Roasters take on America

Among the 56 competitors was a team from The Spit Roast Co in Browning Road, Heathfield, who took the finely-honed flavour of Great British pork to the USA.

'The Americans do tend to smother their meat with an awful lot of strong, cheap flavours,' explained owner Tony Brewin. 'They slap on bottled sauces of all kinds so in the end you don't even know what meat you're eating.'

The Jack Daniels-sponsored competition can be entered by invitation only. Tony's team, which included his top chef Jason Tidy and friend Chris Bowden, was the UK's only representative. The trio named themselves the British Bulldogs. The company provides spit roasts and catering for private parties.

The spectacular was attended by more than 30,000 spectators, and the highlight of the spit-roasting was The Whole Hog category, in which entrants were challenged to barbecue the tastiest whole pig.

'It's the one that everyone wants to win,' said Tony. 'Everyone took part. There were teams from all over the world and the competition is tough.

'We came fourth out of 56, so we were very pleased. We roasted the thing completely whole over a charcoal fire with hickory chips and wood infused with apple and cherry. We also basted it with our own secret blend of herbs and spices.'