Calvary Christian College’s BBQ team, Holy Smoke, is preparing to fire up the smokers for their first competition of the season at this year’s Riverway Meats BBQ Battle at Bartlett Park this weekend.

The competition begins tonight with the steak cook-off, where Holy Smoke will field two teams in the highly competitive event. Tomorrow, the students will combine as one team to take on some of Australia’s top BBQ teams in the Taste of Competition BBQ categories, including chicken, pulled pork, pork ribs and brisket.

Secondary Teacher and Team Coach Tim Blake said the students have been preparing each week through Calvary’s BBQ Club during Sport and Co-Curricular Club time.

“We’ve been practising consistently each week and the students are feeling confident with their flavours and preparation heading into the competition.

"We’re hopeful of achieving some strong results," Mr Blake said.

Principal Paul Thompson said the College was proud to see students embracing the BBQ Club as part of Calvary’s Sport and Co-Curricular program.

“We are incredibly proud to offer the BBQ Club as part of our Sport and Co-Curricular program, and it has been wonderful to see how enthusiastically students have embraced this learning opportunity,” Mr Thompson said.

“Holy Smoke has provided our students with fantastic opportunities to step outside their comfort zones, learn new skills and represent the College in a unique and exciting way.”

The Holy Smoke team includes 12 Secondary students who have embraced the opportunity to develop practical cooking skills, teamwork and confidence through the program.

Beyond the competition itself, the club gives students valuable life skills and encourages them to learn how to prepare and cook food for themselves while working together in a team environment.

Last season, Holy Smoke achieved an impressive third place in the pork ribs category and will be aiming to improve on that result this year. The team is also hoping for strong performances in chicken and pork categories across the weekend.

Holy Smoke is one of the few school teams competing regularly on the BBQ circuit outside of South East Queensland, making their involvement a unique opportunity for regional students.

As this event is a sanctioned competition, a top-three overall finish could see Holy Smoke earn a place in the World Championship BBQ qualifiers, adding even more excitement to this weekend’s event.