GRILL MASTERS : HOW TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE MAKING BBQ A HIT ON MAGNOLIA NETWORK
Students from Ben Barber Innovation Academy had the opportunity to join four other high schools across Texas in the new hit TV series BBQ High on Magnolia Network . Chef David Roberson was approached by a production company looking for a student and an educator to follow for a documentary featuring the school ’ s barbecue program . Chef Roberson suggested Zane Jones , a student from Mansfield High School , to be the student spotlighted throughout the show . Both went through a rigorous interview process and were eventually selected for the show .
ProStart . “ It ’ s a lot of hard work , but the kids truly enjoy it . If you were to spend time with our students , you ’ d see
the family atmosphere we ’ ve created ,” Chef Roberson said . “ It ’ s more than just barbecue — it ’ s a tight-knit community . Just like football players or band members , this is their team , and they love it .”
The barbecue show premiered on Aug . 18 and is available to watch on multiple streaming platforms . It ’ s interesting , it ’ s fun , and it ’ s all about the students .
For the school to be included on the show , district approval was required , and all necessary waivers and steps were completed to feature the students . Once approved , the network coordinated with Ben Barber ’ s practice schedule to capture footage of the students , following them from start to finish during the Texas High School BBQ competition . The unique aspect of the process was that the network incorporated elements of the students ’ personal lives to enrich the storyline . Everything was unscripted , authentic , and featured real-life moments .
Many interviews were conducted with Jones , Chef Roberson , and Sgt . Paul Beasley , who assists Chef Roberson in teaching barbecue techniques to students . Some filming days lasted between eight and nine hours , though only a small portion was included in the six-episode series . The show captured the entire process , including additional competitions and reactions at the state level .
In Texas , traditional sports like football and baseball have always been significant , but BBQ High and ProStart , a culinary arts and restaurant management skills program , provide culinary students with a unique opportunity . It allows students to enter a competitive space and have fun . What makes barbecue special is that it ’ s open to any student , not just those in the culinary program . It ’ s accessible — if you ’ re willing to put in the work to learn how to barbecue , you can be part of the team .
Jones , who had no experience with barbecue before joining the team , learned quickly and ended up winning second place at the state competition during his junior year . This shows that anyone can learn barbecue , even without prior experience .
The barbecue team started competing nine years ago , at the same time culinary teams started competing in
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