About Matthew
For Matthew, the journey to becoming a professional pitmaster and chef is rooted in a passion for food instilled in him by his Mother’s cooking from scratch and his exposure to many regional styles in his travels as a child in a military background.
Matt’s love of barbeque developed early, as it was a favorite choice among siblings in his large family, and they sampled local BBQ across the country in their numerous moves and journeys.
What’s your go-to item to grill?
Steaks or pork chops.
What’s the last thing you ate?
Smoked chicken salad with pumpkin seeds.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever eaten?
A5 Wagyu Ribeye.
What do you drink when you grill?
Water mostly, but when with friends cold beers are always on the menu.
What’s your favorite thing to cook?
Spare ribs.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve cooked on a grill?
Heavy cream.
What’s the longest time you’ve grilled/smoked something, and what was it?
How did it turn out?
17 hours. Whole Hog. 200 lbs. Perfect.
Over many years, Matt has developed his own style of smoked meat while studying and learning from the traditions of age-old wood-smoked BBQ. He eventually started a home-based catering company. This venture quickly took off, and with the support of his family and friends, Matt chose to follow his passion and leave his successful corporate career to make a switch into the food industry full-time.
Quality and artistry are priorities Matthew Deaton focuses on in his constantly evolving culinary education and experiences. To further his depth of knowledge, he has cooked at events such as the 2018 Le Pied Du Mont Boucherie Festival in Georgia on Team Smoke, and assisted Chef Joy Crump at the 2018 Taste of the Derby in Kentucky.