BaconFest Pacifies Every Piggy!

When Kingaroy’s entire population comes for lunch, there must be something really amazing on the menu. 15,000 Hungry Porkers made their way to the 2019 Sunpork Freshfoods Kingaroy Baconfest recently to get their fix of Ribs, Butts and Bacon. If that wasn’t enough for you, the Live Music by some of the region’s best musicians plus wine and craft beer was the apple in the hog.

An evening under the stars with fabulous food, music and cocktails was the perfect recipe to start a two-day festival honoring our favorite white meat, PORK.  Kingaroy’s Town Hall forecourt was transformed into a wonderland of fairy lights, lanterns and multiple grazing tables loaded with fresh local delicacies.  I for one loaded my plate on several occasions to get my fix for the evening.  Pigs weren’t just on the menu at this year’s Wine & Swine. Australia’s best-known hillbilly style cover band, THE PIGS, had the crowd on their trotters late into the evening. 

The Cooking demonstration stage had an abundance of fresh local produce to be prepared by South Burnett Food Ambassador Jason Ford. In a special team up at this years event, Jason’s wife Karen, a pastry chef herself, joined him on stage.

The special guests didn’t just stop there as Celebrity Chef Adrian Richardson drew huge crowds to see what delicacies he could create with his favorite food group in the kitchen, BACON!

Usually when you love something so much you want to savor the smell, the flavor and the experience.  Obviously the 36 competitors in the 2019 Australian Pork Limited Bacon Eating Competition didn’t receive that memo. This year’s competition was hosted by owner of La Luna Restaurant Adrian Richardson. The battle took six rounds of heats to see who would compete in the final challenge.  Eventually the King Pig was Michael Stonier who will now have 12 months worth of FREE Bacon thanks to Queensland’s 2019 Best Bacon Winners Westridge Meats and Grays Modern Meats.

Bettie Butcher, Australia’s “Hostess with the Mostess” returned to Baconfest to put this year’s entrants in the Miss Baconfest Pinup Pageant through their paces.  Nine ladies took to the main stage to strut their stuff in front of a huge crowd on Saturday afternoon.  Don’t be fooled by the name of this contest though. This is more than just a beauty contest.  Bettie Butcher runs the contests to empower all women. She wants them to embrace their own unique beauty, style and talent, and also encourage each other to love themselves for who they are. Judges Jody Allen (Stay at Home Mum Blog) Miss Audrey Azure (2018 Miss Baconfest Winner) and Kristy Board (Pageant Manager) were put to the test to pick a winner from the Rockabilly Styled Pinups.

Winner Miss Baconfest 2019 – Miss Barbie Banks

Runner Up Miss Baconfest 2019 – Miss Mya Dia Monte

Winner Miss Bacongeneality – Miss Maizie May

As the sun set over the town hall forecourt on Saturday the crowds settled in for the night. The best bands from the region pumped out hours of music that topped off an enormous first day of Porky Goodness.  The atmosphere from the final three bands for the night, Skin ‘n’ Bone, Mr Q and Ryza was heart stopping and left the crowd squealing for more.

If you thought one day of bacony pleasure was enough then you are wrong. Sunday morning, 150 guests had an early start to attend this year’s Long Table Breakfast.  Celebrity Chef Adrian Richardson, Chief Baconeer Kathryn Stevens and Clinton Kenyon (Hidden Gold Homestead) hosted the morning with guests being tantalized with treats by Roberta Schablon from The Saucey Fork.  After breakfast guests were treated to an exclusive shopping experience in South Burnett Flavors precinct. South Burnett Flavors was a unique opportunity for the region’s producers to showcase and sell their products to thousands of customers. 

The 2019 Sunpork Freshfoods Smoke Off was an absolute spectacle this year.  42 teams, 3 pallets of meat and a ute full of timber was the perfect recipe for Low and Slow Barbecue smoking goodness.  The Australasian Barbecue Alliance sanctioned round was part of the 2019 Barbecues Galore Championships.  Sunpork supplied all the meat for this round of the Championship, which creates a unique, level playing field from the start and the quality of the end product all comes down to skill. Open Beef and Overall Winners for this round Signature Smoke were happy as pigs in mud to take out their first ever section win and round win in the same competition.

Winners of the four categories were –

Chicken –                                                        Open Beef –

1^st My Q4U                                                     1st Signature Smoke

2^nd Pit Crew BBQ                                           2nd Bluebird BBQ Crew       

3^rd Fiery Briskets BBQ                                   3rd Smoking Cods BBQ

Pork Ribs –                                                      Pork-

1^st BBQ Addiction                                          1st Big Smoke BBQ

2^nd Smoking Cods BBQ                                 2nd Bastie Boys Low and Slow

3^rd Ham Dunk BBQ                                        3rd Smokey Days BBQ

                                    Overall Winners

1st Signature Smoke

2nd Country Boys BBQ

3rd Angus Reserve

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