BBQ Shop Talk

Master Barbecue Champion and Professional Chef, JT Handy is the Pit Master of JT’s BBQ. Chef Handy is a purist in the art of true slow smoked Southern Barbecue. After more than a decade of honing his skills behind the hard wood pits in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Chef Handy has turned his talents to teaching his southern art of slow smoked foods when not engaged on the battlefield of competition.

Chef Handy was named the FIRST ever South Carolina Master Barbecue Champion. His award winning competition team, JT’s BBQ, has been awarded Grand Champion of numerous professional competition barbecue contests, where JT’s BBQ was named the undisputed top barbecue team in the State of South Carolina!

Chef Handy is a classically trained chef, graduating from the Culinary Institute of Charleston in South Carolina. Chef Handy is also a certified barbecue judge under /several different sanctioning bodies to include the Kansas City Barbecue Society, Memphis Barbecue Network, Florida BBQ Association, and charter member of the South Carolina Barbecue Association.

Along with his many talents behind the pit, Chef Handy has traveled the world teaching others his southern barbecue recipes. Classes target the beginner to the seasoned veteran and everyone in between. There are hundreds of practicing barbecue and country cooks that have elevated their techniques and seen proven results from Chef Handy’s instruction.

Chef Handy is the premiere instructor for Road Scholar.org and Southern United States Trade Association (S.U.S.T.A) BBQ classes.

Mark is also the Chief Cook for Q “FORE” U, a BBQ Competition Cook Team that also does catering. The team was started a few years back as a way to enjoy the art of competition and to become better BBQ cooks. As a team, Q “fore” U enjoys the time together as friends and the opportunity to meet festival goers and share BBQ!

Mark has formulated Buzz’s Butt Dust and most of the Smokin’ Coals line of sauces and dry rubs. These products are Gluten Free.