BBQ pair almost go the whole hog (From This Is Wiltshire)

A SWINDON barbecue team have been grilling the competition in America as they claimed third prize in a competition.

The team, known as A Bunch Of Swines, has returned from Kansas after competing in the American Royal BBQ Competition.

They claimed their place in the invitational competition after they were victorious in Grillstock 2012 in Bristol in the summer.

A total of 545 teams from around the world were competing this year but A Bunch Of Swines was the only British team to qualify.

The team, made up of Ed Gash and Emma Millest, from the town centre, impressed the judges at the Grillstock competition earlier this year, which was part of a barbecue and music festival with 21 entries across classes such as ribs, brisket, pork and barbecue beans.

In the Kansas competition there were four categories, which involved the pair cooking ribs, pork shoulder, chicken and brisket.

The duo claim that their speciality is ribs but it was actually their chicken that won them third prize and they came a respectable 106th in the overall standings, the highest ever finish for a British team.

Ed, 29, said: “It was a pretty amazing experience to be a part of.

“The overall competition had 545 participants across 20 acres of land, all cooking the same four bits of meat.

“We finished in the top 20 per cent which is amazing for a British team.

“I think the highest finish from a British team is something like 280th.

“There was another British team in this competition who finished 388th, so that just shows how well we did.

“It was quite a surreal experience and a challenge for us to be cooking over there.

“We were using barbecues that you can buy from your local garden shop, which cost a couple of hundred pounds, while they have these giant motor homes and barbecues built specifically for them, which cost £20,000.”

The couple have only been cooking with barbecues professionally for about two years.

They say they have learned a lot from the American experience and are are hoping to work on their techniques so that next year they can compete in Kansas again and win one of the sections.

Ed said: “We’ve learnt a lot of new techniques and different flavourings and different methods of cooking.

“We will go and do a lot of practice over the winter and we will look to go back next year and be a lot more competitive.”