Tuffy Stone
Tuffy Stone is a Virginia pitmaster, cookbook author, and barbecue teacher who shares the craft of cooking with fire through recipes, videos, and his Cool Smoke BBQ School.
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Latest
Tuffy’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
St. Martin’s Griffin
Destination AmericaOverview
- Based in
- Richmond, Virginia
- Work
- Pitmaster, chef, author, and barbecue teacher
- Before barbecue
- Marine Corps service and French culinary training
- Team
- Founded Cool Smoke in 2004
- Known as
- The Professor
- Television
- Judge and co-host on BBQ Pitmasters
Mini bio
Before the smoke.
A native Virginian and former Marine, Tuffy trained in French cooking at Richmond’s La Maisonette. In the early 1990s, he and his wife Leslie started the catering company A Sharper Palate.
How it started.
He formed Cool Smoke in 2004 to learn more about cooking with fire. His first teammate was his neighbor Kendall Lamp; later, he cooked mostly with his father, George. Their first contest brought second place in pork and seventh in brisket, enough to keep him coming back.
Finding his audience.
Competition success helped bring him to BBQ Pitmasters as a judge and co-host. Cool Smoke won the American Royal Invitational in 2013 and the Open in 2014, then made history with a third Jack Daniel’s world championship win in 2016.
Sharing the craft.
His 2018 cookbook, Cool Smoke: The Art of Great Barbecue, takes readers from choosing a cooker to preparing rubs, sauces, and competition entries. Through his cooking school, online lessons, and recipes, he keeps sharing the techniques behind the food.
Creditschronological, newest first
Books
- 2018Cool Smoke: The Art of Great BarbecueAuthor
Television
- 2012BBQ PitmastersJoined as judge and co-host
Competition barbecue
- 2004Cool SmokeFounder and pitmaster
Awards
- KCBS Hall of Fame2025 · Inductee in the pitmaster category.
- Memphis in May World Championship2019 · Overall World Champion and first place in shoulder with Cool Smoke.
- Barbecue Hall of Fame2018 · Inducted at the American Royal.
- Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational2013, 2015, and 2016 · World Champion with Cool Smoke. The 2016 win made the team the first three-time winner and first back-to-back champion.
- American Royal World Series of Barbecue2014 · Open World Champion; 2013 · Invitational World Champion.
Quotes
What started off as a hope to meet people and learn how to barbeque turned into so much more.Tuffy Stone, Kansas City Barbeque Society
Reflecting on his barbecue journey in the announcement of the 2025 KCBS Hall of Fame class.
Trivia
- His nickname, The Professor, comes from his attention to detail and interest in the science of smoke.
- His first Cool Smoke teammate was his neighbor Kendall Lamp.
- He has cooked for U.S. troops stationed in Kuwait.
- He has taught a barbecue masterclass in Brazil despite not speaking Portuguese.
Find Tuffy
Follow Tuffy for recipes, cooking videos, and news from the pit.
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