Just learned how much competition brisket prices have jumped since the early 2000s

I was looking through some old notes from a BBQ forum archive and saw a post from 2004. A guy was complaining about the cost of a prime packer brisket for a contest, saying he paid $1.89 a pound. I checked the price at my local supplier here in Kansas City last week, and the same cut is running $4.75 a pound now. That's more than double in twenty years. It really puts the rising cost of competing into perspective. Makes you appreciate the folks who were doing this back when entry fees were lower too. Has anyone else noticed a specific cost that's changed the game for them?

3 comments

3 Comments

alex_johnson16d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, started buying whole packers in bulk with a couple other guys to split the cost. Helps take the sting out a bit.

the_hayden16d ago

It's the same story with everything, from gas to groceries. The price of just living has gone nuts.

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the_hayden10d ago

My neighbor tried that bulk buy thing like alex_johnson, but with toilet paper. Ended up with a garage full of it, stacked to the ceiling. Now every time I see him he's trying to give away a 24-pack. Says the sheer volume of it is starting to feel like a problem, not a solution.