Kiwi BBQ Team Scores Perfect 180 at Jack Daniel’s World Championship!
New Zealand's BEERS Championship BBQ Team ties for 1st Place in Cooking from the homeland with a perfect 180 and 2nd place in I Know Jack About Grilling — with Mountain River Venison proudly part of the Kiwi team's success!
What an incredible result for New Zealand!
The BEERS BBQ Team, led by Troy Bilbrough and Scott Carnochan, achieved two outstanding results at the 2026 Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue, held in Lynchburg, Tennessee, on 9–10 October.
Competing against championship-winning barbecue teams from around the world, the Kiwis earned a perfect score of 180 in the cooking from the homeland category, tying for 1st Place alongside Knox BBQ from Slovenia, Kickin' Ash BBQ from Texas and Texas Oil Dust from Texas.
And the celebrations didn't stop there!
The team also took 2nd Place the day before in “Know Jack About Grilling”, with Mountain River Venison proudly supplied and used by the New Zealand team.
A Perfect 180 in cooking from the homeland — The Highlight of the Weekend!
For Scott and his teammates Troy, Charlotte, Rob and Wayne, the Cooking from the homeland category was the standout achievement of their championship weekend.
A perfect score of 180 placed BEERS alongside three other international teams at the top of the category.
The result was a tremendous recognition of the team's barbecue skills, preparation and creativity.
A perfect score in the Chef's Choice category on the world championship stage — what an achievement for a Kiwi team!
A Taste of New Zealand Takes 2nd Place!
The Home Cookin' From The Homeland category challenges competitors to showcase their home country's distinctive food and flavours.
The Kiwi team developed a New Zealand-inspired barbecue platter, bringing together premium New Zealand produce, including Mountain River Venison, New Zealand lamb and New Zealand Black origin Wagyu alongside other ingredients and flavours celebrating their homeland.
Their efforts were rewarded with an outstanding tied 1st place, only losing out on 1st place by the flip of a coin.
For Mountain River, it was particularly rewarding to see our venison being used by a team representing New Zealand at such a prestigious international competition.
Second place in an international championship category is a fantastic achievement — and a wonderful opportunity to showcase the quality and versatility of New Zealand venison.
Venison, Fire and a Little Coffee!
Before heading to Tennessee, the team spent time perfecting their venison dishes, experimenting with different cuts, seasonings and cooking techniques.
The Mountain River Venison French racks were an immediate favourite.
Scott's verdict after the practice sessions?
"We're definitely going to use the venison racks as we found them absolutely amazing."
The team also experimented with a coffee-based rub made by their friend Josh at TEXANZ BBQ, alongside salt, pepper, and garlic.
According to Scott, the coffee helped create a beautiful colour and crust without overpowering the natural flavour of the venison.
“We wanted to showcase the venison as it was; it didn’t need much, just slowly smoked for 45 minutes, then reverse seared over hot coals for a perfect medium/rare bite and it ate like a marshmallow”
The photographs capture beautifully cooked Mountain River Venison racks, presented with colourful accompaniments — a mouthwatering display of Kiwi barbecue creativity. We also cooked Kūmara/sweet potatoes with sweated-down Brussels sprouts, mixed with a few other flavours and ingredients.
Taking on the World's Best
The Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue — affectionately known as The Jack — is one of the most prestigious events on the international barbecue calendar.
The 37th annual championship brought together 98 teams competing across traditional barbecue categories, including chicken, pork ribs, pork shoulder, and brisket, alongside special categories celebrating creativity and the food traditions of their home countries.
For the BEERS BBQ Team, earning an invitation to represent New Zealand was already a remarkable achievement.
Coming away with a perfect score in the cooking from the homeland category and second place in the I Know Jack About Grilling category made the occasion even more memorable!
A Team Effort Across Two Countries
Getting Mountain River Venison to Tennessee involved collaboration between our New Zealand and American teams.
John Sadler and the Mountain River team supported the venison sponsorship, while Angus Cleland from Terra Pacific Marketing helped coordinate the supply of competition product from the United States.
The venison arrived safely in Lynchburg, ready for the team to put their preparation and skills to the test.
From New Zealand farms and processing facilities to Tennessee barbecue pits, it was a shared effort to showcase outstanding New Zealand produce.
Celebrating a Fantastic Kiwi Achievement!
For Mountain River, supporting the Kiwi team was about more than supplying venison. It was an opportunity to help passionate New Zealand competitors share our country's exceptional food with the world.
Congratulations to Scott Carnochan, Troy Bilbrough, Charlotte, Rob and Wayne on their perfect 180 in the cooking Home From The Homeland and second place in “Know Jack About Grilling”
And a big thank you to everyone across our Mountain River Community, including John, Angus and the teams in New Zealand and the United States, who helped make this possible.
From New Zealand's pastures to the winners' podium in Tennessee — what a fantastic achievement!
Note: The Jack About Grilling:
Five teams are selected to compete in an hour showdown where they are given 10 minutes to look at a mystery box of ingredients before being given one hour to prepare an entree, 2 sides and an appetiser or dessert for 5 distinguished judges. These included BBQ superstar Malcolm Reed from “How to BBQ Right” and 18-time world champion Chris Lilly from Big Bob Giibson BBQ.
Find Out More:
The Lynchburg Times — The Jack 2026 — Read about the 2026 championship and its winners.
Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue — Discover the international championship held in Lynchburg, Tennessee.