Barbecue Catering Services

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Anytime is a great time for a good old fashioned pig pickin'. Any event is suitable for a Valley Pig Pickin'. We routinely cater wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, graduation parties, holiday parties, church functions, fundraisers, family reunions, office parties, business open-houses, etc...

Any time for any event is a great time for a pig roast. Give Valley Pig Pickin', LLC a call to discuss your event. We will help make your event unique and special.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. The number one thing to know about BBQ catering is NOT the cost of the menu...but the cooking method and qualifications and training of the Pit Master. We spend an incredible amount of time and energy to perfect the art of cooking over hardwood fires, just to have someone say they can cook just as good over propane. It maybe good, but it ain't the same thing or event the real thing. If you want a TRUE bbq experience, find a catering company that cooks only over hardwood fires. Valley Pig Pickin', LLC is that company...stop looking and call us to discuss your special event.

Regardless of menu, BBQ or not, the most important questions to ask are about food safety concerns. There are several companies that disregard the guests safety with questionable cooking practices. Ask about food safety training, insurance coverage, health department inspections, etc. Make sure the caterer you hire understands what it takes to safely serve the meal to your guests.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. One of the more critical pieces of information is the date and time of the event. We can only be at so many places at once, so if we are already fully booked, we may not be able to staff your event.

The next piece of information we need to accurately quote your event is the guest count. It does not have to be exact, but a good ballpark estimate has to be provided.

Menu selections is good to have, but not critical. We will be happy to work with you to develop a custom menu that will meet your desires for a unique and special event. Our goal is your satisfaction and that will start with us providing only exactly what you desire for your menu.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. Valley Pig Pickin', LLC prides itself on providing a traditional whole pig roast on-site at the clients location. We cook the pig entirely at the site, low and slow, in our custom BBQ pits over hardwood smoke and coals. We never cook over propane and NEVER simply warm up the meat selections for the meal...every meat selection is pulled directly form the pit for the buffet tables. We serve only the freshest BBQ directly off the pit. If you desire a true Pig Pickin' experience, call Valley Pig Pickin', LLC for your BBQ Catering needs.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I like my job the most when at the end of an event we are approached by guests and told how much they loved the meal. Obviously, I doubt many would tell us if they hated it, but it always takes away some of the fatigue when we hear it was the best they ever had. We are usually on-site 10 to 14 hours, depending on the menu and size of the event, so at the end of the day, we are usually pretty tired. But having a completed service and seeing nothing but smiles, it makes our day.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. Q1) How many will a whole pig feed?
A1) Depends on the size of the pig!

We will order the correct size pig from our local butcher to feed the guest count you provide for the event. A pig will typically provide about 25% edible meat from the whole pig. A good rule of thumb is 1.5 lbs per person.

Q2) What does a pig pickin' cost?
A2) Depends on the menu, the guest count and the location.

We will help you custom design a menu for your event. We want to help make your event special, so we take the time to learn what you desire rather than forcing you to take a predetermined menu selection. Our fees are structured around a BBQ Service Fee, plus the actual meat selection expenses, mileage to the event location and fees for any side dish selections.

Q3) What is on the menu?
A3) Whatever you desire?

As explained above, we desire to make your event special with a unique menu. We will work with you to develop a custom menu that meets all of your desires. A typical Pig Pickin' menu is pulled pork, cole slaw, bbq beans and potato salad. While we serve this menu often, we by no means are limited. If you desire a special item, or have a menu in mind for YOUR event, just ask...we will do our best to meet your desire!

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. A favorite time at any event is when the guests tell me it was the best BBQ they ever had. I love to here guests love the food and left completely full. The goal of Valley Pig Pickin', LLC is to serve a memorable meal that will make your event special. My favorite story from an event is probably the time the bride kissed the pig. I only wish I had a camera at the time! Or it could be the time the graduating seniors from JMU decided to eat the eyes and tounge from the pig...now of course, they probably had too much beer to begin with. But they got a round of applause from the other guests.