Melissa Cookston facts for kids
Melissa Cookston is a super talented American chef and author. She owns two restaurants and has written two cookbooks. Melissa is also a seven-time world champion in American barbecue! She has won the top prize at the Memphis in May American Barbecue World Championship twice. She is the only woman to ever win this world championship.
About Melissa Cookston
Melissa Cookston was born in Ruleville, Mississippi in 1968. She spent her childhood growing up in Greenville, Mississippi and Pontotoc, Mississippi.
Her Amazing Career
Melissa worked with food for many years. In 1996, she started cooking barbecue and entering competitions. She quickly began winning lots of awards! In 2007, Melissa and her husband decided to focus fully on barbecue. They traveled around the country, competing in many contests.
By 2011, they were ready to open their first restaurant, Memphis BBQ Company. This restaurant has locations in Mississippi and Georgia. In October 2016, she opened another restaurant called STEAK by Melissa in Southaven, Mississippi. It closed in 2020. In 2019, she also opened Green Tomato Catering in Horn Lake, MS, which offers catering and plate lunches. Melissa still leads her barbecue team, Yazoo's Delta Q. In 2017, she even shared that she had started raising her own special pigs for barbecue.
Since 2012, Melissa has appeared on many TV shows. These include BBQ Pitmasters, Chopped, CBS This Morning, The Kitchen, and The American Barbecue Showdown.
Outside the Kitchen
Melissa currently lives in Hernando, Mississippi. She lives there with her husband, Pete, and her daughter, Lauren.
