Melinda's Hot Sauce Ignites the Nation's Top Pitmasters at the 2025 Open Fire Meat Up

As the main sponsor of the nation's largest BBQ event, Melinda's brings the heat to Hondo, Texas, fueling three days of live fire cooking and fierce competition.

IRVING, Texas, Oct. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Melinda's Foods LLC, pioneer of quality, craft hot sauce, is turning up the heat this November as the main sponsor of the 2025 Open Fire Meat Up in Hondo, Texas, the largest and most popular social media barbecue influencers and pitmasters event in the world. From Nov. 6–8, the three-day celebration will bring together more than 120 renowned pitmasters and creators for a showcase of smoke, spice, and serious competition, headlined by the return of the Melinda's Wing Battle co-sponsored by Webber Grills and Jealous Devil. While the first two days are dedicated to creators and industry professionals, the public is invited to experience the action on Saturday, Nov. 8, the only day open to general admission.

Melinda's Second Wing Battle of 2025 will kick off The Open Fire Meat Up on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 3:30 p.m., as an invite-only event. Six powerhouse barbecue creators, including the defending champion Kevin Ortega, Chuck Matto, Chris Binotto, Sunny Moody, Mel Chmilar Jr. and Maciek Zurawski, will face off for ultimate wing supremacy.

Judged by a panel of barbecue heavyweights and industry icons, including Melinda's Co-Founder David "Chef Fig" Figueroa, Mike Starr of Blazing Star BBQ, and Dustin Green, Head Grill Master at Weber Grill Academy, the battle promises bold flavors, big personalities and a flavor showdown only Texas can deliver.

"We're bringing the heat back to Hondo," said David "Chef Fig" Figueroa, President, CCO, and Co-Founder of Melinda's Hot Sauce. "Being the main sponsor of the Open Fire Meat Up means we get to celebrate everything we love about barbecue: the smoke, the taste, and the community. Barbecue culture has an amazing energy where everyone pushes the boundaries of heat and flavor, which is what's at the heart of Melinda's."

After wrapping the Wing Battle, Team Melinda's returns to the Open Fire Meat Up with reigning Wing Battle Champion Kevin Ortega's TKO Wings, led by Tony Ramirez and Chuck Matto alongside a 17-member crew of barbecue legends defending their podium finish and the legacy of their Honey Money Wings. Continuing tradition, the team will also cook breakfast for all competitors on Nov. 8, featuring Pete Klein's famous big breakfast burritos paired with Melinda's sauces.

Hosted by Argentinian open fire cooking legend Al Frugoni, the Open Fire Meat Up has become the most influential gathering in barbecue. Over three days, guests experience whole animal asados, epic firepits and live music under the Texas sky.

Born from a passion for flavor and a commitment to craft, Melinda's remains true to its family-owned heritage, using only fresh, whole ingredients to create all-natural sauces made from real fruits and vegetables. To learn more about the Open Fire Meat Up and to purchase tickets, visit www.openfiremeatup.com. To explore Melinda's full line of product offerings, visit Melindas.com.

About Melinda's
Melinda's is the all-natural and passionately crafted vegetable and fruit-based pepper sauce brand that was the first to incorporate habanero peppers. Launched more than 34 years ago by brothers, Greg and David Figueroa, who wanted to share their passion for chiles to consumers nationwide, Melinda's melds family history into every product. Using all-natural vegetables and fruit-based ingredients from Colombia, Melinda's offers a wide variety of hot sauces, condiments, wing sauces, and preserves to help consumers incorporate delicious flavors in their everyday meals. For more information on Melinda's, please visit Melindas.com.

SOURCE Melinda's Foods LLC