Getting the duck ready to go to the judges are (from left) Patrick Gorringe, Matt Miller, Ben Jordan and Chris Krone.

Chief BBQ Mania judge Luke Seeney​ might have the best job in the world.

At the Jack Daniel's BBQ Mania 2018 competition on a sunny Saturday at the Hamilton Car Club grounds the air is filled with the scent of ducks, chickens and beef being barbecued in a dizzying array of sauces and rubs.

T​he perfect barbecue should be "a nice firm bite, not chewy or mushy", Seeney says, explaining the judges are looking for three things: presentation, texture, and taste.

There are 54 judges at the event, reviewing the meals of teams who've named themselves the likes of Jurassic Pork, Smokin' Comrades and the Pirongia Porkers.

But make no mistake, it's serious business event organiser and barbecue 'pitmaster' Jared​ Macdonald says.

"The food could look amazing but if the texture and taste isn't there, you could come last."

DOMINICO ZAPATA/STUFF If you can't stand the heat, BBQ Mania might not be for you.

Seeney's role is to bring the judges up to speed on the criteria that will be used to place the best of the barbecues - and surprisingly, he doesn't taste the meat himself.

There's two reasons for the large number of judges. Firstly, the huge amount of meat that will be consumed, but crucially, it's also to get a wide profile of subjective tastes trying each of the duck, chicken and beef cooks.

Macdonald admits he was the "classic enthusiast" when it came to barbecuing, but that all changed when he saw the US TV show 'BBQ Pitmasters'.

He works as a chef, and had done a bit of metal work at school and thought, "I bet I could make one of those," he says.

"I built the monstrosity and the wife said, 'you'd better start using that.'"

Macdonald is a member of a Facebook page which now boasts 24,500 BBQ enthusiast members.

He has some ideas for why it's so popular too.

DOMINICO ZAPATA/STUFF Keith Worboys, Matt Anderson and Dan Thompson.

"Pent up pressure from work, being separated from our food," he says. "This is blowing off some work stress, sitting around the barbecue for hours."

The BBQ competition runs all weekend and Macdonald says most participants won't sleep for the duration.

Competitor Matt Miller is one going without sleep, but a few beers might make the time go easier.

"You can't spend 36 hours in front of a barbecue without having a few," he says, speaking over two delicious-looking roast ducks. "Just a few, mind."

Miller was drawn to the competitive barbecuing for a number of reasons: "Passion for meat, camaraderie, a lad's weekend, 36 hours of cooking barbecue, a few beers."

The trickiest part of the competition was assembling his team of four. Everyone knows one, maybe two barbecue obsessives, but four or five?

"We're a bunch of misfits put together through friends of friends," he says.

Macdonald says as the hobby takes off in New Zealand teams will be able to compete with rivals in the United States, the spiritual home of competitive barbecuing, where he says competitive teams spend huge amounts of money on competing.

DOMINICO ZAPATA/STUFF Shaun Branson, Jordan Patterson and David Muckle were enjoying the community feel of the event, and cooking with charcoal.

But he says it's not necessary to spend lots of money to get great results, and has three tips: Get the best ingredients - and that includes the fuel - practice as much as you can, and do your homework.

But Kiwis do have a secret weapon, he says - the hangi.

"Kiwi's are the original pitmasters."

DOMINICO ZAPATA/STUFF Competition head judge Luke Seeney wants to see a nice firm bite, not chewy or mushy.

DOMINICO ZAPATA/STUFF Pit master and event organiser Jared Macdonald.