A Summerland chef was the winner in the Best Wine and Food Pairing at the fifth annual Similkameen BBQ King event on Saturday.
The barbecue event was hosted by the Similkameen Wineries Association at the Grist Mill and Gardens in Keremeos.
Chef Lee Humphries of Local Lounge and Grille in Summerland received top honours.
Local Lounge and Grille and Seven Stones Winery in Cawston received both the media’s choice award and the people’s choice award for Best Wine and Food Pairing.
Humphries’ winning dish was cherry barbecue pulled pork tacos with sorrel chimichurri, marinated shaved carrots, pickled zucchini, pork sausage, piggy puffs and cherry hot sauce.
The pork was marinated overnight with Seven Stones Pinot Noir, which was also the paired wine.
Humphries was assisted by Chef Damien Mischkinis.
“All in all, it was a very long, hot, rewarding day surrounded by amazing talent, exceptional wine and great people,” Humphries said.
Nine competing chefs from the region competed for the title of Similkameen BBQ King or Queen.
Each of the chefs received a black box of ingredients including a 29-kilogram hog, 20 bunches of certified organic rainbow carrots, nine kilograms of certified organic zucchini, nine kilograms of certified organic Lambert cherries, 0.9 kilograms of organic mixed sorrel and one 100-gram shaker of country pepper.
The sold out event drew more than 400 people.