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Melissa Cookston is a celebrated chef, author, and seven-time world barbecue champion.
Prairie Fresh partners with several chefs and pitmasters from around the country to bring you delicious pork recipes you can make at home. Cookston serves as brand ambassador for Prairie Fresh, using its pork products in competitions and her restaurant. She promotes 'The Prairie Fresh Way', emphasizing consistency and reliability.
Melissa Cookston, the 'Winningest Woman in Barbecue' and 7-time world barbecue champion, author, and restaurateur, is a brand ambassador for Pit Boss Grills.
The BBQ All Stars online store is a collaboration between Melissa Cookston of Memphis Barbecue Company and other top names in competition barbecue, offering meats, rubs, and more.
Supported the creation of the 'Ultimate Steak Salad with Watercress and Fresh Herb Vinaigrette' recipe.
Supported the creation of the 'Ultimate Steak Salad with Watercress and Fresh Herb Vinaigrette' recipe.
Melissa Cookston was born in Ruleville, Mississippi, in 1968, and grew up in Greenville and Pontotoc, Mississippi. Her career in food preparation began early, leading her to the competitive barbecue circuit in 1996. After years of successful competition wins, Cookston and her husband transitioned from their established jobs in 2007 to fully dedicate themselves to competitive barbecue. This dedication led to the opening of their first restaurant, Memphis BBQ Company, in 2011, establishing locations in Mississippi and Georgia. In 2016, she expanded her culinary ventures by opening STEAK by Melissa in Southaven, Mississippi, which operated until 2020. Additionally, she opened Green Tomato Catering in Horn Lake, MS, in 2019, focusing on catering and plate lunch services. Cookston maintains her role as pitmaster for the Yazoo’s Delta Q barbecue team.
Demonstrating further innovation in her field, Cookston began breeding her own hybrid pigs in 2017. Her expertise has also been showcased on various television programs since 2012, including “BBQ Pitmasters,” “Chopped,” “CBS This Morning,” “The Kitchen,” and “The American Barbecue Showdown.” Cookston has authored two cookbooks, “Smokin in the Boy’s Room” (2014) and “Smokin’ Hot in the South” (2016), solidifying her status as an authority in barbecue cuisine. She retired from competitive cooking in 2023, with the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest as her final competitive event. Currently, she lives in Hernando, Mississippi, with her husband, Pete, and their daughter, Lauren.
Beyond her culinary and media achievements, Cookston is a philanthropist. She founded the World Junior BBQ League (WJBL), a non-profit organization aimed at teaching high school students not only cooking skills but also life skills such as teamwork, leadership, and work ethic through competitive barbecue. The WJBL hosts a world championship and fall festival with a significant purse, attracting participants globally and focusing on inclusive participation, including special needs and at-risk youth.
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