Bad to the Bone: Byron Chism
What's in a name? Just ask Bad Byron of Buttrub.com. As part of our ongoing interview series, we sat down with the man himself, covering off not only the history behind his brand but some of his most memorable moments to-date in his stellar competition barbecue career.
SmokeInDaEye asks: After 12 years in the business, I think it’s safe to declare Byron Chism “King of the Butt Rubs”. You good with that, Byron?
Byron Chism replies: I wouldn't say I was the king of anything but do let me know if there are any "Butt Rubs" out their. My trademark is sacred to me and the most valuable business asset I have.
SmokeInDaEye asks: After 12 years in the business, I think it’s safe to declare Byron Chism “King of the Butt Rubs”. You good with that, Byron?
Byron Chism replies: I wouldn't say I was the king of anything but do let me know if there are any "Butt Rubs" out their. My trademark is sacred to me and the most valuable business asset I have.
SIDE: Jokes aside, from a sales and branding perspective you had to have been pretty pleased to snag the rights to such a marketable name. Do you recall the specific “ah ha” moment when you decided to merge Boston butt and dry rub to create Bad Byron’s Butt Rub?
BC: Butt Rub as a name was easy for me. My friend who taught me how to BBQ and built my first cooker always cooked butts (Ironically he did not use a dry rub). I had read about some old Texas recipes that called for a dry rub and decided to make one for the butts. The name was a natural and made everybody laugh. The blend too was something I was proud of.
BC: Butt Rub as a name was easy for me. My friend who taught me how to BBQ and built my first cooker always cooked butts (Ironically he did not use a dry rub). I had read about some old Texas recipes that called for a dry rub and decided to make one for the butts. The name was a natural and made everybody laugh. The blend too was something I was proud of.
When I got serious about it, I was surprised the name was not trademarked. Part of that was because commercial dry rubs in the late 90's were few and big business had not caught up with rubs yet. "Bad Byron's" preceded this because I had named my baked Beans "Bad Byron's Boston Butt Baked Bean's" way back when. I actually put this recipe in our church cookbook!
SIDE: Any trouble securing buttrub.com back then and or odd requests you’ve received over the years
BC: The website buttrub.com was another easy one. I think it cost me $200 and that included someone to build the site. The timing was good because it made my product available to anyone with a computer. That's a land of opportunity compared to traditional venues and, of course, I could begin to tap into those too. buttrub.com the team name started in July of 2000 at the Shannon, Illinois event. I had a partner, Robert Worsley, and I didn't like "Bad Byron" because it was a team not just me. The website team name was the 1st time that had been done. It made sense to me to promote the site and this was a good way to do it. A year later when the first Food Network BBQ competition special aired, Al Roker gave "buttrub.com" one and a half minutes of air time as he showed us winning the American Royal Invitational. It was a big win but the air time was the first time a team name being announced turned into thousands of hits and hundreds of orders. I was proud of the team name decision. There have been a few more since then!
I'm not sure about odd requests but there have been a few Monday mornings when we check messages and people have been partying and leave us really funny messages. It's been amazing that we have caught almost no real negative flack from the name.
SIDE: And some people may not know it, but you are actually a trained chef, graduating from the Culinary Institute of America then deciding to forgo the traditional restaurant route to pursue this barbecue thing. Do you think the formal training was beneficial in honing your competition skills or is that time better spent on the road learning through trial and error?
BC: That's a really good question. In a nut shell I think BBQ skills are acquired by trial and error. Like anything though, it's not just physical labor. I think getting creative and thinking through your experiments is important. Learning to use and trust your instincts are the mark of a true champion, in my opinion. Quau is a good example of that. That guy will not sleep until he figures out a better way of doing things. His approach is always original and creative. To further answer your question though, any cooking experience and/or training will build your base knowledge level and put you in a better position to spring to success. Much of what I learned at CIA is ingrained in my subconscious and has helped me a lot I'm sure, giving me confidence and more mental tools if nothing else.
BC: That's a really good question. In a nut shell I think BBQ skills are acquired by trial and error. Like anything though, it's not just physical labor. I think getting creative and thinking through your experiments is important. Learning to use and trust your instincts are the mark of a true champion, in my opinion. Quau is a good example of that. That guy will not sleep until he figures out a better way of doing things. His approach is always original and creative. To further answer your question though, any cooking experience and/or training will build your base knowledge level and put you in a better position to spring to success. Much of what I learned at CIA is ingrained in my subconscious and has helped me a lot I'm sure, giving me confidence and more mental tools if nothing else.
SIDE: I may be mathematically challenged, but I believe I counted 28 grand champion victories in roughly 8 years. That’s quite an accomplishment to say the least. What single victory are you most proud of?
BC: March 2006. Mobile, Alabama. This was big for me on several levels. Mobile is a our family hub and all the family was there to share this. On this day it was my mom's birthday and there were 90 teams including most of the top cooks of the day. Winning would have been fabulous all by itself but it just so happened this event would be an hour long Food Network special and buttrub.com got the curtain call. It was the single biggest day in our companies history. The show "Bama-Que" continues to get airtime and is helping to put Butt Rub on the map.
SIDE: Any contest you still have your sights on winning?
BC: My interest in competing now is to hit a handful of sentimental favorites. I had a 10 1/2 year run where I gave it all I had. It has been the best part of my life and fortunately the collective effort have helped me to market Butt Rub. I will compete when I do show up, but I'm not chasing any titles at the moment.
SIDE: The competition world has changed quite a bit since your first victory with an exponential increase in the number of contests and competitors. Anything you miss about the early days?
BC: My interest in competing now is to hit a handful of sentimental favorites. I had a 10 1/2 year run where I gave it all I had. It has been the best part of my life and fortunately the collective effort have helped me to market Butt Rub. I will compete when I do show up, but I'm not chasing any titles at the moment.
SIDE: The competition world has changed quite a bit since your first victory with an exponential increase in the number of contests and competitors. Anything you miss about the early days?
BC: There are more events and a lot of new teams. I think this is great. It mean being able to cook more and stay closer to home for a lot of teams whose traveling is limited. I think for all the changes its still about being among friends and accepting the challenge of turning in your best product. If and when the teams are all in it for money I think we will have lost the best part about this.
SIDE: Going back a few years, you were part of the first true TV series dedicated to the sport of barbecue, OLN’s All Star BBQ Showdown. What’s you fondest memory of the original series?
BC: I loved watching the cooks all huddle in the trailer and watch the judging live. That was a brilliant idea. As a cook it was anxiety city though!
SIDE: Any thoughts…good, bad or otherwise…on the changes made to the format in season 2 including the introduction of a celebrity panel of judges and “the dish that bites back”?
BC: I liked the whole arena environment. Watching the shows from the stands was 10 times better than the TV. We were all glued to the bleachers. Some of it of course is show business but I think if BBQ as a sport if it ever got big it would need to be in a format similar to this. Its just not much of a spectator sport otherwise. I was proud to have been a part of both shows and I think the consensus from the producers is that they are looking to combine some of each format to do it for the next time.
SIDE: Nice! Sign me up. So, what’s next for Bad Byron? More TV, a book, perhaps?
BC: You know, Clint, I like where I'm at. I am more involved with the business now in aspects other than staying on the road. Although its been 12 years, we feel like we are just getting started with marketing and distributing Butt Rub. Robert Worsley is our sales manager and has been since 2000 when we started cooking together. He and our sales staff are making tremendous progress. A few good cook-offs and some fun promotional things like our Open House this weekend. More time with family and being a local in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida is pretty cool again!
Thanks again for the time, Bad Byron. It was a true pleasure!
- SmokeInDaEye, home of bigger, badder, bolder barbecue
BC: You know, Clint, I like where I'm at. I am more involved with the business now in aspects other than staying on the road. Although its been 12 years, we feel like we are just getting started with marketing and distributing Butt Rub. Robert Worsley is our sales manager and has been since 2000 when we started cooking together. He and our sales staff are making tremendous progress. A few good cook-offs and some fun promotional things like our Open House this weekend. More time with family and being a local in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida is pretty cool again!
Thanks again for the time, Bad Byron. It was a true pleasure!
- SmokeInDaEye, home of bigger, badder, bolder barbecue
Posted by Smoke In Da Eye at 3/9/2009 9:10 AM 
Categories: interviews
Tags: competition cooking Butt Rub barbecue competition bbq ButtRub.com Bad Byron bbq Byron Chism
Categories: interviews
Tags: competition cooking Butt Rub barbecue competition bbq ButtRub.com Bad Byron bbq Byron Chism
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6/10/2009 6:59 PM
A BBQ Nation, The Official SmokeInDaEye Blog wrote:
As part of our ongoing interview series, we sit down with grilling guru and author of the 4 million copies sold Barbecue Bible, Steven Raichlen.5/11/2009 1:24 PM A BBQ Nation, The Official SmokeInDaEye Blog wrote:
As part of our ongoing interview series, we sit down with grilling guru and author of the 4 million copies sold Barbecue Bible, Steven Raichlen.5/11/2009 12:07 PM A BBQ Nation, The Official SmokeInDaEye Blog wrote:
As part of our ongoing interview series, we sit down with grilling guru and author of the 4 million copies sold Barbecue Bible, Steven Raichlen.Comments
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A great interview.
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Wow, I never knew that Byron Chism. That's pretty interesting...
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