Tuffy Stone facts for kids
Stone at the 2018 Texas Book Festival
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| Born | George Stone 1962/1963 (age 61–62) |
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| Cooking style | Barbecue |
| Spouse | Leslie Stone |
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Television show(s)
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Award(s) won
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George "Tuffy" Stone was born in 1962 or 1963. He is a famous American chef and a top competitor in the world of barbecue. You might know him from the TV show BBQ Pitmasters on Destination America. Tuffy leads his own barbecue team called "Cool Smoke." People often call him "The Professor" because he knows so much about cooking barbecue!
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Tuffy's Early Life
Tuffy Stone was named George, just like his dad. When he was only two years old, his mom gave him the nickname "Tuffy."
After high school, Tuffy thought about going to college for running. But instead, he decided to join the United States Marine Corps. He served for four years. While in the Marines, he worked on airplanes like the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. After his time in the Marines, he went to Virginia Commonwealth University.
Becoming a Barbecue Champion
Tuffy Stone started his cooking journey in 1987. He worked with a chef named Alain Vincey in a restaurant called La Maisonette. In 1993, Tuffy and his wife, Leslie, started their own food business called "A Sharper Palate."
Cool Smoke BBQ Team
In 2004, Tuffy created his barbecue team, "Cool Smoke." He often cooks with his father, George, on the team. Tuffy loves to cook with wood, especially hickory wood, to get that smoky flavor. His team competes in many barbecue contests. Tuffy also owns a chain of barbecue restaurants in Virginia called "Q Barbeque."
Winning Big Competitions
Tuffy and his "Cool Smoke" team have won many awards:
- In 2006, he was the Grand Champion at the Albertsville competition.
- In 2010, he won the Maryland State BBQ Championship.
- His team, Cool Smoke, won the Jack Daniel's Invitational BBQ competition in 2013. This is a very famous contest!
- They also won the American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open in 2014.
- Cool Smoke won the Jack Daniel's Invitational BBQ competition again in 2015.
- They made history by winning it a third time in 2016! This made them the first team to win it twice in a row.
Tuffy on TV
Tuffy first appeared on the TV show BBQ Pitmasters in 2010. Later, he became a judge on the show starting in season three. He judged alongside other famous barbecue experts like Myron Mixon and Aaron Franklin. Tuffy also helped judge the Kingsford Invitational. This event brought together winners from eight big barbecue competitions.
In 2019, Tuffy competed on another Food Network show. It was called BBQ Brawl: Flay v. Symon.
Tuffy's Family Life
Tuffy Stone is married to Leslie Stone. They have a son named Sam. Tuffy and Leslie first met when they both worked at a restaurant called Strawberry Street Cafe.
