed barbequing while in college, where his nickname was "Bulldog," Sorenson began making his own sauces and admittedly "fell in love" with charcoal and hardwood cooking.
"My family and friends said I'd be crazy if I didn't go into business," Sorenson said, laughing as he prepped ribs during Friday's dinner rush. "Finally, this year, it just happened. We got a lot of support from friends and family. This would not have been possible without their very close support."
This year's event concludes today. In addition to Bulldog Barbeque, there are several rib vendors serving full and half rack barbecue ribs and pulled pork sandwiches. Rib vendors include Pig Foot BBQ Company, Sgt. Oinks BBQ Co., Smokin' Joe's Hog Wild Barbeque and My Happy Place.
The results of Friday's rib judging will be revealed tonight at 8:45 p.m.
"We weren't planning to do a contest first," Sorenson said of starting Bulldog Barbeque, "it just happened that this was Rib Fest and they had a contest and we were starting a business. It just really worked out."
Along with ribs, food offerings include barbecue chicken, lemonade, chocolate covered strawberries, kettle korn, roasted nuts, ice cream, chocolate cheesecake, fries, chicken fingers, funnel cakes, hot dogs, corn dogs and more.
The Wild Rib Cook Off and Music Festival will run from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. today, with James Ruff performing at 3:15, Grand Larseny performing at 4:45 and Shadow's Force performing at 8 to 11 p.m. There are also several craft vendors and games, such as a mechanical bull.
For more information about the festival, visit www.ribfestnewyork.com. The event is being produced by Performance & Event Management based in Erie, Pa.
