09/02/2026
Of all the categories at Meat & Tater BBQ Fest, the Potato Auxiliary is one of the most special for multiple reasons, but one in particular stands out to me. 🥔🔥
The big reason goes back almost 20 years to Brandon Wright.
I was a young telecom sales rep at Qwest and attended networking events, but Brandon’s company, UltraClean, was different. Brandon would always smoke a huge pile of potatoes. I still remember how many people showed up, gathered around, ate some good food, and just enjoyed being together. This wasn’t your normal event.
I watched how Brandon interacted with people and how he treated them. How much he truly cared about others, not just customers for his business but humans. I learned so much from his actions, from conversations and from watching him from afar.
Now, years later, I’m being sponsored by his plumbing company Dillon Plumbing as I smoke potatoes for judges this weekend. But if you eat dinner at my house, smoked potatoes are probably on the menu.
BBQ has become a huge part of my life, and I understand it a lot differently now. Yes, I love the competition. I love chasing calls and trying to make the best food I possibly can. But some of the best things that happen around a smoker have absolutely nothing to do with trophies.
Thank you, Brandon, for being you and for all you have taught me.
Last year, we were fortunate enough to hear our name called 5th in this category. This year, we are fine-tuning our dish and coming back after it again. 🥔🏆🔥
— this potato is for you.
