By Shelby Brooks
A team of playgroup dads will take their hobby of barbecuing to the international stage next year.
Divine Swine BBQ, a competitive team comprised of best mates Clint Patzack, Aaron Bugal, Paul Maddicks, David Morris and Luke Teboekhorst who hail from Berwick, Upper Beaconsfield and Mount Burnett, won their way into the World Championships of barbecuing in Texas slated for March this year.
Fortunately, the team will be able to hold off their entry until 2023 when travel restrictions will hopefully be eased.
Divine Swine BBQ was established after team captain Clint introduced the others to the art of smoking and barbecuing meats.
Clint, who moved from Canada to Australia a few years ago, introduced the cuisine to his friends who were quickly sold on the taste.
“It’s really just snowballed,” Clint said.
“I did a big cook up for my friends and partners and I was on the grill.
“Everyone was blown away by my American low and slow barbecue style I plated up and since then, the guests that night started dabbling in the scene and are now my teammates.”
The team, which is comprised of two Scots, two Aussies and Clint the Canadian, began competing together in 2018 when competitive barbecuing was less popular than it is today.
“When I first came to Australia there wasn’t much of a barbecue scene,” Clint said.
“When we started it would be super hard to go and find a proper cut of meat.
“But now butchers are specialising in it left, right and centre.”
The Divine Swine team actually won Grand Champions in their first competition, and have since received many awards and sponsorships.
Aaron said the main goal was to still have fun but they were now in a position where they could mentor other beginner groups.
“It’s all about that pay it forward mentality,” Aaron said.
“We aren’t shy about handing down our secrets and our recipes.”
“When you pump out that first brisket and you plonk it down in front of friends and family and they all lose their minds saying ‘how did you do this? This is magic’, you get that satisfaction of ‘wow I can cook’.
“It’s been really cathartic to get outside and cook and just have some fun.”
