What It Really Takes to Win the Biggest BBQ Competitions with @HeathRilesBBQ ​

#bbq #pitmaster #podcast #bbq In this episode of The Duce Raymond Podcast, Duce sits down with Heath Riles — world champion pitmaster, award-winning BBQ entrepreneur, content creator, and one of the most respected names in barbecue. From competition BBQ and Memphis in May to product development, social media, retail growth, and building a national BBQ brand, this conversation is packed with insight for anyone who loves barbecue, grilling, food content, and the business behind it.Heath shares the real story behind his rise in the BBQ world, including how long the journey actually took, the grind of starting from a small town in Mississippi, and the hard work that went into building the Heath Riles BBQ brand. Duce and Heath also talk about the advice Heath received from Sweet Baby Ray’s Dave Raymond, why putting your own name on a product can change everything, and how Heath turned that decision into a fast-growing barbecue business.The conversation dives deep into Heath’s success in competition barbecue, including his incredible run at Memphis in May, where he has won the rib category three out of the last four years and earned the title of 2025 Grand Champion. Heath breaks down what makes a perfect rib, the fine line of tenderness in competition BBQ, and why ribs are one of the hardest categories to win consistently.Duce and Heath also get into the modern side of barbecue — the importance of social media, food videos, recipe content, online sales, retail expansion, and what it really takes to keep a BBQ brand growing in today’s crowded digital landscape. Heath also shares what goes into his product development process, how detailed he gets with rubs and sauces, what his weekly podcast schedule looks like, and where he wants the Heath Riles brand to be in the next five years.0:00 Duce Welcomes BBQ Legend Heath Riles2:53 The Untold Story Behind Heath Riles’ Rise in BBQ6:24 The Branding Advice Heath Got From Sweet Baby Ray12:46 How Heath Riles Won Memphis in May16:43 The Secret to a Perfect Rib Bite18:15 Building a BBQ Brand Before Social Media20:14 What Matters Most in the BBQ Business25:54 Inside Heath Riles’ Podcast and Content Machine31:57 Why Filming BBQ Videos Is Harder Than It Looks35:56 Royal Oak, Competition BBQ, and Sweet Baby Ray Stories39:27 Heath’s Dream Farm Setup for BBQ and Filming43:59 Outro and What’s NextFollow Heath Riles on Social: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathrilesbbq/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeathRilesBBQ/Tik-Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heathrilesbbq?lang=enX: https://x.com/heathrilesbbqYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeathRilesBBQ/featuredPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/heathrilesbbq/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathrilesbbq/Website: https://www.heathrilesbbq.com/Follow Us on SocialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetbabyrayscatering/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sweetbabyrayscatering   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetbabyrayscatering    Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sweet-baby-ray's-catering/?viewAsMember=true     Website: https://www.sweetbabyraysbbq.com/