BRANCH COUNTY — On Saturday, you were out of luck if you wanted to taste some of the best barbecue in Michigan, as the Branch County Fair hosted the first annual September Fest BBQ Cook-Off.
Only the judges and special guests tasted results from the 18 professional teams competing to show off who could turn out the best chicken, ribs, pork, and brisket in the Michigan state championship for the Kansas City Barbeque Society.
The overall winner’s trophy went to Shawn Machan from Mac Attack in Fennville after the panels of specially trained judges put his ribs second, beef brisket third, chicken seventh, and pork butt eighth.
Machan said, “What an incredible feeling. It’s been a while since I’ve been in the winner’s circle.”
With 15 years in barbeque competitions and around 150 contests, Machan said this was his first win since 2016.
A full-time Pfizer employee, “I find that the competition is my passion. I try to keep it as a hobby.”
Machan said, “In tasting competition, barbecue will ruin you from going into any other restaurant, because it’s that best one bite you’re ever going to have.”