BBQ Mania

11/06/2026

👀 Peep some changes to Mania this year!..

More info to come in an official announcement soon! Keep your eyes peeled!

Heads up teams! There have been a couple of minor tweaks to the NZBA competition calendar for the remainder of the season.

We’re keen to finish 2026 with a bang, so let’s get these last four comps absolutely chocka with teams. If you’ve been on the fence about entering, now’s the time to lock it in, round up your mates, and get your entries sorted. We have some well seasoned, experienced pitmasters keen to help & mentor any new teams, so if you're brand new but want to know more, please reach out!

Check the updated dates and details on the NZBA calendar below, confirm your spots, and help us send this season off in style!

08/10/2025

Well.. now that the dust has settled on our weekend and rest and recovery has been had.. now we reflect and give thanks to all involved!-

Thank you all for coming to The Kotare Barbecue Mania 7 Taupo Event!
And what an eventful weekend it was!
We had, rain, sun, wind.. slushy muddy ground and even a thunder and lightning storm!
So well done to all our competitors and even the public that came out with their umbrellas and gumboots to come and check it all out!

Here's the whole weekends results! Congratulations to those who heard their names called and recieved top prizes! 🥳👏🏼

Saturday- NZ Barbecue Alliance - (23 teams)

Grand Champions!- BEERS Championship BBQ
Reserve Grand Champions- Smokey Fish Bar-Bee-Q

Sunday- SCA NZ Group
(16 individual steak cooks and 9 ancillary cooks)

Steak-
1st- Morgan from Out The Grate BBQ
2nd- Cherie from 2 Girls and a Grill NZ
3rd- Scott from Smokey fish Bar-bee-que

Anything with Sacred Grounds Coffee (Acacia Bay roast)-
1st- Charlotte from Rolling Coal BBQ
2nd- Troy from Beers Championship BBQ
3rd- Natasha from 2 Girls and a Grill

Rib Cookoff Association NZ - (16 individual entries)

Wings-
1st- Josh from Big Bark BBQ
2nd- Cherie from 2 Girls and a Grill NZ
3rd- Jon from Smokesman

Ribs-
1st- first timer- Melissa from Meatloaf
2nd- Troy from Beers Championship BBQ
3rd- Logan from Christchurch (Smokey fish)

Again well done to everyone for getting through the crazy weather and travel chaos.!

Thanks to our sponsors who without them we wouldn't be able to host this each year!

Biggest shout out to our main sponsor for all their generosity and help putting this together-

✨️Kotare Consultants✨️

And our category sponsors-
McLeod Cranes and Hiabs
Bidfood Taupō
Commodities NZ Ltd
General Compression Limited
The Landing Lake Taupo/ Dropzone Entertainment Ltd
Out The Grate BBQ
Team Bbqwar/Ultimate Tinfoil
Brunswick Drilling Consultants

Donkey Grill- Our cool as Trophies
Get Set Event Hire- Judges marquee,tables & chairs
Intercept Security- The lovely Shaun on the gate
Signlabnz- Mania signage (and our trailers new wrapping!)
Undisputed Belts- for the STUNNING Championship Belts 😍

The Merchant of Taupo for the gift basket for the raffle prizes. Along with Kinloch Honey Ltd, Texanz BBQ and our beloved Ken from Barbecue BOI who unfortunately couldn't be with us this weekend so he sent some prizes for this and the competitiors!

The team at Misfit Garden for the lush bouquets of parsley for our teams.

Our amazing food and coffee vendors who put up with the awful weather and long days to serve you all! - Black Label Barbecue, Bens Bistro, Doses Taupō 💕 appreciate you guys joining us!

Thanks to Stim craftsmanship for bringing your beautiful stall of handmade wooden beauties!
And Carbon Metal Works & Meat Marauders for showcasing the Hurt Locker and yarning with the public about your custom pits.

Another thanks to Commodities charcoal for all the charcoal prizes that was sent our way for your prizes! So spoilt!

And of course thank you to our gracious hosts who let us take over their park every year!- Great Lake Holiday Park

Thanks to all our friends and family that helped out in anyway big or small and our boys for manning the BBQ Supply stall and raffle ticket sales.

And not to be forgotten our sanctioning body's representatives- Chris, Kat, Carl, and Scott! And all the judges! Thank you for your service!

Without you all we couldn't make this event happen!
Our hearts are full and exhausted!
Much love to you all!

Hope to see you all again next year!!

06/10/2025

.. Annndd...the winner of our BBQ prizepack RAFFLE- Wayne James Dil / Team Bbqwar

Thanks to all who entered!
And special big thanks for all the generosity from these guys who put together all these wonderful prizes!-
The Merchant of Taupo for the $200 hamper full of foodie goodies and thanks to Barbecue BOI for the BBQ accessories, voucher, rubs and goodies.
And thanks to our mates for the beautiful pot of honey- Kinloch Honey Ltd

02/10/2025

💥Sponsor Spotlight💥

This Year BBQ Manias Steak Cook Off Association Competition is proudly brought to you by-
The Landing Lake Taupo's Dropzone!

There’s something for everyone and it’s all under one fun-filled roof out at The Landing! Perfect your tenpin bowling technique, let the kids bounce off the walls on the trampolines, challenge the adults to time trials on the outside Ninja course, play in the arcade, watch the little ones enjoy the indoor playground, or simply sit back and enjoy a drink and a meal.

The Dropzone is Taupō’s one and only destination for fun, thrills, laughter and excitement and the whole family is invited.

Generous and fun and oh so fitting for this years SCA Sponsor!
Always community orientated and always keen to jump in and help in anyway possible!
Thank you team for all your support!

Check them out on Facebook or head to- https://www.thedropzone.co.nz/ to book the whole family in for some epic fun!

01/10/2025

Alright Teams-

Reminders- (coz I know most of ya'll don't read the info packs that get sent out!)

-Drive in and go straight to your site and start set up, as it can get congested if you all drag your trailers into the turn around circle in front of the office. Then later- check in at the office let them know who & where you are and theyll sort you out.

-Your trailer/caravans must be up to code with its electrical certs.
-The plugs/outlet on your cook-sites will require campsite plugs/fittings.

-Cabins require you to bring your own blankets (& pillowcases)- only fitted sheets and pillows are provided. Linen can be hired from the campground at $10 per person.
-Showers, Laundry and Kitchen are all a shared communal situation.
And if you have a standard cabin toilets are also communal.

-Bags of ICE are available for purchase from the campground office $5 a bag
-Parsley will be there for you Friday afternoon on the big BBQ Tables by the office under the shade.

-Car Parking- Cabins are allocated one car park, otherwise if you can fit your vehicle on your cook site please do, otherwise Mandy and the parks manager can advise you as to where you park your vehicles on the day. (There will be plenty of room

-It is COLD in Taupo and the weather isn't looking too flash for us.. so make sure you bring plenty of warm/wet weather gear!
All cooking sites are on grass, make sure you adequately weight down your gazebos.

And here's the weekends Timetable & Site Map-

30/09/2025

💥Sponsor Spotlight!- 💥
Please give it up for this years BBQ Mania Chicken Category Sponsor!---
Bidfood Taupō
New Zealand’s largest wholesale distributor, supplying the industry with food, beverages and kitchen consumables.

We are thrilled to have Bidfood join the BBQ Mania madness this year!
They are already Out The Grate BBQ 's Food Truck Supplier and they have been nothing but supportive and enthusiastic about all that we do!
So a massive out pouring of gratitude is due for the Taupo Team.

We are so stoked to finally have a physical food service warehouse right here in Taupo, and they have been doing an epic job getting out there and providing top quality produce and service to our community.
We are looking forward to this weekends event and our continued relationship with Bidfood as we continue to grow our Taupo BBQ empire!

Bidfood are wholesale distributors and foodservice experts. At our core is service, people, quality ingredients and expertise. Our 24 branches nationwide allow us to operate fast, efficiently, and with a local feel, to ensure we can meet the needs of our customers.
Find out more- https://www.bidfood.co.nz/

29/09/2025

💥Sponsor Spotlight💥

This years MAIN Sponsor of "Kotare Barbecue Mania 7" is the amazing team at (its all in the name of course!!)

Without their support we wouldnt be able to make this event happen!

Kotare Consultants specialise in surveying, engineering, and planning. As a multi-disciplinary firm providing complete project solutions, Kotare Consultants is committed to helping developers, landowners and the rural sector as well as government agencies succeed in land development and resource management objectives through knowledge, experience and innovation.

Not only are they our biggest supporter but also their Managing Director - Ciaran and his BBQ team "Meatloaf" will be there all weekend competing in the competitions...

We are looking forward to this weekends event and really appreciate the Kotare teams contributions and support!

To find out more about Kotare Consultants check out- https://www.kotareconsultants.nz/

Taupō Office-
Unit 8,
66 Paora Hapi Street, Taupō 3330
Contact-
0800 00 4477
[email protected]

26/09/2025

This year at BBQ Mania we have you covered for lunch with some delicious food vendors for you all!

The legendary Black Label Barbecue from Rotorua are bringing their award winning low n slow smoked Barbecue to the Great Lake Taupo Holiday Park to satisfy those bbq meat cravings...

As well as new kids on the block here in Taupo- Bens Bistro , who are serving up New Orelans style Comfort food.. Think hearty Creole flavours of Gumbo, Po boys and Hush puppies..

And we have Doses Taupō cart with us both mornings serving their divine Havana Coffee ☕️

Go check them all out on social media and be sure to follow and support!
Bring the family down for some lunch and for all things barbecue! 😋

23/09/2025

💥Sponsor Spotlight!💥
This years BBQ Mania Brisket Category Sponsor- Commodities NZ Ltd

They are a family-owned business in Foxton, distributing- Charcoal, Firewood, Firelighters, Fire logs, Wood Chips, and all things fuel since 1981!
As well as their online shop where they also sell an array of NZ’s best BBQ accessories, rubs, sauces and merch.

These guys are massive supporters of all things NZ BBQ and have been amazing supporters of Out the Grate BBQ as our sponsors and now supporting this years BBQ Mania too!
Not only are they sponsoring the Brisket Category but they are also providing their top quality product as prizes for our BBQ competitors!

We are thrilled to have them on board this year and really appreciate their contributions!

Also go check out what they are doing to help the Indonesian rainforests and for the environment in general! - https://www.commoditiesnz.co.nz/indonesia-rainforest-project
What Legends!