Pitmaster BBQ Weekend Marries Good Eats with Professional Techniques
Award-Winning Pitmaster Kicks Off the Official Grilling Season at The Abbey Resort

FONTANA, WI – April 22, 2010 – Calling all barbecue connoisseurs: It’s time to fire up the grill, roll up your sleeves and sink your teeth into some award-winning barbecue at the Pit Masters BBQ Weekend (napkins optional). On May 22, 2010, Pit Master Matthew Whiteford will kick off a tangy and tasty summer with the barbecue event of the season at The Abbey Resort & Spa.

Starting at 11 a.m., Whiteford will share his barbecue secrets through an interactive cooking demonstration and barbecue class.  Participants will learn how to prep, rub, season and barbecue the meats to perfection and they can take these tips and tricks right back to their own backyard grills. Several different grills will be set up at The Abbey so no barbecue enthusiast will be left in the dark – no matter what cooker they have at home.  Barbecue connoisseurs are sure to be excited to test out the Big Green Egg, the renowned cooker with a fanatical following, if they haven’t already.

In between tasty bites of smoky barbecue, guests will learn Whiteford’s barbecue secrets, specifically his unique, four-step “Layers of Flavors” technique to ribs, chicken and pulled pork.

“This is a great opportunity to share all that goes into the preparation and technique of barbecue with people who love it as much as I do,” said Whiteford, owner of Love Your BBQ, Jim Beam Sponsored National Competition BBQ Cook and certified judge with the Kansas City Barbeque Society. “I’m delighted to teach fellow barbecue enthusiasts how to make a delicious award-winning barbecue from beginning to end.  I’ll share by experience with building a basic rub, creating an authentic Kansas City Style BBQ sauce and then demonstrate the cooking methods not often seen in most backyard barbecues.”

The festivities also include a Jim Beam tasting and sampling and finishes off with the highly anticipated barbecue family-style dinner hosted and prepared by Whiteford.  The most discerning fans should opt for an overnight stay at the resort to full enjoy the experience, cocktails and entertainment along the lake.  

“This BBQ Pit Master event is one of many exciting summertime activities happening at The Abbey and it’s the perfect kick off to the summer season,” said Michael Lucero, director of operations at The Abbey Resort. “We are excited to have Whiteford teach our guests his famous techniques.  Delicious barbecue and live music on the lake is an extraordinary way to start the summer.”

Guests can wrap up their scrumptious and mouth-watering day by enjoying live music performed on the waterfront on Saturday night.

For those just wanting to chow down, guests can enjoy the dinner at 6:30 p.m., which includes endless fall-off-the-bone tender meat prepared by Whiteford and served right on the picturesque Lake Geneva.

There are options for every budget and appetite with packages ranging from $57-$149 (plus applicable taxes, resort fees and gratuity pending the package selected) and this highly-anticipated event is sure to fill up fast.  To make reservations, please call 800-709-1323 or visit www.theabbeyresort.com. 

Still looking for more barbecue?  Back by popular demand is “Burnin’ Down the Docks” – a weekly event with blues, brews and barbecue every Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. on The Abbey’s outdoor patio, as well as live music in the Waterfront Grill nightly throughout the summer

For reservations and information on The Abbey Resort & Spa, The Waterfront and Burnin’ Down the Docks, visit
www.theabbeyresort.com or call 888.629.9594.