Meet Pitmaster Tuffy Stone

A native Virginian, Tuffy is a Six-time World Barbecue Champion pitmaster, a Barbecue Hall of Fame inductee, an author (Cool Smoke -The Art of Great Barbecue), a former Marine, a French-trained chef, and an occasional reality television star. Dubbed “The Professor,” Tuffy’s legendary precision and obsession with the science of smoke have made him one of the most influential people in barbecue.

As a result of his continued success with the Cool Smoke competition barbecue team and his extensive knowledge of all things barbecue, Tuffy was selected to join Destination America’s show ‘BBQ Pitmasters’ as a judge and co-host.

Tuffy’s life in barbecue continues to take him all over the world, including Kuwait, where he was honored to be able to cook for the troops stationed there. In New Zealand and Australia he taught barbecue classes at Meatstock and most recently traveled to Brazil to teach a masterclass to a large group of passionate Portuguese speaking pitmasters. (Note: Tuffy does not speak Portuguese.)

In late 2019, Tuffy opened The Westover, a casual neighborhood joint in Richmond, Virginia, that serves breakfast and lunch daily and occasionally opens for dinner and live music. He continues to be an owner of a successful off-premise catering company, A Sharper Palate, which recently celebrated 25 years in business.